[R-390] Surplus Recalls! (was: Is this the beginning of the end?)

[Cecil Acuff]

My understanding is that they don't necessarily want to reclaim the gear to 
put it back into service but to further de-mil it...as in render it totally 
inop buy removing some critical component or assembly that can't be acquired 
to put the radio gear back into service.

The genset I can understand but 20+ year old radio gear especially with all 
the commercial gear that is available for cheap that will do as good a job 
and is much easier to carry....don't make good sense!

Just my opinion...

Cecil....
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Maples" <dsmaples at comcast.net>
To: "Tom Norris" <r390a at bellsouth.net>; <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 5:49 PM
Subject: RE: [R-390] Surplus Recalls! (was: Is this the beginning of the 
end?)


> All: I'd like to offer another way to look at this.  It's just food for
> thought, and all replies are welcome.
>
> 1. I was slated to obtain a diesel generator through MARS back in late 
> 2003.
> After doing the entire paperwork deal the generator was whisked back into
> government service.  Apparently someone decided that maybe it made sense 
> to
> pull the generator back into government service, even though they had
> already concluded that it was surplus.  Why would they do that?
>
> 2. The older-style green gear (PRC-25, etc.) that gets handed down to
> National Guard types runs 15 kHz deviation and nothing else, whereas all
> commercial gear has been at 5 kHz deviation for years and years, and 2.5 
> kHz
> deviation is on the way.  The commercial gear won't do 15 kHz deviation. 
> If
> the Feds need more equipment that can actually do 15 kHz, there's no
> alternative other than purchasing new (at large $$$$$) or reclaiming the
> old.  Replacing the old green gear with new commecial gear at 5 kHz
> deviation really isn't an option unless the Feds want to replace ALL of 
> the
> old gear at one time (good luck getting budget for that).  Further, 
> whatever
> they replace it with has to be able to be deployed the same way they 
> deploy
> the old green gear (else they have to retrain the troops, at much 
> additional
> expense) AND work with the encryption devices and other hardware that they
> already have.  If you total up the budget to replace vs. the budget to go
> reclaim stuff that was surplused and reactivate it, there's no way that
> replacement can beat out reclamation.  The real question: Do the Feds need
> more 15 kHz green gear all of a sudden?  If so, why?
>
> 3. There's one more thing to consider.  When I worked as a Fed contractor
> the Feds treated money for new capital assets much differently than they
> treated money for maintenance.  It may well be that they have a
> "color-of-money" issue that is preventing them from purchasing NEW
> equipment, even though it may serve their needs better, but they can get
> money to REPAIR OLD equipment without difficulty.
>
> What this thread suggests to me is that (a) there may be some strain in 
> the
> radio assets within DoD (including the Nat Guard units), and (b) due to
> budget, time, logistics, and legal (e.g. the color-of-money issue I just
> commented on) constraints they aren't able to just go purchase new stuff
> right out of the chute and put it into service.  As a result they are
> recalling old gear.
>
> Rather than evidence of some conspiracy, this could actually be someone
> within the Federal government actually thinking through a problem and 
> coming
> up with a solution that doesn't automatically require more deficit 
> spending.
> If so, that's actually a GOOD thing, even if it means that the mil-surplus
> aspect of the hobby will suffer for a time.
>
> 73,
> Dave WB4FUR
>
>
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