From: Dennis R Starks To: PasqualeNJ@aol.com,kg0qe@juno.com,w0nbz@juno.com,jawbrey@juno.com, lee@vtw.net,pmonroe@inwave.com,cranwill@roanoke.infi.net, ranickel@mwci.net,peterada@mindspring.com,haffner@mcs.net, eldim@worldnet.att.net,dr@cei.net,mrhro@pdq.net, kargokult@proaxis.com,ip500@roanoke.infi.net,bstrang@iac.net, jay_coward@agilent.com,AAFRadio@erols.com, jupeter@net-tech.com.au,rzelick@inetarena.com,ae4zh@juno.com, fsglong@mscomm.com,noel@mail.li.com,tactcom@rocketmail.com, davprin@gil.com.au,wa5cmi@access1.net,badger@telalink.net, smithab1@bellatlantic.net,jproc@idirect.com,marmot@core.com, torchboots@email.msn.com,adrian_heinrich@hotmail.com, wb4lzq@atl.mindspring.com,DKWkid@aol.com,TVComlGuy@aol.com, located@worldnet.att.net,tscm@jps.net,janschrader@juno.com, richwurtz@juno.com,carmelo.litrico@ctonline.it, jlbowers@planetkc.com,rbrunner@gis.net, spencer12345@classic.msn.com,d2012pn1@ozemail.com.au, dgrev@apollo.ruralnet.net.au,ae4in@webshoppe.net, peter@bergent.net,l.meulstee@wxs.nl Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 11:18:44 -0600 Subject: MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Dec.23/99 Message-ID: <19991223.111847.-251477.4.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Mailer: Juno 4.0.5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Full-Name: Dennis R Starks X-Status: Sent X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0-14,17,19-22,24-27,37,39-46,59-60,72-74,80,88-89,99,107-108,117,124,131,136,142-143,149-150,154-161,163-170,172-178,187-189,191-194,202-203,207-208,210-217,220-221,231-232,235-243,245-281,286,297,300,304,306,309,311-460 X-Juno-Att: 0 X-Juno-Fcc: Sent Items X-Juno-Size: 23966 X-Juno-RefParts: 0 MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Dec.23/99 Index: ANNOUNCEMENTS; Library Manuals, Another Ex-Member, MORE ODDBALL MOTOROLA PARA-MILITARY RADIOS; This Time SSB Types. Part I, by Dennis Starks MEMBERS WRITE; Huff Duff(SCR-291) Strange WW-II Signal Corps Receivers? WHATSIT; Israeli Antenna? HUMOR; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; Library Manuals, The following manuals will shortly be on their way to Mike Hardie. In keeping with established policy, he will offer to make copies for all other Group Members in need, at cost.. 1) Radio Receiver R-390A/ field & depot maint, TM-5820-358-35, Dec 61 and, 2) PRM-10 Test Oscillator Set, Handbook Operation Instructions TO.31A1-8-5-1, Oct 58 Mike has mailing addresses for both Canada, and the U.S. So let him know which might represent the cheapest route. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Another Ex-Member, We've lost another member. Chris Hassec of Germany has been ousted from our number do to his apparent inability to pay up for services rendered by a couple Group Members. Though he had been a member in good standing for several years, for some reason he has refused to answer countless messages sent him over the last several months. I myself have had numerous, very successful dealings with him in the past, so making the decision to excommunicate him was a very difficult one. But after months of non-contact, and multiple complaints, I was forced to take this action. I sincerely hope that this is a temporary condition, prompted by some technical problem, and not the result of a flaw in his character. If you too have had any problems with him, or have heard from him in the last couple months, please let me know. Dennis *********************************************** MORE ODDBALL MOTOROLA PARA-MILITARY RADIOS; This Time SSB Types. Part I, by Dennis Starks Forward, On Tuesday of last week, I attended as a mater of business, an auction conducted by the State of Missouri. The object of my attending these semi-monthly sales is the acquisition of surplus land-mobile(business band) radio equipment for resale in my business. To my dismay, there were no such lots of the desired radio equipment, but there was a very unexpected, and delightful surprise There was three lots surplused from the Missouri State Army National Guard. Contained in the first was of all things, a Collins KWM-2A(a very odd item to show up at a State sale). Though I do already have a KWM-2, I've always wanted the "A" model that I used in the military. It didn't come cheep, somebody else in attendance must have also known what it was, but I got it! Also in this same lot were 2ea Motorola SSB Base/mobile transceivers which are responsible for the prompting of this article. While I'm not unfamiliar with HF/SSB radios being built by Motorola, and the several forms that they take, this one is a real oddball, and appears to be of the same or similar family of equipment as a Backpack radio that was already in my collection, and also the subject of much bewilderment, the SA-211(part of the SA-200 series). The radio in question is a table top, or possibly under-dash mobile HF/SSB transceiver, model SA-104. But before I go into this unit further, perhaps a little