radio equipment

[ohiohmmwv]

Is there a list anywhere that tells you what equipment is ok to buy and sell and what isn't? I'm interested in a rt-1439 and from what I read here it sounds ok to own one of these but where officially can I check?

 

[juanprado]

I would think getting the nsn and checking the demil code?

I "suspect" as long as the krypto cards and frequency hopping is out they are ok? Come up on ebay pretty frequently now. Still sky high IMHO

 

[B3.3T]

Here's a great place to ask and look: http://www.murphyjunk.net

 

[ohiohmmwv]

I would think getting the nsn and checking the demil code?

I "suspect" as long as the krypto cards and frequency hopping is out they are ok? Come up on ebay pretty frequently now. Still sky high IMHO

Anywhere official to search those?

 

[NDT]

I bought one on ebay a long time ago and no black suburbans at my house yet.

 

[CARNAC]

And I might know a guy who knows a guy that has a friend whose second cousin twice removed might have one. PM if you want me to inquire and if you have the cash to pay for such a thing.

 

[papakb]

If your just chatting between trucks around the farm you don't want military radios. To start with when they're in the vehicle and people only see the antenna is it worth paying a thousand dollars for a radio that won't do anything more than a $50 CB set? And when they fail you aren't going to run down to the local TV shop and get them repaired. This is all beyond the fact that they aren't type certified for general use. Most military radios are wideband sets and don't play well with civy stuff. There are only a small number of people who know how to fix these things and replacement parts are few and far between, and expensive. My suggestion is to buy some CB sets and mount up a couple of AT-1729 antennas. With a VSWR meter just tune the antenna to the best match (forward VS reverse power) and let people wonder what kind of cool radios are inside.

 

[patracy]

I'd kinda have to argue that point papakb. Once a few things are in order (I'm buying a property), I plan on purchasing a military radio set for at least one of my vehicles, if not more. But then again, I am a licensed ham (Extra). But for most people, a CB radio would fulfill any "need" they might have. As for repairing them, well becoming a ham kinda makes you learn a thing or two. I've repaired a few radios now (civilian).

I'd personally love to have something that could work 80m to 10m. But I know those are limited.

 

[ohiohmmwv]

If your just chatting between trucks around the farm you don't want military radios. To start with when they're in the vehicle and people only see the antenna is it worth paying a thousand dollars for a radio that won't do anything more than a $50 CB set? And when they fail you aren't going to run down to the local TV shop and get them repaired. This is all beyond the fact that they aren't type certified for general use. Most military radios are wideband sets and don't play well with civy stuff. There are only a small number of people who know how to fix these things and replacement parts are few and far between, and expensive. My suggestion is to buy some CB sets and mount up a couple of AT-1729 antennas. With a VSWR meter just tune the antenna to the best match (forward VS reverse power) and let people wonder what kind of cool radios are inside.

All good points but all the equipment, radios and military vehicles everyone owns on these forums aren't practical for everyday use, not typically anyways. My hmmwv is just a toy. I just want to make sure something I buy to bolt onto my toy doesn't get me in any trouble.

 

[FKAM]

I don't really know where there is an official place to find if a RT is leagal to own, but I have a couple of setups for my HMMWV. All the RT's were sold as legal to own. A lot of what I have came from Murphy's Junk and I'm sure he isn't selling illegal items (great guy to work with). I have both a 1439 and a 1523 with the COMSEC module removed. I have the radios primarily to have for my HMMWV set up like I had on active duty and secondary Ham use. Just because It's fun and I want too, no real practical reason. All of them are functional.

This is my VRC 64 setup (PRC 77 Based)


And my SINCGARS (still bench testing, having AMP issues).



The RT 1439's have no internal COMSEC modules so no legal issues with them.

This doesn't help to answer your original questions for a official source, but I just went with info from multiple sources off the internet and suppliers to keep me legal.

 

[papakb]

FKAM, the 1439 never had a crypto card in it like the 1523s did.

But the question still remains, do you want a thousand dollar radio to talk to a tractor? LOL

BTW, I have the amps new in the box.

 

[FKAM]

FKAM, the 1439 never had a crypto card in it like the 1523s did.

But the question still remains, do you want a thousand dollar radio to talk to a tractor? LOL

BTW, I have the amps new in the box.

papakb,

I said at the end of the post that the 1439's were OK because of the lack of crypto modules. I was referencing my 1523 when I talked about the crypto mods being removed.

And like I said..In my case, I just wanted it for my retirement toy, no practical reason required.

 

[ohaniazx]

What is that box on top of the PRC-25/77 setup? an antenna switch/ duplexer?
Z

 

[ohaniazx]

i see what that top unit is, it is a PP-770/50 range booster.. basically an amp. Guy in Poland is peddling those on e$$y.
Anyone has a good experience with them?
Z

 

[Jericho]

The real question is , can one trip a repeater with say a RT 524 , hum , I have a set up in three of my 5 trucks but also a have a civilian ham set up, use them much more , they are simple , stand alone and work as advertised, but don't draw any where near the attention a vic one RT 524 setup does, IT MASSIVE, must reach around the world , some one invariably says ,at a truck show, You bet I reply, has too , uncle bought them ! LOL. when they see my ham units they say to their children, " that's one of those CB things, I remember those on Movin On the truck show !

 

[papakb]

Jericho, The VRC-12 family of radios are all 150hz tone squelch radios and amateur repeaters need CTSS tones to open them up so the answer to your question is no, they won't work with civy repeaters.

Kurt
KG6KMJ

Zee, those range boosters were made by Cincinatti Electronics, Tadiran, ANCOM, and a couple others in various configurations. They were a low cost attempt to make a PRC-25/77 into a command set by giving it a little more power out.

 

[mblank]

Many amateur repeaters do not require a CTCSS. Some amateur repeaters that are tone coded for 151.4 will trigger on the CTCSS (tone squelch) 150 Hz of the military FM radios. The nominal transmitter deviation is ~8.0 kHz +/- 2 kHz, however, it probably wouldn't be a real good idea to
utilize an amateur 6 meter repeater for the military family of low band FM radios...it would probably irritate the **** out of the regular users due
to the normal clipping of the more narrow banded receivers of the ham repeaters.
With that said, there is nothing preventing a licensed amateur radio operator from establishing a wide-band (8 kHz), 6 meter repeater
for military radio use....if the frequencies are available and they are properly coordinated for the particular area they are used.

 

[Storm 51]

There is even another smaller (and getting ever smaller and smaller) niche out there of the old GRC-3, -5 & -7 radio sets (including the RT-70) and the GRC-19 and teletype units. I've got some of those for my truck and the only really useful part is the RT-70 at shows and ralleys IF someone else shows up with a working one. They don't go far but people seem to enjoy watching them work. I know they are not approved, but mine seems to be limited to a mile or less, so hopefully I'm not the greatest criminal in the last 100 years for occasionally operating one.

The old radios are fun (for me anyway) and they are correct for my truck. I've got a complete GRC-46C in my garage that I need to restore when I retire. It might even help keep me out of trouble.

 

[just me]

The only radio in my truck is an RT70. I fixed it at great expense and time simply because if it is there, it must work.