A collection of field expedient stuff, electronics, camping and otherwise:
Improvise, Adapt, Overcome
(Also see field expedient antennas in the Antennas sections)
Field Expedient Antennas
Field expedient keyer paddle:
To go along with my quickie HF mobile installation I needed to make a simple, lightweight keyer paddle for CW. The station Vibrokeyer paddle is too big, heavy, fragile and expensive for this application. More junk box parts:
Some tapped brackets, a chunk of plexiglass, stick-on rubber feet and a hacksaw blade starts the design. A few terminal lugs, a stereo cable and plug plus some heat shrink tubing and it’s ready to go. I used anti vibration nylon-insert machine screws for the contacts but you could just use simple jam nuts to keep the screws from backing out. Also, you don’t need “jeweled bearings”, or anything else fancy. I keep the contacts just a few thousandths spaced; blade barely moves. Doesn’t slide around and there is room for a hose clamp to attach it to the bottom of the radio in the mobile.. Cost? Again, Zero.
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Field Expedient Fuse Repair:
Yep, sometimes necessary. Especially if your gear does not have an emergency Battle Short Switch to bypass the circuit protection under battle conditions like some of the big Navy transmitters have. Many pieces of older military comms gear use the large AGU – type fuses in the low voltage primary circuits. Those include the GRC-9 dynamotor supplies, RT-68 PP-112 systems etc. The AGU fuses measure 1.5 X 0.4 inches diameter. These are typically rated for 32 volt service and have a lower voltage drop than, say, a fuse rated for 125/250 V service. But those large AGU fuses are getting harder to find at your local auto parts store – particularly just prior to your next field-op. What to do?
I needed a 4 Amp fuse for my VRC-7/RT-70 mobile system. It is the fuse in the front panel of the AM-65 amplifier chassis that powers the system. I reasoned that a standard automotive AGC 3AG 32 volt fuse (1.25 X 0.25 inches) should fit INSIDE the larger fuse if I could drill out one end of the blown fuse. The glass tube has an inside diameter slightly larger than 1/4 inch. Using a size F drill bit (0.2570 inches), I carefully drilled a hole in the end of the dead fuse and then used a Q Tip to remove the vaporized metal from the blown fuse wire. You could use a standard 1/4 inch drill bit but you may have to enlarge the hole slightly for a clearance fit. Be careful not to break the glass tube.
I then cut a small segment from a junk-box spring and loaded it into the AGU fuse and then inserted a 4 Amp, AGC fuse inside the larger fuse – perfect fit. The spring serves to improve/define the contact with one end of the fuse and also pushes the AGC fuse out sufficiently so you can grab it with pliers to replace if necessary. (You DID clear the fault that caused the fuse to blow in the first place, didn’t you?) The fuse holder cap captures everything and the holder socket spring properly compresses the whole assembly. A small wad of tin foil would make a field expedient spring in a pinch. (nested field expedients?)
“But Billy-Bob, I usually just use a .22 Long Rifle cartridge; they fit into my truck’s fuse clips just fine”
THIS SIDE TOWARD ENEMY
Works great. Presto! Back on the air.
Speaking of automotive stuff, here is an “Inverter” I built a long time ago to power Christmas lights and the Margarita blender at remote campsites: Junk Box parts
I designed it to provide a 120 VAC square wave at 60 cps using four 24VCT transformers in parallel.
It is based upon a 555 timer, CD4013 and 2N2222A drivers for the IRF 130 MOSFETs. The frequency was adjustable via a trimpot as needed. It worked great as installed in the truck.
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Here’s another handy item: The Check Engine Light
This is a simple way to verify that the ignition system is working when off road in the boonies and something stops. Just zip-tie an NE-51 neon pilot lamp to the HV wire between the coil and distributor cap. Solder a wire from the lamp tip and attach that to engine ground.
The electric field around that wire when the pulse occurs (points open) is sufficient to ionize the gas in the lamp producing an orange flash – with each ignition pulse. Simple, effective, works great. I also used these on dirt bike ignition systems for a quick operation verification.
