S-250 Shelter / Ham Shack Conversion

[srodocker]

thats awesome!

 

[Catfuel]

Removing Ground Rods

You can use an old car bumper jack or a Hi-Lift jack with a short piece of chain. Slide one end link of the chain over the end of the ground rod (you may have to open it up a bit),fasten it by tightening the ground clamp above it, hook the other end over the hook on the jack, and start jacking it up. When it starts coming up, it can usually get pulled out by hand. I've used this technique for years at field day and with my own radio tower at home. Scrounging a bumper jack is the tough part as they don't use them on plastic bumpered cars these days... Steve KA1LHZ

 

[Catfuel]

I thought I was the only one with the Ham Radio / Military Vehicle / Commo Shelter affliction. I've got a S-144 shelter I'm restoring into a functional display unit. I need to get a AN/GRC-106 for it. I have most of the goodies that were pilfered out of the brackets including the original style clock (a GREAT score!!). I eventually want to drive my USAF M-37 to Alaska with the radio shelter in the M-101 trailer. I'lll make a sleeping platform in the shelter for use on the road. Steve. KA1LHZ

 

[uscgmatt]

Professor, any updates on the conversion? I just finished painting the interior of my s-250, and i'm now planning where to put stuff.

 

[O.D. Fever]

Thanks alot guys now I need a shelter!!! WV8K Joe

 

[Swede]

a quick idea for your ground rod. When we cant get a ground rod in at the correct length due to soil conditions, most inspector/and code book which doesnt apply to you, but dig a ditch 6"-12" deep and lay the rod in horizontally... can cover.. quick and easy....

 

[Rich Johnson]

Shelters get hot inside, thats why the RTTY rigs had supports for a canvass tarp to cover them just as a sun blanket, also they were painted a light flat forest green color with a special white heat reflective underneath. Even in the OD era, the Forest green was the proper color. Today, cammo is the pattern, or Desert Tan.

AS for the noise, I run a GRC-193 etc in my S-89 M37 shelter truck, the PP4763 is so noisy along with the radio blowers, I always use a headset for HF. It really wouldnt be possible unless I used the remote cable and operated outside the shelter.

Tons of pics of my stuff and other vintage shelter carriers on my website.

 

[kdrambo]

ground rod

put the ground rods in at a steep angle when its time to pull them out just tie it to the truck and pull if the angle is right they come out easy with no bending.

 

[popacom]

I can't help jumping in on this one guys! I have a novelty item( I seem to have a lot of these after
messing with this stuff a few years.) I bought it from one of the scrap dealers I deal with a lot.
It is a" Military ground rod puller kit" comes in its own canvas bag,looks like an oversized tripod
with a big pulley at the top. You take a truck winch and run the cable over the pulley and down to the included clamp that the harder you pull the tighter it get(Reminds me of an oversized fence
stretcher) and reel the cable in and it pulls the ground rod right up!!! also works well for pulling any stubborn large tent stakes also. (Don't ask how I know this) THE Military thinks of everything,But its never part of your
units TO&E LOL.


Thanks !!!popacom / BILL in Ky.

 

[professor solderflux]

Good Grief! I can't believe it's been over a year since I left off with this post--kind of an unfinished conversation, I guess.

Well anyway, I did finish the this project, at least as much as these kind of things are ever finished, and have been greatly enjoying every minute I spend inside it. I guess that's a bonus when you carve out a little space for your hobby, and surround yourself with your toys and do things you like--it's outside the shelter that life's responsibilities find you.

Like other guys in this forum, I really do love military vehicles, and also green radio, but am not fortunate enough to drive around in an M-37 or the like. So this Comm Shelter project has been a way for me to get a little closer to that end. It's definitely not authentic military issue, but then it was never meant to be. Maybe not green, but definitely "GREEN-ish".

Outside I have my crank-up 30' mast, AC/heater unit, generator, weather station, webcam, and antennas. Inside are the VHF/UHF radios, HF radio, computers, monitors, interfaces, field-phone, lights, and 5.1 Surround Sound. I made a bench seat on the window side that folds out into a 30" x 72" bunk for overnights like Field Day weekend. This past June I hauled it up a deeply-rutted dirt road to an elevated overlook at the abandoned mine pits, and had a blast making lots of digital mode contacts, eating MRE's, and feeling like a kid again! Our radio Club had lot's of curious visitors that weekend, and I think I could have sold more than a couple surplus shelters to some of the other Hams.

