From: military-radio-guy Full-Name: Dennis R Starks To: military radio collectors#3 Fcc: Sent Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 05:45:37 Subject: MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Sept.3/99 Message-ID: <19990903.054337.13191.7.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Status: Sent X-Mailer: Juno 1.49 MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Sept.3/99 Index: ANNOUNCEMENTS; Inverter Project, Last Call! Kirby Alert! Update, FOURTEEN HUNDRED MILES TO MECCA & BACK; Part II, by Ralph Hogan WB4TUR MEMBERS WRITE; More Navy/R-390, BG-153 & BG-172 ? I Have Some Questions? HUMOR; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; Inverter Project, Last Call! Dave is now back off vacation. If you have not already put your order in with him for inverters, or wish to amend your count, do so now! The order must be placed within the next couple days to maintain the quoted prices. Contact Dave Sundhiemer at . Kirby Alert! Update, In case I forgot to mension it, Mike Kirby, the subjetc of a Scam Alert of a couple weeks ago, was arrested Aug.20. The below message was received from Detective Robert Luther at that time. Dennis, I arrested Michael Kirby on Friday, 8-20-1999, for Organized Scheme To Defraud. He is in the Bay County Jail under a $ 25,000.00 bond. I have located several victims but I still need all letters and I need the word put out for persons to contact me, if they have not done so. At this time I am guessing at the number of victims to be at 40, with an amount of money involved at $ 20,000.00. Thanks for all of your help, Robert Luther *********************************************** FOURTEEN HUNDRED MILES TO MECCA & BACK; Part II, by Ralph Hogan WB4TUR I hadn't gotten to look much at his main display area before we had left for lunch. That was the first thing I wanted to do. See his collection. Adorning three whole walls, floor to ceiling of the front room of the old converted gas station resided a fantastic array of military radios. Other little portables hung from the ceiling and pack radios hung like stockings at Christmas on the fourth wall. This was it! I was finally there! There were lots of radios I recognized. But there were many more that I didn't. In this area most of these were W.W.II and later. I concentrated my attention on the ones I didn't know. For the next hour or so Dennis kindly went around the room answering my questions and explaining the history behind them. When we had completed the circuit around the room, I was about ready to sit down and chat awhile. Well this wasn't to be. Dennis informed me, "you haven't seen the step van yet, ya gotta do that." So we trudged outside and around the corner. Sure enough there sat a small looking step van that probably was its final resting place. Once inside the confined space (from zillions of radios), he proceeded to pull out some amazing specimens of military radios. Some of these went back further in the past beyond W.W.II into W.W.I. The main highlight for me was a very rare PRC-1 in excellent shape with all the trimmings. Some guys just have the luck. Next to it, another rare bird, a PRC-5. His early WW I field phones, and telegraph equipment would have had key lovers salivating. There was so much to see it was all a blur. Being heavily into photography, I asked Dennis if he minded me taking a few photographs with my Nikon F4. He graciously offered to let me do so. I really appreciated that. We then spent some time going back over what I had seen and I documented it for my scrap book. Then came the arduous task of rounding up the items I had come for. Dennis's filing system is much like my own. If no one touches any of my things I can usually put my fingers on them. I always know the general vicinity of the item. My problem is that when I turn my back, things tend to crawl underneath other things and try to hide from me. One by one we located my new treasures and any accoutrements that went with them. During this search and destroy, err I mean locate, period I was allowed into another sanctum, the BIG YELLOW BUS. Clambering up into the back door of the bus, hot on Dennis's heals (like a little puppy dog I think he said..), I entered. A long row of shelves were outfitted on both sides from the back all the way to the front. As we searched, other items were brought out to perk my interest. Not being an aircraft radio guy, the rows and rows of stacked up ARC5, "Aircraft Shit" as Dennis calls them, didn't excite me much. I know for others in our group this place would be their first stop. We ventured yet into more storage areas full of neat stuff. The big house trailer houses his land mobile radio business. Hundreds of commercial radios neatly stacked and arranged ready for shipment to the four winds. A place for Moto and GE heads to revere. As we loaded up all my goodies, Dennis kept checking the back end of the van. He kept saying "You don't have enough yet. There's still more room in there." I kept a watchful eye on the tires of this van. The back end was starting to hunker down. I didn't want to scrape the belly of this van on the ground all the way home. He managed to talk me into a few more things. I finally had to stop when I thought I was in danger of not having enough room for my wife and son on the return trip home. We finally retired to his house next door just about dark. He pulled out a couple heaping bowls of ice cream. It sure hit