more history on Commercial/Para-Military Motorola SSB radios is in order. As the available information on these radios is more than just a little scarce, our time line will run backwords from now, to then, rather than the more typical then-now because there is far more available data on the later models sets than those early ones. The MICOM Series, In the late sixties, or early seventies, Motorola introduced a line of HF SSB radio equipment that they called MICOM, in the same tradition of the strange names that they gave other models of commercial radio equipment in their history. These included such names as MOCOM, MOTRAK, MICOR, MITREK etc. All of which also saw military service, but were of the more conventional VHF, or UHF FM types. Regardless of the style of radios these where, trunk mount mobile, desk top base etc. they were all called MICOMs. Even several generations of equipment that were not even remotely related in terms of technology or design were also called by the same series name. Today, the MICOM name still exist and can be found in many Janes books on military communications equipment. However, the radios now called by this name have evolved into highly sophisticated programmable types that include mobile, base and rapid deployment(suite-case) systems. The first MICOMs, as did most to follow, were housed in the same cabinets shared by their more common VHF or UHF FM counterparts(hereafter referred to as simply `FM'). The trunk mount mobiles were first contained in the same cabinet as the FM MOCOM-70 series, followed in the late 70's by the MICOR type cabinet, then in the early 80's in one similar to the SYNTOR. Externally all the cabinets in a given series were identical regardless of their FM or HF entrails. They used the same, or similar control cables, and control heads that were exactly like their FM counterparts except for the number of channels they were capable of, and a mode selection switch(LSB/USB/AM). Desk top base versions of the MICOM followed the same example set by the mobiles. They were all housed in the same cabinet that was shared by numerous generations of FM equipment. This configuration, regardless of whether it was FM, HF, or the generation of equipment it contained, were all called Consolets. Basically, the Consolet was a simple repackaging of the same mobile radio, combined with a power supply. The radio chassis(tray) of a Consolet could be easily removed then placed in a mobile cabinet, and vice versa. The first MICOM I was exposed to, came to me via another auction, In this case a Federal(GSA) sale. These were Consolet desk top base versions, built in the early 80's, with the MICOR type chassis. They had been removed from service with the Army Corps of Engineers. Sorrily, I traded them, and their manuals, off years ago to another "collector" for what was billed as a "mint" ART-13 & BC-348 combo. Needless to say, the ART-13 & BC-348 were far from mint, and the MICOM's promptly showed up in a buy/sell rag for an exorbitant amount of money. So the specs noted here are from memory, and might be in slight error. They were 12 channel(possibly more) crystal controlled radios which required a single crystal for both transmit & receive operation. These crystals were all housed in an oven which resulted in an extremely stable oscillator output. So stable in fact, that these radios had as an option, both two tone sequential, and subaudible tone squelch(carrier squelch was a standard feature). Tone squelch of any type is a momentous achievement with HF SSB equipment, and subaudible especially so! These radios were fully solid state, broad band(requiring no alignment), and boasted an RF output power at about 125 watts. The only thing that needed be done to install new frequencies, other than install/net crystals, was to change the wiring on a diode matrix that switched in/out the desired band pass filters. All the AF/IF and low level RF circuitry was contained on multiple vertical plug-in cards, each measuring about 3 x 4". Other features included a front panel S/RF meter(possibly had more functions). Remote operability, optional tone alert, selectable side band and AM(modes all used separate Collins type mechanical IF filters. USB was standard, LSB & AM were options which is typical of all this type equipment regardless of it's origin/manufacturer). It is very obvious that this radio, along with others in the MICOM line, were designed with an eye towards operation by the technically inept. All the operator needed to do was turn the radio on, select the desired channel, and press the mic's PTT to transmit Even a lowly female secretary accustom to using nothing more complicated than a telephone, or intercom could use these radios. What was in the other two lots you ask? Well the second one had a bunch of Barker & Williamson 1.6-30mc folded dipoles. B & W has been advertising for years that these antennas were in use by military organizations all over the world. I guess we now have some proof. Lot number three had among tons of other junk, the 110vac power supply for the KWM-2A. The next part of this series will pick up with the only known back-pack type radios, progress on to those that prompted this article, and conclude with the MICOM as offered today. In the mean time, if you have any information on any of these SSB radios, please let me know. Dennis Starks; Collector/Historian Midwest Military Communications Museum email: military-radio-guy@juno.com *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; Huff Duff(SCR-291) There is a mint Federal mfg. (1944) Huff Duff rcvr. at the NTC-GL Museum, in Illinois.