history question

[freqs]

Watching a documentary about Viet nam the radio guys had the back pack radios or the radios on tanks and such what freqs did they run on in the day

 

[nd5y]

Some were HF SSB.
Some were 30-88 MHz FM.

 

[prcguy]

The Vietnam era manpacks would be PRC-25 or the later PRC-77 version. They operate in the 30 to 76MHz range in 50KHz steps, wide band FM with up to 25KHz deviation and between 2 and 4 watts of transmit power.

The tank radios would be either an RT-524 or the push button channelized version, the RT-246, both covering the 30 to 76MHz range with about 35 watts of power.
prcguy

Watching a documentary about Viet nam the radio guys had the back pack radios or the radios on tanks and such what freqs did they run on in the day

 

[Fast1eddie]

Blast from the past! I was a 31E (Field Radio Repair) and the PRC 77/RT 524/246 were core equipment I was responsible for maintaining. The PRC 25 had a hybrid final, semiconductors drove the low level amplified RF to the vacuum tube final. Surprisingly, it was not bad on batteries. During exercises, the Canadians were heavy PRC 25 users, The Special Forces/Rangers and Long Range Patrol (LRP) used a HF manpack built by Hughes with later and final units manufactured by Motorola. Believe these had a 20 watt PEP output and were of modular construction, Very nicely built radios and waterproof as long as the inner seals remained intact.

The RT 246/524 was the military equivalent in terms of ruggedness to the older Motorola drawer units. Both had hybrid finals and would put out a very nice signal, you would hear the fan noise imposed on the received signal, always cranked up slow then went to a fast speed.

The RT 246 would permit the user to pre tune frequencies and with the appropriate pushbutton selected (white tabs were mounted above each button to be marked with a grease pencil) one would come up on the net. Heavy radios, remember mounting these in tanks.

I see these on Fair Radio Sales for a fair price, considering what Uncle paid for them.

Good days then and a much more capable Army now,

 

[prcguy]

You've already hinted at your age by working on these 1960/1070 vintage radios and the Hughes HF manpack you mention would either be a PRC-74 in the 60s/70's or the PRC-104 from the late 70s through maybe the gulf war. The 104 is still a very good HF rig and runs about $1500 used.
prcguy

Blast from the past! I was a 31E (Field Radio Repair) and the PRC 77/RT 524/246 were core equipment I was responsible for maintaining. The PRC 25 had a hybrid final, semiconductors drove the low level amplified RF to the vacuum tube final. Surprisingly, it was not bad on batteries. During exercises, the Canadians were heavy PRC 25 users, The Special Forces/Rangers and Long Range Patrol (LRP) used a HF manpack built by Hughes with later and final units manufactured by Motorola. Believe these had a 20 watt PEP output and were of modular construction, Very nicely built radios and waterproof as long as the inner seals remained intact.

The RT 246/524 was the military equivalent in terms of ruggedness to the older Motorola drawer units. Both had hybrid finals and would put out a very nice signal, you would hear the fan noise imposed on the received signal, always cranked up slow then went to a fast speed.

The RT 246 would permit the user to pre tune frequencies and with the appropriate pushbutton selected (white tabs were mounted above each button to be marked with a grease pencil) one would come up on the net. Heavy radios, remember mounting these in tanks.

I see these on Fair Radio Sales for a fair price, considering what Uncle paid for them.

Good days then and a much more capable Army now,

 

[Blackswan73]

31v here, depot radio repair. You all also forgot the ANG106 Radio set, usually combined with RTTY.

 

[prcguy]

I'll bet you've seen a few arced turrets in the 106s when they don't get tuned up right.
prcguy

31v here, depot radio repair. You all also forgot the ANG106 Radio set, usually combined with RTTY.

 

[jhooten]

31v here, depot radio repair. You all also forgot the ANG106 Radio set, usually combined with RTTY.

Tuned up just fine on 27.405 USB after the order wire was up on the microwave link.