the spot after digging around in the heat and sun all day. Now this is the part of the story where I admit I made a grave mistake. I had brought along some brand new(to me) German radio toys for show and tell. As we sat there chowing down on the ice cream, Dennis fondled the radios with a gleam in his eye. Immediately, I knew I was in serious trouble. Long story short, he twisted my arm and I left without the radios I had brought. For those that like weaponry of sharp cold steel and blued steel, there is more to feast your eyes on. Militeria weapons galore. My time there had drawn to a close. It was after 8:30 PM and I still had four hours drive back to St. Louis. As I bid farewell, we arranged to talk on 51.6 MHz to see how far my little PRC-25 with 2 watts to an external whip would go. Dennis was running about 7-8 watts to a low mounted ground plane. At about six miles I had to turn off the tone squelch. It was starting to chop the audio. The area around Dennis is mostly gentle rolling hills. We talked a long time until I was about 20 miles away and popped over a very big hill. Not bad at all for 2 watts. It was slower going back. I arrived after 1:00 AM back into St. Louis. We left early the next morning headed back for Huntsville. Fourteen Hundred Miles and 22 hours drive time. I'm ready to go back and do it again! What did I learn from my trip? Well for starters a Minivan was very inadequate for the task at hand. A duce and a half is more in line with what was required. Also, don't take a single toy you can't live without. You might not bring it home. Finally, it was a very enjoyable event. There are few places you could go to see such an array of military radios. It was well worth the trip! My thanks to a gracious host for a most memorable visit. Ralph Hogan WB4TUR Huntsville, AL. ed) Ralph brought with him for show and tell 1ea German SEM-35 backpack transceiver(much more on it to come later), and 1ea German FSE 38/50 portable transceiver. He had only received them as he was leaving home for the trip, and had not had any time to play with them. As I fondled them on my living room floor, Ralph hunkered over me as he had not had opportunity to inspect them himself. I told him "you realize of course, that you will not be allowed to leave here with these", he said, "I was afraid of that"! He also brought with him a back-pack frame/carry bag for an unknown radio. As he pulled it out of his van, he said "I don't know what this goes to, but I found it at a local surplus store, thought it looked neat, so bought it". I said, "step right this way"! A curious slot down the side of the nylon bag gave it away as belonging to my PRC-108, sure as hell, it fit! I'd been looking for this item for several years! I told Ralph, again,"You know, you ain't gonna get to leave with this either!" He said with a long face,"I thought not". Of the utmost surprise was the tribute Ralph brought with him. He and Alan Tasker had pooled funds, and ingenuity, combine this with some technical advice provided by Ralph's wife, to fabricate for me, two OD "T" shirts. Large block letters "embroided" on the front of each read, "Military Radio Guy". Not silk screened, nor iron-on letters, but Embroided! I was astatic! I turned slightly to one side so's not to be real obvious and inspected the tag inside the shirt, it read "Made in the U.S.A." As I turned with a smile on my face, Ralph had noticed what I'd just done, and said with a big grin,"I remembered"! The rest of the day I spent wondering how Ralph had known exactly what I'd been planning to have made myself. Just as he was leaving it dawned on me how he knew. Months before, I'd been coaching him on how to make his Hamfest exhibits more successful. I told him I'd been wearing a black hat for years that read "I'm the Military Radio Guy" on the front, but that often times, I really didn't want to wear a hat, and thought a "T" shirt might be nice, or even better. He had remembered, and indeed it is!! I must apologize for the current condition of the museum. It's now under renovation with everything none essential being removed to other locations. Things like computers, works benches, tools etc are on their way out to make room for RADIO's. As a result of this, and the fact that much of the museum collection is still in transit cases from touring the country, we must wonder all over 3 acres to see everything. But this does make for some adventure to many. I take exception to one point in Ralph's above account. Ralph had dropped his wife and son off in St Louis with friends before proceeding on the next 250 mile leg of his journey(a very smart move). It was not I who packed his van with goodies to the point that there was no longer room for him to retrieve his family! It was he! It was I who re-arranged his booty so that there would be sufficient room to squeeze his four year old son in the back. I might add that Ralph had offered up this poor young sole early in the day as trading fodder! Lucky for the lad that he's not yet old enough to mow the lawn, or wash dishes or I might have accepted the offer! Dennis *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; More Navy/R-390, Dennis, I take exception. First, the RBA, RBB and RBC were designed in the 30s. It is not logical to compare sets designed at least 15-20 years earlier and call them dogs in comparison to something produced much later. Also, these are fine radios. They are built like the