[Milsurplus] Wanted RT-159B/ URC-4 information, parts etc.

[Dave Jeffries]

> Please don't bring these things up on the 121.5/243 freq,
even to test
> on a dummy load to see if they are working. You'd be
surprised how
> sensitive this tracking equipment is. Change to a freq in
the ham band
> first before testing.
----------------------------------------------------------->

Ditto to all.

From a CAP Ground Team Leader, who has chased far more invalid
signals on the emergency frequencies than I care to remember.

A major concern of ours is that a signal from even a fair
radiator
(a half way passable antenna) can easily cover one from an
crashed
aircraft that is upside down with the antenna half broken off
with the
pilot and passengers lying in the wreckage *hoping* someone
will find
them before they die.

**Please**  don't radiate (at any level) on 121.5, 243, or
406.025 MHz.
------------------------

That said, the old URC-4 converts to the 2 meter band pretty
easy.

One person I know said that it can be done by pulling the
powdered iron slugs
and replacing them with brass.  I can't verify as I've never
tried it however.

If one can find some of the old surplus conversion manuals the
URC-4 will
probably be covered in many of them as it was a pretty popular
set.

I've seen them used with a bunch of  D cells for the "A" power
and
commercially available "B" batteries.  This was way back when
we used
AM (-vs FM) on our 148.15 MHz freq (was 148.14 back then).


Dave Jeffries,   N0GMP
sd0044@enetis.net
========================================================

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray, W2EC" <w2ec@attglobal.net>
To: "aGEnuine ham" <gl4d21@juno.com>
Cc: <VSal@teltone.com>; <milsurplus@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 06:05
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Wanted RT-159B/ URC-4 information,
parts etc.


> Yeah! George is right!
>
> I'm a CAP SAR mission pilot and get called out at all hours
of the night
> (typically) chasing these errant ELT signals when the AFRCC
gets a
> SARSAT hit on one of those frequencies. I locate the site
from the air
> with onboard DF gear then call in the ground troops to
physically locate
> it. If it is not an actual emergency, they will show up at
your door
> with a local LEO to make sure it is shut down. Then the Air
Force
> decides what the cost was for the SAR mission and how much
they are
> going to bill you for all the resources that were expended
to locate
> you. Just think 600 dollar toilet seats and you can imagine
what kind of
> bill you'll get.
>
> Please don't bring these things up on the 121.5/243 freq,
even to test
> on a dummy load to see if they are working. You'd be
surprised how
> sensitive this tracking equipment is. Change to a freq in
the ham band
> first before testing.
>
> 73, Ray  W2EC
>
> aGEnuine ham wrote:
> >
> > Vaclav:
> >
> > I can't count the number of those I converted to 2 meters
back in the
> > 50s, before solid state was usable above 10 MHz.  The
purists on here
> > would like to kill me now.  While the transmitter is
crystal controlled,
> > the receiver is superregenerative, and a real howler.  I
never had a
> > battery pack, so (horrors) I drilled out the connectors
and brought a 4
> > wire cable through the hole.
> >
> > Now, my advice: restore it, don't ruin it, as there are
cheap solid state
> > radios which are a lot better for 2 meters.  Of course,
you need to move
> > it off the aircraft frequencies if you want to play with
it.  Remember
> > that those frequencies are monitored by satellite now, in
addition to
> > other platforms, so there is nowhere you can hide and not
be heard except
> > a 100 dB shielded room.  Battery boxes are still around,
as are some
> > other parts, even the tubes.
> >
> > Did you get a yellow one or a army green one?  I've seen
both.
> >
> > 73, George W5VPQ