MRCA Meet

Gilbert PA 6-7 September 2002

Situation: The MRCA held its meet in conjunction with the Red Ball Military Transport Organization. If you enjoy military radio's , vehicles, military Paraphernalia or any sort of military collecting then this was the target of opportunity.

 

Ops Location: Gilbert PA Pocono Mountains

Terrain Type: Rolling flat lands surrounded by the Pocono Mountains. The Site OL on the Gilbert Fairgrounds had open grass field and a large stands of trees and buildings to the South for cover. The MRCA military radio area was contained in prestanding structures and plenty of cover by trees. Perfect conditions for tents etc. Plenty of room for wire antennas etc. Access roads were paved.

 

 

 

     Pack a lunch you are going to the Mountains.

Operations and Admin Officer : Pete Hamersma, WB2JWU, P.O. Box 467, Holderness, N.H. 03245 E-mail: pehamers@worldpath.net

Event Chairman: Steve Finelli, N3NNG, E-mail: navrad@enter.net

Intelligence and Planning/Briefing Officer: Al Klase N3FRQ

 

             The MRCA home page can be found at     http://www.milradio.org/

 

 

            Red Ball Military Transport is an affiliate of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association.    http://www.mvpa.org/

 


    Warren K1BOX had a nice display, I picked up a really nice BC-348 for my "Flak Bait Display" from him for a nice price.


    Here is Warren, the NOT FOR SALE signs have been removed from his two prize exhibits for the pictures!




         Warren's nice TBY-8 complete with the key






       Warren's SCR 195/BC-222 what I call the "first walkie talkie"

 



   There were plenty of Angry 5's
       

                         A nice selection of BC-312s and 348s.


    The famous Steve Finelli N3NNG who brings his wares to the meet in a "Duce and a Half"
Every time you would walk by Steve's site there would be something else sitting out as he off loaded the truck.



    Steve, N3NNG;  Zorro, K4CHE; and Al, N3FRQ

      Tom W1TP had a nice display. Tom's telegraph museum is located at     http://www.w1tp.com

 

Tom was selling a Motorola C-847 jeep radio used by the military police and other "on post" agencies.




     Tom W1TP was also selling this BC-973 DF set.

      

        Tom's DF set came complete with accessories and shipping container.


    K4CHE's display of an RS-6 and a CIA Delco 5300.
   
        The RS-6 was powered by the AC mains and used a quarter wave 40 meter antenna. You can see the built in cw key sticking out of the transmitter on the right. The receiver is at the bottom.

                                  

    

     K4CHE's Delco 5300 CIA set.

 

 

     Norm Chip's N3RZU, fully operatonal CGQ-43060.


       Al Klase N3FRQ and Ted W3PWW had a nice working      GRC-9 and a T-195.

     The T-195 fed an 80 meter doublet with open wire line that was strung in the trees at least 50 feet high and this equipment was used for operational nets and for the "05:00 - The Old Military Radio Net, W3PWW – NCS"

 



    Al conducting the field team exercise briefing.

 

    Ted getting his hands warm. His T-195 setup worked flawlessly during the entire meet.

 

 

    No this is not a weapon, this is Ted's power supply for the T-195 using an older garage battery charger and some added capacitors that look like RETRO rockets.

    Ted with his excellent display of test equipment which included a very rare AN/TRM-1 avionics test set.

           You can see the CY-703 test set/tube tester. It was complete with all probes and accessories.

 


   Paul Weidenschiliing tube collector extraordinaire displays his BC-32A


     Paul found the BC-32A at a garage sale.

 

    Interior shot of the BC-32A
    Steve Finelli, N3NNG's SCR-178 Field Radio Set (BC-186 receiver, BC-187 transmitter, BC-188 screen modulator),

                       

 

                                                        The receiver.



    Front view of Steve's set




     The elusive IN-85 antenna insulator.
Norm Chips conducting an equipment briefing. He had an assistant maintaining listening watch on 3885.


     Norm's wall display including a BC-611, BC-728, a Pogo Stick and a DAV-2.

       Tom conduction a briefing on the Enigma code machines.


     Plenty of good pickens.

Steve Finelli uses a Italian inverter to power up his BC-611, the two cylinders are fused together to make one piece.

 

              Norm ran the walkie talkie net using his CGQ-43060.

 

 

     Roger KØRMK and his display

 

     This BC-474 was set up by KW1I

 

   Here is Dale operating during one of the walkie talkie nets.

Norm operating his DAV-2 and conducting net operations while "mobile"

 

 

    Jeff Ciccone eyeballing the BC-474

 

 

            524's were plentiful in the "Red Ball area.
Jeff Ciccone found this complete TCS set sitting out in the grass in the Red Ball area, It took three men and a boy to load it in the back of Jeff's truck
The TCS was in a ANGLICO water proof mount and was complete.

 

    Jeff holding the door for the cabinet.

 

     The door is in place, the operator can remove the plugs and operate the radio.

 

    More radio wares at the Red Ball area.

     

    Fred "RadioBunker" with his equipment for sale to include a BC-654.


      Fred's for sale inventory included a DAG-1 receiver that apparently came from the P.I.

 

    Don't know what these are but they looked neat. UHF stuff.

 

     Zorro,K4CHE shopping for a 50 cal mount for his M-151A1 out in the Red Ball area.




    More RED BALL area goodies.

 

     Back at the MRCA area Zorro cranks the generator for Stew WA2AUI.

 

    Stew powered the receivers for the GRC-9 and the BC-1306 with a"stuffed" BA-48 battery pack. Shown below.

 

   The stuffed BA-48 by Stew

 

    Zorro K4CHE had a nice spot under the trees for his set up of   STALAG 17   an airfield/team support commo site.


   Shown are a RS-1 receiver for "Saigon Weather" and a PRC-71 to relay take off and landing times to "Hilda"


   The equipment is sitting on a PSP shelf on sand bags. The Frog is genuine GI issue.



    Zorro's Crew rest facilities.

  


     K4CHE operates the PRC-71 on 40
meters.
Jeff eyeballing Zorro's NO. 19 set and probably thinking about a 1959 or 1960 Land Rover.


     Just had to show a picture of the NO.19 set in very good condition.



    The spare valves case was full and most of the cables were included.
I hated to pack up and return to the motel and you can see why. However it had three star restaurant and bar. The house specialty was prime rib. Motel Rate was $42 dollars , no phone, no TV, no room service,no coffee maker, no morning news paper,no doe-nuts,no bed vibrator,no wakeup service, no shampoo,no clock radio, I liked it.
The rooms were clean but the exterior could use a little work. The building used to be a State Police barracks. This was the main entrance. Rustic.
Security was a little on the sparse side, so I piled all the furniture up against the door once I was inside. You didn't really need a key just stick your pocket knife in the crack.

 

                                                   return to top of page

                                                         RETURN