battleships they served on. Construction is first quality. Sure they are large and heavy but that was characteristic of the Navy (and Army) radios of that period. And they saw service for a long time. 73 Joseph W Pinner + Harriman, TN KC5IJD / NNN0PHR EMail: kc5ijd@sprintmail.com ------------------ Did not mean to be offensive, but did want to make a stand for ground radios. and point out that the R-390 is nothing like the SRR or other "radio in a can " stuff produced for the Navy in the fifties and sixties. The RBB/RBC stuff was just to start trouble. Ray Fantini ed) Your comments were not taken as offensive, I love to stir up shit that gets inspired debate going. As for other Navy SRR types of the 50's-60's, we have the SRR-3 which was indeed a little primitive, of WW-II vintage, built by E.H. Scott as the SLR-F, and tuned 80kc-24mc in 5 bands, and weighed in at 108lbs, oh but wait, it was used by the Army too! The SRR-11 - SRR-13 were RCA sets that included the R-439(60-200kc), R-440(200kc-1,600kc), R-441(1.6mc-32mc), AM/FM/CW circa 1950. Only 8.5T" x 17.25W", at 65lbs each. The SRR-15, built by National circa 1950 tuned 2-32mc AM/CW & SSB! Then there's a long list of SRR-Type radios, all rather primitive table top types dating from 1948(or thereabouts), but ya know what? These were all Army sets, not Navy! R-96/SR, Hallicrafters, .135-12.12mc R-203/SR, Radiomarine, .085-25mc R-212/SR, .015-.650mc R-213/SR, Radiomarine, .21-25mc R-215/SR, Radiomarine, .15-.65mc, Until being completely replaced by the R-390 in the mid 50's, the RCA built R-441/SRR-14 came as close to what you might call the Navy's mainstay HF receiver.This was a fine radio of minimal size & weight for which the Army had no known equivalent. It's MF version, the R-440, was still in service 25 years later and used to monitor 500kc marine distress 24 hours a day(I know, I did it!). Shall we talk about who had the first high speed CW nets, or the very first SSB systems operation(IN WW-II!), Yep, it was the Navy! Or who had the very first mostly solid state, synthesized, 1.6-32mc SSB transceiver as standard equipment. Yep, again, the Navy! It was the Collins KWT-6, long before the Army's GRC-106, and before the Airforce adopted the same radio as the URC-32. Sorry Ray, but I don't think your gonna win this one. ----------------------------------------------------------------- BG-153 & BG-172 ? Hello gang - say, what is BG-153 ? BG-172 ? thanks - Hue Miller ----------------------------------------------------------------- I Have Some Questions? #1, We have all at one time or another opened a recently obtained, or long stored radio to find, horror of horrors, it's batteries have leaked all over the place inside, and welded themselves to the radio(flashlight or other appliance). Aside from a hammer and chisel, what will dissolve this shit!?? #2, What will reliably remove nicotine stains from radios without the possibility of also removing it's panel markings? #3, What can be used to repair the cracks in old handset/headset/headphone/ & mic cords? Dennis Starks; Collector/Historian Midwest Military Communications Museum email: military-radio-guy@juno.com *********************************************** HUMOR; Ben & Jerry's is contemplating a new ice cream flavor in honor of El Presidente. Here are some of the contenders: Scandalberry Chunky Monkey Business Double Nut Joy Subpoenas 'n' Cream Impeach-Mint Candy Pants Chocolate Chip Doughboy Chilly Hillbilly Vanilla Slick Willie Pantsachio Subpoena Colada Biscuits 'n' Gravy Horny Bubba Crunch Arkansas Peach Subpoena Butter Cup Peppermint Fattie Captain Cream Fat Ass Tubby Bubba Hillary Chiller Fundraising Coffee Oval Office Surprise Arkansas Smoothie Hyperactive Nuts Draft-Dodging Pot-Smoking Intern-Nailing Raspberry Swirl ----------------------------------------------------------------- Two guys are captured by cannibals and they're stuck naked in a big pot of water over a big fire and the water gets hotter and hotter and all of a sudden, one guy starts laughing, and the other guy says, "What's so funny?" The other says, "I just peed in their soup!" ----------------------------------------------------------------- (Out of the Mouths of Babes) A three year old went with his dad to see a litter of kittens. On returning home, he breathlessly informed his mother there were two boy kittens and two girl kittens. "How did you know?" his mother asked. "Daddy picked them up and looked underneath," he replied. "I think it's printed on the bottom." ***** Another three year old put his shoes on by himself. His mother noticed the left was on the right foot. She said, "Son, your shoes are on the wrong feet." He looked up at her with a raised brow and said, "Don't kid me, Mom. I KNOW they're my feet." ***** On the first day of school, the Kindergarten teacher said, "If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers." A little voice from the back of the room asked, "How will that help?" ***** A mother and her young son returned from the grocery store and began putting away the groceries. The boy opened the box of animal crackers and spread them all over the table. "What are you doing?" his mother asked. "The box says you can't eat them if the seal is broken," the boy explained. "I'm looking for the seal." ***** A father was reading Bible stories to his young son. He read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt." His son asked, "What happened to the