KA1-RBP
Surplus Military Comm. Equipment________________________________________
KA1-RBP
Surplus Military Comm. Equipment
________________________________________
If tube communications equipment is called a "boat anchor" now, what do you call military tube tube communications equipment...boat sinkers? Nonetheless, here are some of my favorite boat sinkers; from the R-392, the 28VDC (no lethal voltages in the box!) mobile version of the well known R-390, part of the (Collins designed) AN/GRC-19 general coverage HF station, suitable for airdrop (parachute optional); to the R-174, a hot little 1.8 -18mHz receiver available surplus for a whopping $35...unfortunately, matching power supplies (and enclosures?) are rare and so usually have to be constructed, but at that price, make great garage (or even leave-it-outside) SW receivers!
Surplus mil gear is inexpensive and well performing and great for playing army...just don't try to move it too much...and don't put it on one of those folding card tables!
AN/GRC-19 |
The
"Angry 19" is a Vietnam Era 100W mobile HF station. With
performance similar to the sought-after R-390 but with a serious hunger
for 28V power, I put the R-392 receiver on an effective power consumption
trimming program under the expert tutelage of N1KW. This wound up
getting the current down to around 3 Amps (from about 7!). The way
this was accomplished was, solid-stating: Most tubes of the IF,
detector, AGC, Calibrator stages were replaced with MF102 JFETs. The
incredibly inefficient powerhogging final audio amp (about 5W IN and a
whopping 1W of audio OUT) was replaced with a TDA2003 5W audio IC. [Link
to R-392 Solidstating.]
The 100W T-195 Transmitter has (desert capable) forced air cooling, two internal dynamotors (although this one has solid-state replacements), and is auto tuned with servo systems. All of these rotating, high speed mechanical devices in the box make for an incredible cacophony of whirring noises, possibly more impressive than an F-18 idling on the tarmac (great military ambience though!). |
R-174 |
R-174 is a Korean Era, single conversion, sensitive tube design intended for (low drain) battery service covering 1.8 to 18 MHz in four bands. 1.5V filament tubes heat just about instantly, and an RF preamp make the radio incredibly sensitive. There is no speaker in the box, so homemade power supply incorporates that also (link to R-174 Power Supply). Ten cool all-mechanical station presets are available using numbered, screwed in preset "pegs" in that huge central tuning dial. |
