[MRCA] [MMRCG] Field opps and frequencies

[Tim]

Hi Ray - Thanks for the report.  I operated the PRC-174 for Field Day
boonie ops but a similar antenna situation for that man pack set vs optimum
antennas.  As a hasty setup I did not deploy my usual low horizontal
dipole, just used the whip and a quarter wave ground "radial", it worked
pretty well but propagation was excellent on 40 meters that day. (note that
the wire dipole antennas for the PRC-74 and PRC-174 are exactly the same
unit - reflecting their origins with Hughes Aircraft..)
I also ran the whip tilted downward to enhance NVIS for more regional
contacts. That worked very well but really hard to do a real-time A versus
B, slant-versus vertical whip experiment with QSB etc.  But both theory and
practice shows low-horizontal will work much better than a vertical inside
of a few hundred miles but beyond local ground wave.  At least that's my
long experience with them.
I did a brief AAR on my Field Day ops with the mil radios, if you're
bored:  https://www.n6cc.com/military-field-day-2024/

No shelf queens!
Cheers, Tim
N6CC

On Mon, Jul 22, 2024 at 6:21 AM Ray Fantini via groups.io <RAFANTINI=
salisbury.edu at groups.io> wrote:

> As stated before was up in PA Hamburg, or Port Clinton or whatever it’s
> called with the PRC-74.
>
> Not a lot of experience with that radio and still learning the finer
> points like how to set the frequency but did have some fun.  At ten local
> that morning attempted to operate on 7296 for the MMRCG USB net but no love
> there. Did hear WF2U and a couple other stations but they never did hear
> me. I was running the whip on the radio so imagine that’s not that
> efficient of forty. Did hang the dipole antenna for the MRCA M&S net at
> noon. I remember Joe telling me about doing NVIS with low dipoles so I ran
> the one leg of the antenna from the radio to a tree maybe six or so feet
> off the ground with the other leg just running acrost the parking lot. The
> antenna loaded without issue and did discover that the length of the “cold”
> side of the dipole makes a difference between getting a good match in
> transmit but did not hear any difference between if it was attached on
> receive.
>
> Dean, KK1K as NCS had a big signal, N2MS running portable was also solid
> on the low dipole and was able to copy most stations without issue. The
> PRC-74 has a good receiver, did find that it was off frequency and did
> adjust but think I need to review the procedures for calibration in the
> field. Did pull that radio apart and do a alignment of all the osculators
> that set the different frequencies a couple months back but the internal
> field calibration and clarifier are still a mystery to me.
>
> Before M&S net did hear W2HX and K3TZJ but they never heard me, maybe
> because I was off frequency or whatever because I was not able to set the
> frequency until I started talking with N2MS just before the net.
>
> Think the issue is that you set the frequency on the radio and then use
> the clarifier knob and that’s gets good copy on the receiver but the
> transmitter is still somewhere else, use to modern radios where you just
> crank in the channel and go.
>
> Also have to wonder on the feeder cable that came with the radio that
> allows you to set the antenna up in the field that appears to be some sort
> of ladder line and maybe if both ends of the antenna were up in the air it
> would have worked better. Do have to say I like the little hand reels that
> have the calibration charts on them for laying out the dipole but have to
> wonder what the significance of the numbers are printed on the chart and
> line, it’s not frequency or anything like that. One thing about this PRC-74
> is when I got it had a huge bag of stuff that came with it, antennas, CW
> keys, adapters and all sorts of stuff to play with in the field. For fun I
> did try running the whip antenna on sixty meters and had maybe a half to a
> third of reception level with the stick. And as far as power goes have been
> using an 8 AH gel cell, although it’s kind of small for that radio it fits
> into the battery box well.
>
> As far as frequencies go, will remind everyone that MMRCG has been running
> a Saturday net on 7296 USB for years now at ten eastern, I have also had
> issues with 5357 just not making it up north. Can work people like Ron
> K3TZJ or N2MS but WB2JWU as NCS for M&S has been poor copy at my QTH for
> almost a year now.
>
>
>
> Ray F/KA3EKH
>
>
>
>
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