flea?" ***** A four-year-old girl was learning to say the Lord's Prayer. She was reciting it all by herself without help from her mother. She said, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us some e-mail. AMEN." ----------------------------------------------------------------- A group on nuns were traveling in a car when it got a flat tire. They got out and tried to change it, but being rather unworldly did not know how to do it. Luckily, a truck came along and the male driver offered to change it for them. They gladly accepted. As the trucker jacked up the car, it slipped from the jack. "Son-of-a-bitch," he yelled. The eldest nun said to him, "That is not nice language. We understand that you are upset, but you mustn't use such language." "Sorry, Sister," he said, and tried again. Again it slipped, this time almost mashing his fingers. "Son-of-a-bitch," he yelled again. "Please, don't use such language. If changing our tire is causing you to do so, it would be better if you didn't help us." "But I get so upset, and it just comes out." "Well," said the nun, "say something else when you get upset, something like 'Sweet Jesus, help me.'" So the trucker tried to jack up the car again. Again it slipped. He started to say "So..", but he corrected himself and said, "Sweet Jesus help me." At that, the car just lifted up into the air by itself. The nuns looked at the car and said, "Son-of-a-bitch!" ----------------------------------------------------------------- MORE OF THE LATEST BLONDE JOKES What do you call an eternity? Four Blondes at a four way stop. Three Blondes were driving to Disneyland. After being in the car for 4 hours they finally saw a sign that said "Disneyland left" so they turned around and went home. What do smart Blondes and UFOs have in common? You always hear about them but you never see them What did the Blonde say when she opened the box of Cheerios? Oh look, daddy ... doughnut seeds. How did the Blonde die ice fishing? She got run over by the Zamboni. Why did the Blonde stare at a can of frozen orange juice? Because it said concentrate. Why do Blondes always smile during lightning storms? They think their picture is being taken. How can you tell when a Blonde sends you a fax? It has a stamp on it. Why can't Blondes dial 911? They can't find the eleven on the phone! What do you do if a Blonde throws a pin at you? Run like hell, she's got a grenade in her mouth! How can you tell if a Blonde has been using your computer? There is whiteout all over the monitor. How do you get a Blonde on the roof? Tell her the drinks are on the house. Why shouldn't Blondes have coffee breaks? It takes too long to retrain them. A brunette goes to the doctor and as she touches each part of her body with her finger she says, "Doctor it hurts everywhere. My leg hurts, my arm hurts, my neck hurts, and even my head hurts!" The doctor asks, "Were you ever a Blonde?" "Yes, I was." she replies. "Why do you ask?" The doctor answers, "because your finger is broken!" A Blonde and a brunette were walking outside when the brunette said "Oh, look at the dead bird." The Blonde looked skyward and said "Where, where?" A brunette is standing on some train tracks, jumping from rail to rail, saying "21" "21" "21". A Blonde walks up, sees her and decides to join her. She also starts jumping from rail to rail, saying "21" "21" "21". Suddenly, the brunette hears a train whistle, and she jumps off the tracks just as the Blonde is splattered all over the place. The brunette goes back to jumping from rail to rail, counting, "22" "22" "22". How do you drown a Blonde? Put a scratch & sniff sticker at the bottom of the pool Why does it take longer to build a Blonde snowman as opposed to a regular one? You have to hollow out the head. How do you get a twinkle in a Blonde's eye? Shine a flashlight in her ear. Why don't Blondes like making KOOLAID? Because they can't fit 8 cups of water in the little packet. Did you hear about the two Blondes that were found frozen to death in their car at a drivein movie theater? They went to see "Closed for the Winter". Why won't they hire Blondes as pharmacists? They keep breaking the prescription bottles in the typewriters. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Two gays were sitting at the table having breakfast and reading magazines. Suddenly one jumps up, runs out of the room and returns with a jar of Vaseline. He takes off his shirt and starts rubbing the Vaseline all over his chest. Other gay asks: "Whatcha doing?" He answers: "Well, it says in this mag that rubbing Vaseline on the chest makes lots of hair grow. You'd like me to have lots of hair wouldn't you?" Other one says: "You'd fall for anything wouldn't you. That won't work you idiot!" "How do you know?" "Well, if it worked you'd have a ponytail growing out of your ass by now!" *********************************************** The preceding was a product of the"Military Collector Group Post", an international email magazine dedicated to the preservation of history and the equipment that made it. Unlimited circulation of this material is authorized so long as the proper credits to the original authors, and publisher or this group are included. For more information concerning this group or membership contact Dennis Starks at, . A list of selected articles of interest to members can be seen at: http://www.softcom.net/users/buzz/backmail.html ***********************************************