(Great Lakes Military Museum) Regards and Happy Holidays, Don Helgeson, G&S Hello Dennis Thanks you for adding your comments to my paper; concerning the TM 11 476 1947 d you know where to get a copy of this book (ready to pay)? I hope that quickly we will have our own web site and thanks for that. Receive my best regards Jacques Ed) There were only two military TM's devoted to Direction finding that I know of. I have them both in my library, but to my knowledge these are the only surviving examples. Of these, the first was the most comprehensive and includes both descriptions/photos of the equipment, and operational instructions. In addition, info on DF systems can be found in TM11-227, 1944, Signal Communication Equipment Directory, Radio Communication Equipment(125 pages). If we can find a member in the U.S. willing to make copies for Group members I would loan them out. While the TM11-227, & TM11-487D aren't too bad, TM11-476 is a rather thick manual. #1, TM11-476, 1947, Radio Direction Finding. (about 325 pages) #2, TM11-487D, 1958, Directory of U.S. Army Signal Equipments, Radio Direction Finding Equipment.(127 pages) Dear Dennis, Apologies for missing the HF D/F posting opportunity so kindly sent to me. Amidst holiday doings my phone company changed the area code and all was not well in their system nor mine, simple though that be. Time shall be set aside to provide information requested and get busy soon after year-end. Hopefully, hands-on experience with SCR-291-291A and photos here will add to our interests. Might there be interest in in Sig Corps SCS-1/SCS-2 a British fighter control system using VHF D/F replicated by the AAF? If so, I can develop a line for same. The D/F info provided by Feyssac Jacques and you added to my insight. I'll get E-mail off to FJ in appreciation of his contribution. Hopefully, my hands-on experience with SCR-291-291A and photos here will add to our interests. Meanwhile, best wishes for the holiday season. Again, thanks for putting me in the loop. Jim Chase Amateur Airways & Air Communications System Historian Hi F.J., This note salutes you meaningful article BIRTH OF THE HUFF DUFF, etc. I am a newcomer to the group and Dennis Starks is doing his best to huff me off my duff, so to speak. An amateur historian, age 76, I specialize in activities of the USAAF Army Airways Communication System and USAF Airways & Air Communications Service (AACS). HF and VHF D/F are special interests stemming from WWII China encounters and Greenland (52/53). I must not get ahead of myself since obligations to Dennis for info have not been fulfilled. Suffice to say I also have info about Pan American Airways HF D/F instituted by Hugo Leuteritz and recently scanned material to disk from SECRET WEAPON: etc., authored by Kathleen Boome Williams, 1996. Her book mirrors much of your article content though you identified things she did not despite contacts with Mrs. Busignies. I am looking forward to exchanges with you, Dennis and the group - better first get busy with info to D.S. Until next time, best wishes for a joyous holiday season and prosperous new year. Jim Chase Amateur Airways & Air Communications System Historian ----------------------------------------------------------------- Strange WW-II Signal Corps Receivers? Say, gang, i have acquired 2 manuals for "U.S. Signal Corps" (yes, USSC ) equipment. The manuals are cheap, in the old sense of the word, i.e. small, thin, like maybe an Echophone or bottom of line Hallicrafter manual. Portable Receiver P-152 built by Eckstein Radio TV Co., Minneapolis, "formerly Karadio Corp." Dec. 1943. Portable radio with builtin speaker and loop antenna, uses 1v tubes, NO bfo, tuning range- get this - 1.7 - 5 MHz. Only. The 2-3 MHz marine band is right at the center of the dial, easy to guess this was its focus. Model 231 Receiver, same year, also for USSC, 540-1600 kHz and 6-16 MHz. 220 VAC power, NO bfo, NO speaker, requires headphones, markings are in English, dial marked ECKO, looks like a 1936 - 1938 low end SWL radio such as seen in Shortwave magazines, or again, like the Echophone, only less expensive. Now dig this: manual text is in what, Norwegian? "Bruksavisning. Denne mottageren kan motta fra radiostasjoner som sender ppa mellombolge, 540-1600 kilocykler; og