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

Sun May 7 23:20:17 EDT 2023

Well something is odd.  I had posted some of the planning conversations
with Ray on the MRCG mail reflector as well as the MRCG Groups.io site.
I'm surprised you didn't get any of that.  I think I cc'd you as well on at
least one of them.
Also, something we should have discussed with the group at SLO:  Should we
be using the old MRCG email address or the new Groups.io address.  Seems
like one or the other but some people may not have made the switch to
Groups.io    I dunno.
T

On Sun, May 7, 2023 at 7:56 PM ANDREW MILLER via MRCG <mrcg at mailman.qth.net>
wrote:

>
> 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 :)
>
>
>
> 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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