[MRCG] Fwd: MRCG / B&G Cross-Continent AAR

Sun May 7 22:55:31 EDT 2023

Wish I had known about this very cool sked. Could easily have raised my antenna above its set height of 4 feet…doohhh! 

This would be a great thing to try next year and perhaps invite other milrad cels to participate as well. 

I had a great time and thanks to Hank I didn’t go home empty handed. Works good with about 25 watts out in 473 :) 

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Andy 

Sent from my 1942 AWA 3BZ 

> On May 7, 2023, at 6:30 PM, Tim <timsamm at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi MRCG-ers.  Below AAR from Ray back east.  We tried a hastily planned
> cross-country HF contact via military radios on 18.145 mc from Camp SLO
> Saturday afternoon.  We heard Ray KA3EKH and others pretty well but they
> did not hear us due to some timing issues and equipment setup on my part.
> Duh.  Otherwise would have worked fine...Next time!
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>
> Date: Sun, May 7, 2023 at 2:07 PM
> Subject: Re: MRCG / B&G Cross-Continent AAR
> To: Tim <timsamm at gmail.com>
> 
> Please post to west coast group:
> 
> AAR Hagerstown MVPA Military Vehicle Show and Sale, May 5th and 6th, 2023
> in Hagerstown Maryland.
> 
> 
> What was supposed to be achieved by this project?
> 
> 
> This show was once known as the “Aberdeen” show. It’s been at the Hagerstown
> regional Airport complex, the one time home of Fairchild – Republic and
> today a public airfield and Museum.
> 
> I have been going to this show for years. For the last several shows I
> brought out the M151A1 along with it radios and set up and operate at the
> event. The Blue & Gray Military Vehicle Trust operates the show and during
> the event over the years have discovered that a lot of people enjoying
> telling stories and seeing all this gear up and running.
> 
> The plan for this year included the regular field RTTY and USB voice
> operations on the Saturday morning Nets along with a new challenge to our
> west coast brothers to do a cross country QSO to their annual event at the
> National Guard base in San Luis Obispo.
> 
> 
> What was actually achieved?
> 
> 
> Arrived at seven that morning with mutt and got set up in row B space six.
> The only scheduled contact was with N6CC at five that afternoon so took
> advantage of all the free time to look around the event and see what was
> available. Saw several people that I knew, and time was spent talking.
> Around five that afternoon cranked up the GRC-106 on 18.145 and did several
> calls for N6CC and although did hear something down in the noise was not
> able to make the QSO, did talk to a couple stations down in Florida and
> someone out in North Dakota on that channel but no luck with the west coast
> group, did learn after the fact that they did hear me but by the time they
> came back with more power I had gone QRT.
> 
> I used the AN/GRC-106A with a Tough book laptop for RTTY running Mitty
> software and the same antenna for the 7296 net at ten that morning. Only
> had about six or so stations on the forty meter voice net, dropped the mast
> and installed the antenna cut for 5357 for the M & S Net at noon. It was
> good to work that net again after the lack of successes at home and Cape
> Henlopen.  Started packing up around three and was off the site by four.
> 
> 
> What aspects of the project work?
> 
> 
> The antennas and radios all performed well. Using the vertical for
> seventeen meters works but have to wonder if a new cut antenna for 18.145
> may be in order? Because of all the issues with generator noise was not
> able to use the MEP-025 generator and had to run the engine in the mutt
> during all scheduled transmission times and that works but the vibration
> and heat of the running engine was annoying.
> 
> Once again, the PRC-25/77 set up was a big hit, people love to see and talk
> about that radio.
> 
> 
>  What didn't work and why?
> 
> 
> The seventeen meters contact was going to be a big deal if we were able to
> pull it off, but because of a failure to coordinate and on my part of not
> maintaining diligence in continuing to monitor beyond the scheduled time it
> failed. Forty meters was also challenging on Saturday but was still able to
> get into the MMRCG net and last but not least having to run the engine on
> the mutt sucks. Need to find a better way of powering everything but
> considering it’s not just the GRC-106 also have to power the VRC-12 set up
> along with the URC-110 at some field operations I can draw shore power and
> use that to run everything but not at Hagerstown. Don’t want to use a
> modern generator being it would not be period correct.
> 
> 
> What would you change if given a second chance?
> 
> 
> Exchange phone numbers so we can use text messaging as a backup channel!
> The laptop I use for RTTY had seen a wireless network available but never
> thought to use that, the cell can also be used for text but never thought
> to do all that in advance. Would have been something to pull off that cross
> country QSO but looks like it won't be happening this time.
> 
> I still want to try to get others out and doing things, there were at least
> a dozen licensed Hams on site with handhelds, PRC-25/77 and VRC-12 sets but
> other than a couple times on 51.0 when talking with someone to test a radio
> nothing was heard. Will have to say that I did not listen over the entire
> event but whenever I was around the mutt had the RT-524 cranked up. Still
> have to wonder what it's going to take to get people to come out and take
> part.
> 
> 
> Ray F/KA3EKH
> 
> -------------------
> 
> Thanks for the report Ray!
> 
> Tim
> 
> N6CC
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