fra 6 til 16 megacykler. Mottageren drives med 220 volt vekselstrom. Headphone, power cord, and antenna wire stash in a compartment in the upper left corner,with a pop off door, this is the only thing unusual for a commercial looking radio. Okay, i can probably guess for whom and what the latter set was intended. But how about the first one? Only ship traffic in those frequencies. Why would one want a receive-only set for this waveband?? Altho its instructions are in English, the manual is from the same set maker, and was associated it, came from same source. Note, neither is really built with any effort to clandestine-size it, camouflage, or military-ruggedize it. Oh, and the radios have no "US Signal Corps" markings, just the model number and manufacturer name and city. Ready, set, speculate! Hue Miller *********************************************** WHATSIT; Israeli Antenna? Hi Dennis, I have had the luck to get some brandnew, never used antennas from Israel, but unfortunately without any information about it. I suggest that they are broadband systems in the range of 30 - 76 MHz. Perhaps you or some members of the MCG have further information. I will describe the antennas a little bit. The antenna looks very simmilar to a AS-1729/VRC. The antenna base has the same dimmensions, but not the rugged spring mount. It is flat at the top end with a coaxial jack on it. There is no connection but a TNC jack at the bottom for connecting the radio. The antenna matching unit fits to the standard mounting brackets SCD-189023 or SCD-446058. Attached to the matching unit bottom end is a metall ring with an diameter of 12 inches, hold to the steel reinforcing ring of the matching unit by 4 spokes.They are attached slanting respect to ground so the matching unit is raised above ground about two inches. It seems that this ring and the spokes forming a groundplane system for the antenna. I was told that the antenna is placed to the ground and will act as a broadband system. At the top of the matching unit a rigid coaxial line is screwed to the jack, about 12 inches long. This coaxial line is terminated by a flexible 49 inch whip, diameter about 1/8 inch. The matching network in the matching unit is potted by polyurethane foam. It consists of a broadband transformer, wound with RG-174 coaxial transmission line, two torroid transformers, one air wound conductor and one mica capacitor. A label with a nomenclature, contract no. or stock no. is completely missing, even the holes for the mounting rivets are drilled. I got the vague information that this type of antenna is produced by Tadiran. I would like to find out more about this interesting antenna type and would be happy to get a response by other members. If you have some information, or even questions about this item, please contact me directly. Thank you ! *********************************************** HUMOR; RUDOLPH'S SURGERY Christmas was over. Santa and his reindeer finally had a chance to rest. And they deserved it. They had done a good job. Rudolph had a chance to do something he had wanted to do for a long time. He made an appointment with a plastic surgeon because he was so sensitive about his looks. However it wasn't his glowing proboscis that he wanted changed. He was proud of his nose and the help he had given Santa because of it. No, he was sensitive about his long ears which were much more prominent than the ears of the average rain deer, or bear for that matter. So one week after Christmas, he let the good doctor do the pinna reconstructive surgery procedure, and since that time, January 1st has been celebrated as .... New Ears Day. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Chreemas in Texas! Twas the night before Chreemas, on Thorsday I theenk, I go to cantina to geet me a dreenk. I dreenk saam tequila, I dreenk eet too fast, Preety damn queek, I fall on my ass. I peek myself up and go home to bed, I pool the cobija up ober my head. Early next morning, or late een the night, I heer such damn recket, I theenk eet's a fight. I geet outta bed, I don feel very well, My head ees too beeg, eet hort me like hell. I go to the weendow, I don believe what I see, A pot-bellied greengo, as fat as can be. I looook at heez ropa, ees all colored red, He got heem some chivos tied on to a sled. I yella and I holler, "Hey, move your fat ass, Your chivos--they chit all over my grass!" He torn to heez goats, he say just one word, And them damn chivos chomp in the air and fly like a bord. They corcle around, and then queek as a mouse, He land them damn sled on top of my house. They chaking their horns and stomping hees hoof, I theenk they damn chore gona play hell with my roof. I heer theze ole man chout out loud and clear, "What the hell, Rodriquez, ain't no cheemney here... No door, no weendow, nothing but air, How I gon geev you theze goverment welfare?" Then right away queek, Rodriquez she see--- He gon get something, something