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Then there is a field expedient when you need an “FT-243 crystal” but only have some HC-49 wire-lead jobs:
A little work with a Dremmel tool makes it happen. Not all FT-243 holders have identical internals so some may need more “excavation” than others. In any case, easy enough.
These HC-49 “hacks” usually operate a couple of hundred cps lower than the marked crystal freq since the FT-243 circuit generally provides a 32 pf load capacitance and the HC-49 spec requires an 18 pf load. So it oscillates slightly lower than expected. Usually not a problem in old military rigs on CW or especially AM.
They can be tweaked back to the marked frequency with a small capacitor in series to bring the external load down closer to 18 pf. A small variable cap in the radio works for me. Take a look here for how I implemented that in a crystal controlled AN/TRC-77 transceiver:
AN/TRC-77 modified for HC-49 crystals
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Field Expedient Refrigerator: For dire emergencies….late-spring camping trip.
The Trusty ALICE Pack & related. Some common sense stuff:
The great Medium ALICE (All purpose Light Individual Carrying Equipment) pack* is my go-to bag for Bush Ops or even general purpose travels. Like most USGI equipment which can be heavy, it is hard to beat. Mine has served me well for a long time. (*Ruck if you’re in the US Army..)
They don’t benefit from over-thinking and they don’t need to be “set up” Keyboard Commando style. “Modifications” are really not required or necessary but some very simple additions if you like:
ALICE Pack carrying handle
An obvious improvement for just moving the bag, off-shoulders; better than just grabbing the big shoulder pad. Soft vinyl tubing, 550 cord through the LC-2 strap loops. Or if just using the frame for carrying radios etc. this works: Simple. (BTW, what ever happened to all those LC-2 shoulder straps for the ALICE Packs? Currently unobtanium from anywhere except China…)
Another simple preparation is to water proof the inner side of the top flap compartment. The original rubberized inner coating has since worn off rendering the bag contents vulnerable to rain. Someone recommended spraying Flex Seal on the underside of the flap which is a good repair idea.
Flex Seal should work OK but what about the contents of the Map compartment under the lid? I prefer to just hose down the top/outside with Scotch Gard – keeps your stuff dry but also protects the maps in the pouch between the flaps. Better.
Here’s another obvious modification to the cinch straps. The issued straps/buckles work fine but impossible to open with one hand and you sometimes have to entirely remove the straps from the buckles to load the bag. Here is a better way that still allows one to use the original buckles if necessary. If you only make one “Mod” to the bag, do this one:
The above are the type with the removable steel loop-pin. You can attach the female end to the bag without cutting or sewing the fixed web loop. Simple. REI has them.
One-handed operation to unbuckle. Now the entire strap releases and clears the top of the bag for loading/unloading. The orange tag was to ID mine among a pile of others on the Tarmac.
Here’s a simple improvement to my veteran USGI Stainless Steel canteen: Removable cap via a fishing swivel clip on the chain.
The above allows you to heat the canteen directly in/near a fire without melting the bakelite cap. I prefer these stainless steel canteens to the newer plastic ones: They don’t take on the taste of the last liquid you had in it and you can heat these directly in/near a fire. A little heavier, would be better with a wider mouth (eg: for packing with snow), but Embrace the Suck, it’s worth it.
Another advantage of the SS canteen: when full, it does not float; it’s cold down there!
Great to start off on a hike with a canteen full of 34 degree water!
As we know, the USGI Mess Kit was not made for cooking. It was made for receiving Class A or B Rations being served in a field kitchen chow line, but like everything else, along with the essential canteen cup, it is versatile.
Speaking of chow, here is a good trick from back in WWI to “lock” the handle of the USGI mess kit pan. Keeps it from flopping around on the hinge while cooking/frying something.
A really handy helper: Mark 1 Mod Ø carved, notched stick wedges in tightly between the hinge and the far end of the handle. Makes for a rigid handle while heating or pouring stuff – no flopping around and dumping your chow. Great while making Battalion Landing Team (BLT) sammitches.
Above: My old set is a mongrel: Stainless steel pan, aluminum tray.
Is there newer, high-speed, low-drag gear out there? Sure. Its Mystique Factor? Zero…..
“Old School” means REAL!
Improvise, Adapt, Overcome….