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Military Radios @ ARRL Field Day 2024

ARRL Field Day 2024: In an effort to encourage more off-grid, portable field radio operation and exercises the following After Action Report is posted: I used some of my usual […]

MIL COMMO FTX: Field Day 2023

UPDATE 7/9/2024 In an effort to encourage more field operations by Hams, especially with military field radio gear, the following After Action Report is posted. This was my Military Communications […]

End Fed Half Wave Wire Antennas

Updated: 6/29/2023 – A work in progress. End Fed Half Wave wire antennas must be great. Everyone is selling them! Meh. The antenna engineer’s axiom: You can have high gain, […]

PRC-174 HF Manpack Radio Set

UPDATE: 11/30/2024 I recently obtained a veteran RT-936/PRC-174 HF manpack radio from a fellow Ham (Thanks!). These were made by Tadiran from a design clearly originating from Hughes Aircraft, makers […]

Mil Radio Ops at FOB COVID 2020

July 2020: The following is a brief After Action Report on Military Radio training operations at Forward Operating Base COVID, July 2020. Scheduling difficulties required delaying from the June 2020 […]

TRC-77A HF CW Transceiver

UPDATED 10/14/2024 A friend recently gave me an RT-654A/TRC-77. Also known as the TRC-77A.  The RT-654(*) is the basic component of the “AN/TRC-77” set. A Deep Dive – probably more […]

Fast Patrol Torpedo Boats / PTF-17

PTF-17, PTF’s in general and Coastal River Division 21 Ops: Updated – 1/11/2024 A Work in Progress. First, a little background: Why PTF’s?  The Green Water Navy. Despite what several […]

The PRC-47 HF SSB/CW/RATT Transceiver

Updated 6/12/2024 Some notes regarding the AN/PRC-47.  This radio was designed by Collins and 1423 sets were produced by them (Contract NOm-72362, 15 December 1961).  The Department of the Navy […]

AN/GRC-109 “Special Forces” Radio Set

UPDATED 9/23/2024:  My favorite “Black Radio”. The AN/GRC-109, AKA the “GRC-109” and “ANGRY 109”. Probably the ultimate “SHTF Radio” for trained (or trainable) personnel.Some research, observations and adventures below; probably […]

The RS-6 Radio Set

UPDATED 10/29/2024 Another favorite Black Radio is the RS-6 set. (RS-6 = Radio Station number 6 per Central Intelligence Agency nomenclature.) “This radio set (below) and battery was hidden in […]