A Communications Forward Operating Base

Updated 29APR2025: Members of the West Coast Military Radio Collectors Group deployed a Communications Forward Operating Base at MVCC Camp Plymouth for the April 2025 event. 

The intent was to provide the Military Vehicle Collectors of California club with tactical, theater and strategic communications as necessary. Enabling the MVCC to Move, Shoot AND Communicate! The After Action Report follows:

The MVCC is a non-profit organization of collectors and historians interested in encouraging the acquisition, restoration, preservation, and public display of historic military vehicles and related militaria. It is the largest regional military vehicle collector organization in the U.S. The MRCG is similar – except military radios are the vehicle.

Lots of sun and a warm breeze made for a nice 3-day operation under the ParaHootch. The Battalion Comm Center had lots of visitors and we reconnected with many friends.

This OP entailed issuing a FRAG Order to the troops to set up a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the Amador County (CA) Fairgrounds. The purpose was to demonstrate the use of military radio gear from WWII through Vietnam and the Cold War eras and have some radio fun. Primary authorized freqs were 3.885, 7.050 and 51.00 mc in Ham radio service.

A 1960’s era long-range high frequency AN/TRC-77 morse code set was used for primary comms. We made contacts in NORCAL and SOCAL locations with it although daytime propagation on 7050 was weak (high D-Layer absorption). We also received good signal reports from Oregon and Utah; low power CW works in-theater!

The 10-watt AN/TRC-77 HF CW Manpack set is a very capable field radio system and my go-to camping set at places like Camp Plymouth. The receiver sips battery power. The internal gel cell batteries will power the receiver continuously, 24/7, for over a month. Ideal for monitoring the Alert Net from an FOB.

TRC-77 comms included a SITREP from one of our members who was operating CW while mobile.  He was en route at the time running a Transworld RF3200E suitcase set sitting on the front seat of his truck. 

On site equipment also included a “Cold War” PRC-174 and a Yugoslavian RU-20 HF manpack sets plus a 70’s British clandestine/diplomatic service MK-123 morse code set.

(There is a VERY interesting story about how a MK-123 set hidden off-site was used to alert the UK that Iranian “students” had seized, looted and burned the UK Embassy in Tehran in 1978. The battery-powered MK-123 was used to send the alert after power and communications lines had been cut. That was done on an emergency frequency by a CW message, encrypted via a One Time Pad. It was received by the Australian Government station in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. That’s 6144 miles if you’re counting. Twenty watts of CW does the job.)

You can learn about some history at the Forward Operating Base. Here is one in operation:

Below is the Collins-designed RU-20, a set built in Yugoslavia under license. Also known as the PRC-515, it provides 20 watts, 2-30 mc AM, CW and USB/LSB in a manpack. We were monitoring the Pacific Maritime Mobile Service Net on 14,300 kc in case any open ocean sailors needed our assistance.

The HF wire antenna installation at our Forward Operating Base was simple. It used a DIY PVC dipole mount with Balun, held up by 15′ of AB-85 mast sections which also held up the T-10 parachute. On the right freq at the right time of day it’s a very good NVIS system for regional contacts, our goal.

Additionally, we ran a VHF FM tactical Net which included a Vietnam era PRC-77, PRC-6, VRC-46 and a PRT-4/PRR-9 “Helmet” set on the Net throughout the event areas. We also had a Racal TRA-967 VHF FM set that was formerly operated by Saddam’s army in Kuwait. These are all interoperable FM sets.

We also had 6+ WWII BC-611 “Handy Talkie” portable sets on the Net simultaneously among the various venue patrols.  Was this the largest collection of these WWII radios in Net operation since the defense of the Pusan Perimeter in Korea?  They still do the job. For a 1940 design they are not perfect (through the lens of 2025, or even 1945) but vastly better than hand signals at night or sending runners during a firefight, the previous alternative.

Below: Your basic candid action photo. “Checkmate King 2 this is White Rook, Over”. You remember. The guy on the right could not understand why his PRT-4/PRR-9 FM Helmet Set was not interoperable! Can you hear me now? LOL

This deployment was designed to be simple, portable and low-profile. As a result we only used battery-powered field sets as this site had no power, water or any other utilities. The TRC-77 battery was solar-charged but aside from that we ran for 3 days un-resupplied. Except for some great BBQ provided by the Ione CA VFW Post 8254!

NO commercial/civilian/Ham radio equipment was involved at this site, as it should be at an event like this.

Other MVCC members had bolted their military vehicles to their cool, operational military radios too! Not surprising, many military vehicle owners are also Hams to add that dimension to their joint hobbies. Plus camping! We had fun passing Swap Meet SITREPS around the event which even included Russian, Spanish and German operators (ahem!) who were heard this close to The Front Lines.

We had hoped to run an east coast/west coast comm check with military radios on each end. A friend with an M-151 MUTT/GRC-106/Whip back east plus a Humvee and 150 watt PRC-138/Whip set on the west coast end. This was hoped for Saturday afternoon on 18145 kc when there was a chance for useful propagation but well after our FOB had to shut down. Alas, our end then had to abort due to MVCC club duties, the annual business meeting and dinner conflicting. Rats! We will try again when an east coast MV rally is happening. Hopefully some other MRCG members tried from their locations Saturday.

Some of the Usual Suspects are seen below with the portable sets monitoring the Nets. Operators included these folks plus several other participants scattered around the event.

The MRCG group includes experts in researching, repairing, restoring and operating this type of military comm equipment.  They can often be heard using this historic gear on weekly west coast military radio nets.

For you Military Vehicle fans these kind of Ops do require an FCC-issued Amateur Radio License to transmit with this equipment these days.  A “No Code” license can be earned by passing a written test administered by your local radio club under the auspices of the American Radio Relay League. A 1-day class can do it. Easy, get some of those rigs going on your MV’s.  Those mobile whip antennas are not just for MVCC flags ya know!

Got Comms? Yes. Mission Accomplished

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Some Links:

Interested in getting a license? Visit https://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training

For more information on the AN/TRC-77 radio take a look: https://www.n6cc.com/trc-77-hf-cw-transceiver/

Check out the MVCC website: http://www.mvccnews.net/

Or the MRCG website: https://www.mrcgwest.com/

Check out our similar FOB from Winter Field Day 2025: https://www.n6cc.com/winter-field-day-2025/