for free. So he says to the greengo, "Please come een senior, Do come on down and use the front door." So, he come een the house, and upon heez broad back, He is carry one hell of beeg gony sack. He puut theze beeg sack down on the floor, And start pooling out comida galore. He pool out tortillas, tamales and ham, He pool out a cheekin and haff of a lamb. He pool out cervesa and a bottle of wine, I cannot believe that theze eez all mine! I'm theenking, "Rodriquez, you locky by heck, Theze chore as hell beats unemployment sheck." So he chakes out heez boles and dreenk some my wine, And cosses hees chivos to get them een line. He cosses and hollers, he knows every one, "Chingow, Cabron, Yo, Son of a gon." That ole man he know how to puut on a chow, Trying to geet them damn chivos to go. At last he get them to chom een the sky, And the last time I see heem, he preety damn high. He flying away and the last theeng I heeer, "IF YOU VOTE FOR AL GORE, I BE BACK NEXT YEAR!" ----------------------------------------------------------------- Lawyer's Christmas. Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas, there did occur at a certain improved piece of real property (hereinafter "the House") a general lack of stirring by all creatures therein, including, but not limited to a mouse. A variety of foot apparel, e.g. stocking, socks, etc., had been affixed by and around the chimney in said House in the hope and/or belief that St. Nick a/k/a/ St. Nicholas a/k/a/ Santa Claus (hereinafter "Claus") would arrive at sometime thereafter. The minor residents, i.e. the children, of the aforementioned House were located in their individual beds and were engaged in nocturnal hallucinations, i.e. dreams, wherein vision of confectionery treats, including, but not limited to, candies, nuts and/or sugar plums, did dance, cavort and otherwise appear in said dreams. Whereupon the party of the first part (sometimes hereinafter referred to as "I"), being the joint-owner in fee simple of the House with the parts of the second part (hereinafter "Mamma"), and said Mamma had retired for a sustained period of sleep. (At such time, the parties were clad in various forms of headgear, e.g. kerchief and cap.) Suddenly, and without prior notice or warning, there did occur upon the unimproved real property adjacent and appurtent to said House, i.e. the lawn, a certain disruption of unknown nature, cause and/or circumstance. The party of the first part did immediately rush to a window in the House to investigate the cause of such disturbance. At that time, the party of the first part did observe, with some degree of wonder and/or disbelief, a miniature sleigh (hereinafter "the Vehicle") being pulled and/or drawn very rapidly through the air by approximately eight (8) reindeer. The driver of the Vehicle appeared to be and in fact was, the previously referenced Claus. Said Claus was providing specific direction, instruction and guidance to the approximately eight (8) reindeer and specifically indentified the animal co-conspirators by name: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (hereinafter "the Deer"). (Upon information and belief, it is further asserted an additional co-conspirator named "Rudolph" may have been involved.) The party of the first part witnessed Claus, the Vehicle and the Deer intentionally and willfully trespass upon the roofs of several residences located adjacent to and in the vicinity of the House, and noted that the Vehicle was heavily laden with packages, toys and other items of unknown origin or nature. Suddenly, without prior invitation or permission, either express or implied, the Vehicle arrived at the House, and Claus entered said House via the chimney. Said Claus was clad in a red fur suit, which was partially covered with residue from the chimney, and he carried a large sack containing a portion of the aforementioned packages, toys, and other unknown items. He was smoking what appeared to be tobacco in a small pipe in blatant violation of local ordinances and health regulations. Claus did not speak, but immediately began to fill the stocking of the minor children, which hung adjacent to the chimney, with toys and other small gifts. (Said items did not, however, constitute "gifts" to said minor pursuant to the applicable provisions of the U.S. Tax Code.) Upon completion of such task, Claus touched the side of his nose and flew, rose and/or ascended up the chimney of the House to the roof where the Vehicle and Deer waited and/or served as "lookouts." Claus immediately departed for an unknown destination. However, prior to the departure of the Vehicle, Deer and Claus from said House, the party of the first part did hear Claus state and/or exclaim: "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!" Or words to that effect. *********************************************** 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 ***********************************************