I have an antenna that needs a radio...

[kendelrio]

All-
On a whim, I bought an antenna for my M923A2 5 ton, mounted it on the fender and LOVE the way it looks...


However....

Now I feel I need a radio......

Any ideas on what I need and where to start? BTW, please talk to me about these like I have zero idea what you're talking about because.... I don't.

The closest I got to a radio while I was in the Corps was when a corporal told me to go tell the Gunnery Sergeant I needed a prick E-7.....

Thanks in advance!

 

[SCSG-G4]

That is for an older radio type (60-90's) than current issue. An RT-524 mounted in the cab would be appropriate, but there is a fly-in-the-ointment problem with using them to actually transmit. The only legal frequency for amateur radio is six meters (50 MHz). If it is just for show, then a RT-524 or RT-246 outer shell would be sufficient. The 524 in tuenable all over the 30-75 MHz spectrum, while the 246 has 10 preset frequencies. Most of the guts are interchangeable among the two. Because the antenna can be 'tuned' putting a regular HAM Radio rig inside a 'shell' would probably be the best way to have something that would be operable.

 

[kendelrio]

That is for an older radio type (60-90's) than current issue. An RT-524 mounted in the cab would be appropriate, but there is a fly-in-the-ointment problem with using them to actually transmit. The only legal frequency for amateur radio is six meters (50 MHz). If it is just for show, then a RT-524 or RT-246 outer shell would be sufficient. The 524 in tuenable all over the 30-75 MHz spectrum, while the 246 has 10 preset frequencies. Most of the guts are interchangeable among the two. Because the antenna can be 'tuned' putting a regular HAM Radio rig inside a 'shell' would probably be the best way to have something that would be operable.

I appreciate the reply.... but honestly my eyes kinda glazed over.... hence the need to speak to me like I'm an idiot.
For real... I would need to have my hand held through the process.

 

[kendelrio]

Ok... looking at a notable auction site... I'm not seeing any 524s for sale. Plenty of parts... but no radio...

 

[kendelrio]

Ok... after some more digging (including a few threads form here)....

I probably don't need an honest to God milspec radio.... nice daydream though.

Cost prohibitive and just looking at the ancillary gear to get it tuned and runnjng...

 

[Guyfang]

Thats what Mike meant by using a 524 shell, (casing) and hiding a HAM rig inside so you can listen to something, and people will never know its not a "real" 524.

Man, the RT-524 sure brings back the memories. Lot of long nights on radio watch. Commo checks. "Golf Whiskey, how you read me? Over". "Tango Papa, got you lickin Chicken!"

 

[tennmogger]

The 'prick' radio you were sent to find might have been a PRC-77. Like the PRC-25, the nickname prick was used (as for all PRC radios). Frequency range is same as Mike said so works with your antenna. All these radios are hard to find now, maybe due to demand from the reenactment crowd. The British Clansman series radios like the PRC-351 also work with your antenna, and those radios have been cheap (haven't looked lately though).

 

[Bill Nutting]

How are you planning to use it? Are there other folks in your area to communicate with? Knowing how you want to use it may help guide you to the right radio. I have been thinking about getting into ham radio. Probably after retirement.

 

[Mullaney]

The 'prick' radio you were sent to find might have been a PRC-77. Like the PRC-25, the nickname prick was used (as for all PRC radios). Frequency range is same as Mike said so works with your antenna. All these radios are hard to find now, maybe due to demand from the reenactment crowd. The British Clansman series radios like the PRC-351 also work with your antenna, and those radios have been cheap (haven't looked lately though).

.
@kendelrio was talking about " when a corporal told me to go tell the Gunnery Sergeant I needed a prick E-7 ".
Meaning that he was referring Marine Corps pay grade E7.
And, I imagine that either the Gunny exploded - or he followed the trail back to the sender of the request...

 

[kendelrio]

How are you planning to use it? Are there other folks in your area to communicate with? Knowing how you want to use it may help guide you to the right radio. I have been thinking about getting into ham radio. Probably after retirement.

It was more of a need to be complete. Hadn't even thought about using it...

