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Mil Radio for 80 meters

G744

G744

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9 out of 10 shortwave sets can't demodulate SSB.

AM is much easier to receive than SSB, as you don't need a beat frequency oscillator to listen to it.

Private and commercial aviation both use AM to communicate

SSB is more complex to transmit as well.

DG
 
C

cagosti

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Well since I one both a pinzguare and a grc19 transmitter and operate them ,
I can tell you that one should never go anywhere near the other.
 
Wile E. Coyote

Wile E. Coyote

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papakb said:
There are all kinds of military HF radios out there. PRC-104, PRC-138, PRC-174, GRC-193, GRC-213, GRC-215, GRC-220, GSB-900, RT100-MP. Be aware that none of them are cheap but they'll all do what you want. Take a look over at Elly Excess, they occaasionally have something.
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Interesting. Been in the game a long time but 'Elly Excess' I don't know.

At the moment there aren't any listed, but the Tadiran PRC-174s that the IDF used show up a lot, and they're apparently solid radios. I haven't seen a decent PRC-138 come up for sale for 3 yrs or more - which is irritating because I could really use one to work with local nets on the EMCOMM front.

GRC-220 - there was a decent one recently on Ebay but the auction mysteriously ended early (don't they all?) with the usual "because the item is no longer available" excuse.

GRC-215 -great build quality...perhaps the best...but some component choices didn't age well in the transceiver unit itself. Can't remember the details - vacuum relays, I think.

Every GSB-900 family radio I've had developed power supply problems...electrolytic caps at a guess...but never bothered delving into it much.

GRC-193...no personal experience but evidently the finals in the amp like to blow up with no easily-obtainable replacements available (Germanium TO-3 cased power transistors I would guess.)

There's also the URC-113 150W HF system in the RT-1209/PRC-104 derived stuff, but unfortunately every single example of that AM-7148 amp fails after x-hours. Reasons vary depending on who you ask - but even if you get a working one it'll be a time-bomb.


ps. My experience/ opinion only - mileage may vary
 
Wile E. Coyote

Wile E. Coyote

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tennmogger said:
Some of the military HF rigs will not do LSB (normal on 80m), being USB only. Some are switchable so be sure that's on your check list.

There is also the British Clansman series UK/RT-320. Many are available so prices are lower, and there are several LSB conversions for 80 and 40m. You can buy one with switchable LSB/USB already installed. Nice radios. 30 Watts output where many other MIL radios are less.
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Clansman stuff is a solid choice. Very, very well built - and where problems (typically capacitors) have shown up as an issue - tons of documentation out there to help you work through it.
 
Wile E. Coyote

Wile E. Coyote

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papakb said:
Amplitude Modulation for long range comms on HF is the world wide standard. It just works. The military started moving away from HF comms with the advent of SATCOM until they realized how fragile satelites are. You can take one out with a good fighter and a "cheap" missile.
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It's funny because it's largely true. Everyone ran away from HF backhaul first when Troposcatter formed the main backhaul link - and later when SATCOM kind of pushed Troposcatter and its huge, fixed, cold-weather, hard-to-maintain stations out of existence. But then it became pretty obvious that SATCOM was not only mighty expensive - it was mighty vulnerable. Then we got the resurgence of HF backhaul and NVIS coverage both (thanks, Afghanistan...)

Lately though...it seems the push for SATCOM solutions is still the main play. I've been out for awhile now but always thought relying on space assets was...inclever...given the maturity that HF has nowadays in terms of prediction and ALE and all the rest of it. But...what can you tell highly-paid consultants looking to spend millions. Not much.
 
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