Thomson TRC-9100?

[mfn002]

Don't know where to post this exactly so here it goes:
I recently acquired one of these military handhelds on eBay from a seller in Peru. I can't find much about it online.
There's a button underneath the black square above the keypad. The writing on the black square says "BORRADO". The knob on top is for power on/off and volume. It also has a 14-pin female external audio jack. I would power it up with a power supply, but I don't know what the input voltage is.

Moderator: Please feel free to move to the appropriate category, I just posted this here because I didn't know where else to post.

 

[KevinC]

I suspect “borrado” is the zeroize button. That’s all the help I can be.

 

[prcguy]

Its probably 30-88MHz range and the GOYA antenna is a bit disturbing to me suggesting its to be used by someone other than the Jewish faith.

 

[KevinC]

Its probably 30-88MHz range and the GOYA antenna is a bit disturbing to me suggesting its to be used by someone other than the Jewish faith.

I suspect it’s a Nagoya antenna. I apologize if you were trying to be funny.

 

[prcguy]

I suspect it’s a Nagoya antenna. I apologize if you were trying to be funny.

I didn't think of that but if you look at the front side picture where the "NA" should be its blank. I also have a number of Nagoya branded antennas here both real and fake and the font on those antennas is much different.

 

[KevinC]

I didn't think of that but if you look at the front side picture where the "NA" should be its blank. I also have a number of Nagoya branded antennas here both real and fake and the font on those antennas is much different.

Not that it really matters, but it looks pretty close to this one (maybe the NA wore off)…

Amazon.co.jp

 

[prcguy]

Not that it really matters, but it looks pretty close to this one (maybe the NA wore off)…

Amazon.co.jp

I believe you solved the mystery and now the antenna can be used by anyone. Except CCR haters of course.

 

[mfn002]

For clarification, the Nagoya BNC antenna is one that I had laying around and did not come with the radio. In fact, the radio did not come with any antenna. As for the 30-88 MHz range, I suspect that's correct.

 

[AM909]

From this somewhat odd page:

TRC9100 Secure Hand Radio: This is a small, yet powerful French radio that allows immediate secure tactical communications. It uses frequency-hopping technology in the 33-88 MHz band as well as scrambling. Short range is 2 km. Weight: 1 kg; Price: $4,000

 

[prcguy]

From this somewhat odd page:

I hope they will do single channel analog so the OP can make use of them.

 

[mfn002]

Tried to power it on today with a power supply. I went all the way up to 12VDC and it wouldn't turn on. I took it apart and found everything inside to be in pristine condition without any corrosion or damage to any of the boards.

Also, there doesn't appear to be any channel selector, so I suspect this radio is single channel if it operates as a conventional radio. The writing on the keypad is pretty much rubbed off, so I can't know for sure.

 

[TDR-94]

It's a frequency hopping radio. There is no traditional channel selection, like you would see with a standard radio.

 

[SuitSat]

That's the ''export'' version of the French PR4G Combat Net Radio, made by Thomson-CSF which is now Thales.
Although to be more accurate, PR4G is a program, like SINCGARS or JTRS, (it will be soon replaced by CONTACT/SYNAPS)...

The handheld version of the ''PR4G'' radio is designated ER-328 (ER-350 for the upgraded version) in the French Army, and TRC-9100 for the export one that you have.

If the Peruvian version is like the French one (except for national encryption algos and waveforms of course), then it's a 30-87.975 MHz radio, with 2320 channels and a 0.1/1W RF power level.
Power supply voltage is 7.5V IIRC...

to summarise, PR4G has 4 modes, it's quite similar to SINCGARS and others "modern" (90's) CNR :
-Analog & Digital (ciphered) Fixed Frequency. [Sorry TDR-94, you are rarely wrong; but in this mode you can have "traditional channels", mainly for interops reasons for example]
-Frequency Hopping
-Free Channel Search (Self-explanatory, it is a little bit similar to the AKW mode found in the SEM-70 (although more broad) for lack of a better example)
-Mixed Mode, which is an hybrid between Frequency Hopping & Free Channel Search (depending on EW "harshness" radio environment)

[As any others CNR, there's notions of COMSEC, TRANSEC, Authentication, etc...]


The "audio jack" connector as you name it, is a Bernier CMA 7N14 push-pull plug If I Recall Correctly.

And the “Borrado” black square is indeed the 'zeroize button' (labelled EFF in the French radio, for Effacement, meaning Erasure)

DISCLAIMER : for all the Alphabet letters agencies reading us, all of the above is public domain.
I will NOT say and share more; sorry but this stuff is still classified here, and I like my job too much to risk losing it and/or end up in jail...

Best of luck !

 

[TDR-94]

No problem. I don't really know anything about this particular radio. Thanks for the additional info. The short description posted earlier seemed to indicate it only operated in FH mode and didn't have a SC mode or a traditional channel mode.

 

[prcguy]

That's the ''export'' version of the French PR4G Combat Net Radio, made by Thomson-CSF which is now Thales.
Although to be more accurate, PR4G is a program, like SINCGARS or JTRS, (it will be soon replaced by CONTACT/SYNAPS)...

The handheld version of the ''PR4G'' radio is designated ER-328 (ER-350 for the upgraded version) in the French Army, and TRC-9100 for the export one that you have.

If the Peruvian version is like the French one (except for national encryption algos and waveforms of course), then it's a 30-87.975 MHz radio, with 2320 channels and a 0.1/1W RF power level.
Power supply voltage is 7.5V IIRC...

to summarise, PR4G has 4 modes, it's quite similar to SINCGARS and others "modern" (90's) CNR :
-Analog & Digital (ciphered) Fixed Frequency. [Sorry TDR-94, you are rarely wrong; but in this mode you can have "traditional channels", mainly for interops reasons for example]
-Frequency Hopping
-Free Channel Search (Self-explanatory, it is a little bit similar to the AKW mode found in the SEM-70 (although more broad) for lack of a better example)
-Mixed Mode, which is an hybrid between Frequency Hopping & Free Channel Search (depending on EW "harshness" radio environment)

[As any others CNR, there's notions of COMSEC, TRANSEC, Authentication, etc...]


The "audio jack" connector as you name it, is a Bernier CMA 7N14 push-pull plug If I Recall Correctly.

And the “Borrado” black square is indeed the 'zeroize button' (labelled EFF in the French radio, for Effacement, meaning Erasure)

DISCLAIMER : for all the Alphabet letters agencies reading us, all of the above is public domain.
I will NOT say and share more; sorry but this stuff is still classified here, and I like my job too much to risk losing it and/or end up in jail...

Best of luck !

If the radio was never used by the US Gov, then there is really nothing classified about it except for details relating to a Type 1 encryption. You can discuss the intimate workings of a US SINCGARS or other secure radio except for its crypto or hopping algorithm.