[Milsurplus] HF-80 video

Thu Feb 5 15:35:46 EST 2026

Howdy,

Below is some history about HF “data” comm networks.

Collins was involved with the development and deployment of the Navy Tactical Data System in 1958.  This revolutionized the way the USN fought naval battles.  NTDS networked the ships in a battlegroup to share RADAR, targeting information  and to provide  Command a Control through the use of solid state computers, digitizers, displays and HF data communication.  Raytheon, Univac, Hughes and Collins Radio were main contributors.  

During the development and experimentation phase, Collins provided some modified KWT-6s and some newly designed Collins PSK modems. Before the NTDS, all command and control was done by voice and brain power, and the Navy had learned during WW that it was an almost impossible task during massive attacks (a.e kamikazes!)

During the following fleet deployment, Collins supplied the URG I radios, antenna couplers.  The radios were the SRC-16 and SRC-23.  Note that after the advent of nuclear weapons, a Navy task force (Carriers, destroyers, etc.) had to increase its deployment radius to hundreds of miles, and this made the use of UHF radios for such purpose not suitable.  The SRC-16, 23 were operating in a continuous duty fashion in duplex mode.  Multiple sidebands were utilized to drive up the data communication rates.  Note that the NTDS system included RADAR aircrafts such as the EC-2A  (ARC-132).

Air Force

The Air Force also had some increased data comm (including TTY) needs. After the TSC-15, Collins developed the URG I TRC-136. This system had the capability of providing the four sidebands (UUSSB, LUSB, ULSB and LLSB).  Collins also developed the TSC-38. The Army was also a user of the TSC-38. This was based on the URG I technology and included the powerful 208U-10 (10kW) PA.  This was followed by the TSC-60V(1) to V(4) (see brochure).  This was based on the URG II technology and could provide for up to three voice and 16 TTY channels.   The TSC-60 was later upgraded with more modern modems.

As the TSC-38A aged, it was becoming difficult to maintain, and it was upgraded to more modem Harris equipment.

Until about 1975, Collins was the only supplier of “multichannel” HF comm gear.  Then, Satcomms took over…..

Best, Francesco K5URG

From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net <milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of John Vendely
Sent: Wednesday, February 4, 2026 9:15 AM
To: Gene Smar <ersmar at verizon.net>; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] HF-80 video

Howdy,

Fascinating story, and interesting that VOA was planning a new HF feeder system at that late date.  I often listened to the VOA via the HF ISB feeders from the Greenville, NC and Bethany, OH sites, which relayed programs to the overseas transmitter sites.  Broadcast-quality in two 6 kc wide sidebands, with reduced-level pilot-carrier AFC with the receivers phaselocked to the transmit pilot carrier.  I recall hearing VOA live coverage of the Republican and Democrat conventions in the Carter/Reagan presidential race.  Commentary in English was on one sideband, in Russian on the other sideband.  There were once a number of these HF broadcast feeders, and BBC also  had some for their World Service.  VOA's broadcast feeders eventually went totally satcom, and the HF-ISB feeders were taken off the air in 1994.  The transmitters and receivers were retained for some years, "just in case"...

73,

John K9WT

On 2/3/2026 5:07 PM, Gene Smar wrote:

In the late 1980s, I worked on specifying the design for a VOA relay station that was to have been built in the Negev Desert in Israel.  The intended target audience was all of the -stans in southern Asia.  It was being built to counter the jamming currently being perpetrated by the then Soviet Union.  

The gummint requirements included a couple of 2-ISB HF transceivers (other than Collins, I'm sure) at the Negev site to receive data and programming from the main transmit location in the US.  These radios, plus very large LPDAs, were backups to the satellite earth station that was the primary method to receive programming.  I'd never heard of ISB until then; I've since learned that AT&T/Bell used similar tech for its analog microwave transmission systems beginning in the 1950s.  

BTW - The Negev station never got built.  Mr. Gorbachev's "glasnost" programs turned off the jammers, so the need disappeared in 1989 or so.   

73 de

Gene Smar  AD3F

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 04:44:08 PM EST, John Vendely  <mailto:jvendely at cfl.rr.com> <jvendely at cfl.rr.com> wrote: 

Howdy,

Multichannel 2-ISB and 4-ISB HF systems were pretty common from the late 50s through the early 2000s.  The Navy had numerous 4-ISB systems  for multichannel data using TMC equipment, and AT&T and others had overseas telephone systems in use into the late 1990s using Harris RF-740M 4-ISB transmitters.  With the proliferation of satcom, HF ISB systems are less common today, but you can still find 2-channel ISB systems carrying Link 11.  In the Gemini and Apollo space programs, NASA used TMC 4-ISB TSTE-10K transmitters and DDR-506 receivers with 1200 baud modems for passing mission control data to and from the Range and Instrumentation Ships in the NASA Ground Network.   These were in use from 1964 to 1980 when they were replaced with the Collins HF-80 system.  

Originally, 4-ISB was accomplished with wideband ISB equipment having two 6 kc or 7.5 kc sidebands and used baseband multiplexers to provide 4 voice bandwidth channels within the two sidebands.  By the mid 1960s, 4-ISB radios eliminated the need for the baseband multiplexers.  Collins, Harris, TMC, RACAL, Sunair, and others made 4-ISB HF equipment.  Around 2004, Sunair displayed a 4-ISB HF system at the Melbourne, FL hamfest.  The Sunair guy told me they were used in long-distance telephone systems in South America.

73,

John K9WT

On 2/3/2026 3:40 PM, Ray Fantini via Milsurplus wrote:

Have the documentation on the 851S-1 and from looking at that it appears a lot of the same cards are used in both. The 8054 receiver in the video only has a 100Hz step via the front panel but allows you to move in 10 Hz increments by remote control and they do have an option of 1 Hz on that family of products. Yes, for band cursing nothing beats a knob! Think that’s my biggest complaint about the Harris RF-350K family is it’s a real drag tuning around with them.  Have the Harris R-2368 for RTTY but the companion exciter, the RF-1310 has to have frequency manually entered and that’s a real drag. Also the Harris Falcon stuff is far from soring when it comes to band cursing. Just goes to show the difference in mind sets between military and commercial think and Ham use. 

Along those lines, the 8054 has four independent side band cards, upper, lower upper upper and lower lower. Use to seeing things like the General Dynamics R-1051 sets with independent USB/LSB and know of applications where two audio streams were carried at the same time but have to wonder if there were any four channel Collins links established? Maybe up north or something? I know it will cheese of all the Collins people out there but the entire HF-80 line always looked a bit like telephone carrier equipment to me.

Ray F/KA3EKH

From: W2HX  <mailto:w2hx at w2hx.com> <w2hx at w2hx.com> 
Sent: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 2:42 PM
To: MMRCG at groups.io <mailto:MMRCG at groups.io> ; Ray Fantini  <mailto:RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu> <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>; mrca at mailman.qth.net <mailto:mrca at mailman.qth.net> ; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net <mailto:milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> 
Subject: RE: HF-80 video

Very nice! I have that receiver along with a 1KW transmitter setup. My plan, however, is to replace the receiver with an 851S-1 I bought. That way you get the VFO. I like to have a VFO on my receivers (at least). Find a station and then punch that into the transmitter (if controlled separately).

73 Eugene W2HX/4
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@w2hx/videos

______________________________________________________________
Milsurplus mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/milsurplus
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

______________________________________________________________
Milsurplus mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/milsurplus
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/attachments/20260205/84e87504/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: TSC60-V1-3.PDF
Type: application/pdf
Size: 5306756 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/attachments/20260205/84e87504/attachment-0001.pdf>