Ron, Yep, you get first prize for that story. Pretty darn amazing!!!! I enjoyed that......now for some real propagation....Hmmmmmmm Gary VK4WT
Sent via BlackBerry® from Telstra -----Original Message----- From: "Ron D'Eau Claire" <r...@cobi.biz> Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 20:06:47 To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] WWII-era US Military MF/HF QRP rigs (OT) As a communications sergeant in the 40th Armored Division of the California National Guard in the late 1950's we were still using WWII vintage AN/PRC-6 hand helds. They were used by the infantry on foot traveling with the tanks (yes, they traveled together. It's easy for one person on foot to "kill a tank" when in towns or wooded areas when they can't swing the turret. Just climb up with a sachel bomb and then walk away. That's why in the war films you see infantry walking alongside the armored vehicles. The PRC-6 was how the infantry communicated with the soldiers inside.) Anyway, getting back to merely off-topic, the PRC-6 operated A.M. crystal controlled in the Amateur 6-meter band which was shared with the military then. The PRC-6 used the sub-miniature "pencil" tubes (because the tubes were about the diameter of an ordinary lead pencil) and made perhaps 100 milliwatts output with fresh batteries. That was FB for the very short range communications they needed. One day on duty in Southern California I was holding a PRC-6 waiting to do a radio check with another guy in a vehicle when I heard a W0 in Colorado start calling CQ right on my frequency. So I answered him using my Ham call. He came right back. I don't recall the signal reports but we chatted for a while until the armored vehicle came up on frequency. The PRC-6's antenna was a 1/4 wave "ribbon" whip sort of like a metal tape measure but the only ground was me holding the thing. We were talking over a range of about 700 miles, me running 100 MW A.M. (which is about equal to 15 milliwatts SSB). Amazing? Did everyone catch **when** that was? In the late 50's... at the peak of the most humungous sunspot cycle seen since Guglielmo Marconi was in diapers. You guys can have your DXCC, WAS and whatever certificates. I just want to see another sunspot cycle like that! Ron AC7AC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