 

[kendelrio]

.
@kendelrio was talking about " when a corporal told me to go tell the Gunnery Sergeant I needed a prick E-7 ".
Meaning that he was referring Marine Corps pay grade E7.
And, I imagine that either the Gunny exploded - or he followed the trail back to the sender of the request...

Very much so referring to the Gunny....

When I relayed the message, the Gunny told me "Who told you that? Go back and tell them to come get it themselves"

The response when I passed THAT message was a dejected "oh sht"...

 

[kendelrio]

.
@kendelrio was talking about " when a corporal told me to go tell the Gunnery Sergeant I needed a prick E-7 ".
Meaning that he was referring Marine Corps pay grade E7.
And, I imagine that either the Gunny exploded - or he followed the trail back to the sender of the request...

Also, in regards to the Corporal.... he and I stayed in touch and friends over the years and he retired a couple years ago as a Sergeant Major.

It was with him I first rode in a 5 ton and he encouraged me to get my "A" drivers card. I was SO bummed when I found out that wasn't a thing..

He's been keeping up with my progress on "Bertha" (who will once again be in the MVOTM, so please vote for her) and said to me the other day "Guess you don't need your "A" drivers card any more! (I had forgotten about that until he mentioned it...

 

[papakb]

Regarding the use of the RT-524 or any military radio. While listening (or monitoring) is fine, to transmit on it you should be a licensed amateur radio operator and even then you can only use a very small segment of it's frequency range. The 6 meter amateur radio band is 50.00 Mhz thru 53.90 Mhz and some hams get bent out of shape when we use the wide bandwidth military radios on the band. The RT-246, RT-524, and the PRC-25/77 variants can transmit anywhere between 30.00 and 74.95 Mhz. When operating (transmitting) we try to keep our transmissions short raher than chatty the way the CBers used to and I always stress that we keep the radios in low power mode. This is just a courtesy for others using the 6 meter band.

 

[tennmogger]

.
@kendelrio was talking about " when a corporal told me to go tell the Gunnery Sergeant I needed a prick E-7 ".
Meaning that he was referring Marine Corps pay grade E7.
And, I imagine that either the Gunny exploded - or he followed the trail back to the sender of the request...

That's funny!!

 

[juanprado]

Just a thought but you might also think of tying the antenna back as it can get easily caught on branches/trees.
I broke 2 so far on my m923. Dont ask me how....

I now have the short 4 ft one mast model # escapes me.

 

[kendelrio]

Just a thought but you might also think of tying the antenna back as it can get easily caught on branches/trees.
I broke 2 so far on my m923. Dont ask me how....

I now have the short 4 ft one mast model # escapes me.

If you look carefully, I made a tie down for it out of rope, a carabiner an a eye loop mounted to the bumper before driving. I have a buddy looking for the actual clip/rope for me... I set it to the height of my convoy lights so I'll be able to tell if what I'm coming up to is too low...

 

[G744]

Tie it back, yessir!

Once you get to pay for a bunch of flourescent lights at a truck stop it gets expensive...

And a small CB rig in a 30cal ammo can slung sideways under the dash looks fine and works to talk to the great unwashed. Fit the lid back on and it looks stock.
DDG

 

[kendelrio]

Tie it back, yessir!

Once you get to pay for a bunch of flourescent lights at a truck stop it gets expensive...

And a small CB rig in a 30cal ammo can slung sideways under the dash looks fine and works to talk to the great unwashed. Fit the lid back on and it looks stock.
DDG

Thats a GREAT idea.... does the cable for the CB fit the antenna?

 

[Guyfang]

In Germany, it was THE LAW, in the Army, to ALWAYS have the antenna tied down when moving. You see, the streets are small. Sometimes no sidewalk. The beer signs on the Gasthause's often hung out a ways. Many, many, signs went the way of all trashed things. And it was a rare thing to stop and tell Hans the mad ass hell owner of said Gasthaus that you had just now, AGAIN broken his beer sign.

 

[SCSG-G4]

Thats a GREAT idea.... does the cable for the CB fit the antenna?

Adapters are available to fit almost any antenna cable to the antenna base. The mechanical part is easy, the electrical (impedance and SWR) is a little more involved. For that, you need to find an 'elmer' local to your location. That can be done by finding someone in a local amateur radio club.