Thanks to all for the advice and encouragement on this project. Check out my webpage at QRZ.com under my call sign KØGOP.

73, PS November 2010

 

[professor solderflux]

Photos:

 

[srodocker]

i just want that setup in my own home. thats awesome! you need a MV to pull it!

 

[Srjeeper]

Professor, that is one beautiful set-up you designed there. I'm workin on a 250 I recently got off Hawkman that will be made into my mobile 'Hooch'.

Unlike yours, I'm stripping everything out of mine, then will build in a fold-up bed, closet, and a small cooking bench area.

I've been drilling out rivets for three weeks and removing the conduit & fixtures. The tin used has my hands & fingers about shredded, but it all should be out this weekend.

They are certainly well built....

Thanks for shareing and job well done..

 

[Catfuel]

I finally got the GRC-106 mount brackets welded to the old SB-86 mount in the shelter. It looks really good! I mounted a MT-297 underneath so the C-434 wasn't mounted with a bungee cord but just plugs into the mount. I wanted to keep things as close to authentic as I could. I also added a 24 volt high current bus to power the radio from the truck, a ground bus and a high current AC outlet for the PP-4763 power supply which fits nicely on the floor under the mount. The rest of the MTC-7 shelter is all period correct parts. I moved the spares cabinet down to accomodate installing a SB-22 12 line switchboard. I'll be able to do RWI from the phone network over HF for REALLY long distance calls. I'm really pushing to get this done because I'm taking it with me on the MVPA AlCan convoy in 2012. I want to be able to 'Phone Home' from the road back to Vermont. I'll be road testing it before we leave to get all the bugs worked out.

 

[maddawg308]

Pictures look good, very high tech. But I don't see a single vacuum tube in there.

 

[Catfuel]

The RT-834 has 2 tubes in it and the AM-3349 has 3. I wanted a vintage radio that was reliable. Many people have steered me away from the GRC-19 because it is all tubes and reliability is an issue. I'll be using this quite a bit. 73. Steve. KA1LHZ

 

[professor solderflux]

Pictures look good, very high tech. But I don't see a single vacuum tube in there.

Guilty as charged...but I do have a Navy tube test set (CY-703A/U) that a friend gave me to keep in there!

 

[professor solderflux]

Professor, that is one beautiful set-up you designed there. I'm workin on a 250 I recently got off Hawkman that will be made into my mobile 'Hooch'.

Unlike yours, I'm stripping everything out of mine, then will build in a fold-up bed, closet, and a small cooking bench area.

I've been drilling out rivets for three weeks and removing the conduit & fixtures. The tin used has my hands & fingers about shredded, but it all should be out this weekend.

They are certainly well built....

Thanks for shareing and job well done..

I agree; quality construction throughout! I bought a rivnut hand-tool early on in the project that proved to be a good investment. Not as much power as the pneumatic ones of course, but a lot cheaper. Rivnuts hold a LOT better than sheet metal screws whre it counts. You can find RV windows cheap on ebay too if you want some light, and if you keep it to 16" wide, you won't have to cut through a metal stud either.

Post some pics of your progress.

 

[professor solderflux]

Catfuel, I respect your approach to authenticity! More pictures!!

 

[Catfuel]

I took more pics of the shelter today. Then I got an e-mail that the radio stork is coming tomorrow. I'll have the GRC-106A in the shelter for more pics. The next part I need to get is the ME-165 SWR meter to mount on the wall above the radio. Then the fun begins getting it all up and running. It should be ready for Field Day in June.
The pics show the modified interior of the MTC-7 (now a MSC-17) shelter. I had to move things around to accomodate both the radio and the switchboard. Everything is authentic and period correct including the TA-43 telephone and the metal case on the SB-22. I had to make a ring generator to convert the 24 VDC to 90 VAC for the switchboard. It's above the speaker in one pic. To the left of the TA-43 is a RL-27 reeling machine to handle the cable reels. To the right is a proper CO2 fire extinguisher. I'll clean up the hardware and paint it the correct colors once I have it all. Just getting it all in place has been the challenge. Hope this inspires more functional shelter restorations. More to follow.