[MRCA] A quick After Action Report: Military Radio Field Day

B. Smith smithab11 at comcast.net
Wed Jul 2 19:50:12 EDT 2025


I saw Tim's Cootie key and thought others might be interested in another 
homebrew key. Tools used for fabrication were a  hacksaw, a drill, and a 
file. Simple construction utilizes small micro-switches for key 
contacts.The key is mounted on a heavy lead base and uses knurled knobs 
on the adjustments. I used the original Pico keyer which I mounted in a 
RF proof box 20 years ago - whew.
Z


On 7/1/2025 2:57 PM, Tim wrote:
> Hi Steve - Yep those J-45 Knee Keys were designed for 
> indestructible 20 year old snake eaters - not me!  haha
> You have a great key collection.  I liked the simple paddle.  I also 
> made one with a hacksaw blade, some L brackets and a few screws.  
> Indestructible for banging around in a field kit and I actually prefer 
> its feel to my ancient Vibroplex paddle.  When used with my old DIY 
> Curtis 8043 CMOS keyer it works great.
> P5260379.jpg
> Thanks for visiting..
> Tim
> N6CC
>
> On Mon, Jun 30, 2025 at 12:36 PM sbjohnston--- via MRCA 
> <mrca at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
>     Tim -
>     Thank you for taking your military gear into the field on Field
>     Day.  And thank you for documenting it so nicely so we can ride along!
>     I don't think the leg-clamp key brackets have ever fit my leg.  I
>     love the idea but I have always been far bigger than the target
>     leg size of those units.  I must not be alone in this as several
>     militaries went to an adjustable canvas strap for leg-mounted keys.
>
>     You can see several on my website at https://www.wd8das.net/keys.html
>
>     I recently homebrewed such a leg-key from odds and ends I had with
>     me here on Kauai.  It is shown near the bottom of that webpage.
>     73
>
>     Steve WD8DAS
>
>     sbjohnston at aol.com
>     http://www.wd8das.net/
>     http://af4k-crystals.com/
>     --------------------------------------------------------------------
>     Radio is your best entertainment value.
>     --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>     Mein Ohr ganz nah am Weltempfänger...
>
>
>
>
>     On Monday, June 30, 2025 at 06:04:48 AM HST,
>     mrca-request at mailman.qth.net <mrca-request at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
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>     Today's Topics:
>
>       1. A quick After Action Report: Military Radio Field Day 2025 (Tim)
>       2. A quick After Action Report: Military Radio Field Day 2025
>           (Ray Fantini)
>
>
>     ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>     Message: 1
>     Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2025 15:20:44 -0700
>     From: Tim <timsamm at gmail.com>
>     To: "mrcg-west at groups.io" <mrcg-west at groups.io>, MRCA
>         <mrca at mailman.qth.net>, MMRCG <MMRCG at groups.io>,
>     Army-Radios at groups.io
>     Subject: [MRCA] A quick After Action Report: Military Radio Field Day
>         2025
>     Message-ID:
>     <CAG9SHKOK2g2yc4d2j-qMMWK1rqsTJRoW59AXOmAJr0HLkP9=Mg at mail.gmail.com>
>     Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>     https://www.n6cc.com/military-radio-field-day-2025-ftx/
>
>     Tim
>     N6CC
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>     ------------------------------
>
>     Message: 2
>     Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 14:00:48 +0000
>     From: Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>
>     To: "MMRCG at groups.io" <MMRCG at groups.io>, MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>,
>         "milsurplus at mailman.qth.net" <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
>     Subject: [MRCA] A quick After Action Report: Military Radio Field Day
>         2025
>     Message-ID:
>        
>     <DM8P220MB0472661DD3726E469B5F1A62B846A at DM8P220MB0472.NAMP220.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM>
>
>     Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>     Cool, great to see so many were active for Field Day! Espicaley
>     Mark and his WW2 only set up. Can be an issue working modern
>     events like Field Day with a 654 or BC-611! I have a lot of stuff
>     going on at home right now and whimped out and did not
>     participate. Maybe next year I can drag out the mutt or at least a
>     backpack and do a couple contacts, did listen to the band and
>     there were a ton of stations active all looking for making
>     contacts. Had to smile when I saw at least two or three LSB groups
>     operating in the forty meter AM passband and have to wonder where
>     the Guardian of the AM passband Troll was and how he is derelict
>     in his duty in correcting the world?
>     Will be interesting to see what others did during the event? And
>     put it on your calendar now, the MRCA Gilbert event during the Red
>     Ball MVPA show will be coming up Friday & Saturday, September 26th
>     & 27th with all the usual Nets, field operations and show and tell.
>
>     Ray F/KA3EKH
>
>
>
>     From: MMRCG at groups.io <MMRCG at groups.io> On Behalf Of Tim N6CC via
>     groups.io <http://groups.io>
>     Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2025 6:21 PM
>     To: mrcg-west at groups.io; MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>; MMRCG
>     <MMRCG at groups.io>; Army-Radios at groups.io
>     Subject: [MMRCG] A quick After Action Report: Military Radio Field
>     Day 2025
>
>
>     Military Radio Field Day 2025 FTX - N6CC
>     <https://www.n6cc.com/military-radio-field-day-2025-ftx/>
>
>
>     	
>
>
>     	
>
>
>         Military Radio Field Day 2025 FTX - N6CC
>
>     Tim
>
>     N6CC operated Military Radio Field Day 2025 using all military
>     radio equipment. This equipment is perfect for Ha...
>
>     <https://www.n6cc.com/military-radio-field-day-2025-ftx/>
>
>
>
>     Tim
>     N6CC
>     _._,_._,_
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>     ------------------------------
>
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>     End of MRCA Digest, Vol 254, Issue 47
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