[MRCA] MRCA Gilbert AAR

[Ray Fantini]

AAR Red Ball MVPA - MRCA Gilbert Show, Friday September 26th and the Saturday MMRCG RTTY and Moose & Squirrel Net.

What was supposed to be achieved by this project?
The MRCA Gilbert show has been an annual event for over twenty-five years now. The event is a combination of equipment displays and field radio events open to all.
Field operations were planned for sixty-meter, eighty meter and six-meter band on Friday and I planned to have the M151 mutt set up with all its radios in operation including participating in the 7087 RTTY and Moose & Squirrel Net that Saturday.

What was actually achieved?
Arrived Thursday afternoon. Several people had already set up there displays in the Howell building including Jeffs display of radio direction finding equipment, Tony's working PRC-47 and 74 and several other displays. Some command sets, WW2 DF systems and WA3GFZ  TCS setup.
By Saturday morning we had a good size group and many were anticipating starting the field exercise at Beltsville State Park.
The sixty-meter net on 5357 occurred at 1400 hours local with fourteen stations taking part. The mutt developed mechanical problems and had to stay behind and act as NCS from outside the Howell building and that became an issue with some of the backpack stations operating at the park but Dean, KK1K was in operation just outside the park and did an excellent job of relaying the low power portables back to NCS located fourteen miles away at Gilbert. The 3885 AM net had four check ins and the 51.0 FM net had six stations take part.
Saturday morning worked the 7087 RTTY net and the M&S net at noon. Departed around fourteen hundred hours that day.
I was the last MRCA/MMRCG asset on site, most others departed before noon.
What aspects of the project work?
The nets.  5357 net was successful with Dean, KK1K and his GRC-106 supporting many of the backpack stations that were not making it back to NCS at Gilbert. I was able to copy a couple of the backpack stations but not the same as being at the usual location at the Beltsville Boat ramp. N2MS checked in from NJ and also had KE8ULR check in from Ohio on his PRC-47, K1HF checked in from up north but think conditions were just not right for him to hear anyone beyond NCS. I ran the GRC-106 into an inverted V on the mutt from outside the Howell building and was able to press gang W1NZR into NCS duty so I got to play with my GRC-215 and check in from the field. Other military portables included W8SDA with his PRC-138, N3KCB on a PRC-74, N2IA with his PRC-104 and KC8KSK on a Chicom set.
We had four stations for the 3885 AM net with KC8KSK running a TCS set up from inside the Howell building.
The 51.0 FM net had six stations including Tony and his East German SEM-35 and KC8KSK running a PRC-77, NCS was the RT-524 on board the mutt.
The next morning operated the GRC-106 on the mutt for the teletype net with a inverted V, good copy all around on 7087 and at noon using just the vertical on the back of the mutt worked the M&S net.
Some additional nonscheduled 144.25 and lots of 51.0 chatter occurred Friday and Saturday morning. 51.0 got more use then in the past and appears to be catching on as the "official" talk channel of the event.
The Military Vehicle Show and Swap meet with good weather had solid attendance both days, plenty of vendors and people showing vehicles. Lots of stuff, I picked up a ADSID III seismic sensor payload with the antenna that was part of Igloo White, surprised to see one outside of a museum along with a first-generation GPS Backpack that looks to be a fun project to get up and running again. Did stuff in a 5590 and got it up and running and some elements started to come back to life like time of day but the master date is still back in 1997

What didn't work and why?
On load out Wednesday night wanted to check the fuel separator on the generator and damaged the filter so no MEP-035 generator. Figured it's no big deal and would run the engine on the mutt just like at Hagerstown.  Discovered Thursday that the mutt has an issue where oil is getting into the coolant and suspect a blown head gasket, so assumed that running the engine for a long period of time at idle may not be good so decided to move NCS to outside of the Howell building so I would have access to shore power. The problem with this is that location is fourteen miles from Beltsville State Park and created an issue with low power radios and short antennas. Also failed to do the 3570 CW net due to lack of CW skills. Was not able to get many to stick around the event beyond noon on Saturday.

What would you change if given a second chance?
More prep time before departing home QTH. Need to resolve the power issue at Beltsville and resolve mechanical problems with the mutt. Also had issues using the GRC-215 first time in the field so need to spend more time with that.

I will be posting a video soon of the event.
Ray F/KA3EKH
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