New Project AB-1309/TRC

[iam4thapack]

Guys I must say that I really enjoy this website. I have learned a lot lately and hope to learn some more. I have recently taken possession of an AB-1309/TRC tower trailer. Overall it is in very good condition. There is some rust on the leveling jack cylinder feet which is easily fixed. The only other issue noted is the generator are in rough condition. They will need all new sheet metal to make them look nice. The gimble tilts had already been removed prior to arrival. I haven't had a chance to do a complete inventory of the tower to see what is there v/s what may not be. If anyone has the PDF scans of the manuals for this please let me know. I have the manuals, off of here, for the MEP-003a genny's. I hope to have some more photos as this project moves forward... The reason the tongue is sitting on the ground is they had to remove the rear leveling jacks to transport. These are very rear heavy and it likes to stand up by itself. They simply swung the front tongue jack up and eased the tongue down for safety reasons.

For those of you wondering what I intend to do with it it will be installed here at my home QTH for use supporting ham antennas etc.

I will post more photos as this project moves forward.

Shane

 

[Firefighter294]

Man is that sweet, what a find!
I betcha I'd have a PRB-1 fight in my neighborhood over that one
I'll definately be watching your thread on this.

73,
Rick KA3PSK

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

VERY cool! What a score. I didn't even know such things existed...but watch the neighbors line up at your place with pitchforks, ropes and torches every time their satellite reception craps out

"My remote control garage door won't open...and it's all because of that 50 jillion megawatt antenna he's got next door...I swears!"

 

[BillIdaho]

MOTHER
OF
GOD.

For a handful of years I have searching for a M762 or a M116 with a 30-40 foot tower.

I hate you.

 

[iam4thapack]

Man is that sweet, what a find!
I betcha I'd have a PRB-1 fight in my neighborhood over that one
I'll definately be watching your thread on this.

73,
Rick KA3PSK

I specifically asked my real estate agent to find me a home in a community with no tower restrictions. Before we signed the dotted line he advised that he had searched the books top to bottom and found nothing to restrict me at this QTH. I have had an AB-621 up since May with a 6 element 6M quad on top of it and have had 0 complaints. I have actually had some questions about the hobby. They knew I was a ham and asked without the usual CB questions. I plan on using this at my home QTH as well as making it available to 3 local counties EM directors, and 3 local counties ARES groups for use if it hits the fan. I am not going to take it down for a comm. exercise etc but if we have a major outage that will take a while to get back up this will be available to them.

I will post some more photos of the guys, control panel, hydraulic tilt pump, etc.

Check out these links as they have full specs on these units. Quite noteworthy the sq. ft, antenna physical weight, ice load, etc.

McClure Engineering Company Expandable quick-erect communications towers, portable antenna, telescoping antenna

Mobile High Capacity Tower

FWIW I may be selling my spare AB-621 that I have. I have 2 of them at present and I am pretty certain one is already sold. If anyone is in need of a super nice AB-621 PM me.

73 guys de
Shane KI4M

 

[Chief_919]

I know where one of thsoe sits right now, but the owner won't turn loose of it and is letting it sit and rust.

 

[iam4thapack]

I know where one of thsoe sits right now, but the owner won't turn loose of it and is letting it sit and rust.

PM me with the location if you don't mind. This unit came from NC. I wonder if it is the same one you know about. I have seen your shop over in Clyde when I have been over there but have never stopped in. It is always on work time and I am never out there on my personal time.

Shane KI4M

 

[nf6x]

Wow! What a cool tower!

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of it cranked up. Eventually I need to put up some sort of tower, but I haven't found mine yet.

 

[AN/ARC186]

Great find!!!!

 

[srodocker]

nice!

 

[iam4thapack]

Well I went up and did a quick inventory this afternoon to see what was critical, missing etc. I found that I am missing the guy anchors themselves but that is not a big deal. The most troubling thing that I found was with the glow plugs on the generators. On both generators the connectors and the complete end of the glow plugs has rusted off. I am going to have to think about that one for a while to figure out the best angle of attack.

Other than that I did not see anything major that might cause any issues. The tower is in great shape. Oddly enough these towers appear to be made of heavy gauge aluminum. I was figuring it to be steel but it does not appear to be. I did not take a magnet with me to verify this but I will let you all know.

All in all it looks like it is going to be a fun project. I know it will not happen over night but it will happen. I will post some more photos when it arrives here at my QTH hopefully next week. It is in an adjoining town right now to be delivered here. No way a 53' low boy trailer would have made it in my drive much less my yard.

Shane

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Very nice project. Bet you're going to be popular every year on Field Day. If I could find one, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[creeperjeep]

Is it ok to bump this?
Just bought one of these units myself

 

[MWMULES]

Yep, feel free to ad to this thread and you know we love pictures. Oh and pretty sure you are in Mass but need to add the state to your profile, site rule.

 

[BillIdaho]

I am glad this thread got re-started! I am still looking for the smaller trailers with the tower. (M762 or M116?) I know they exist, as I have seen a few a handful of years ago, but none lately.

Pics!!

 

[Aerialfred]

Super find! Looking forward to more pictures!

 

[Another Ahab]

Subscribed. Late getting in, but ALL over this.

 

[iam4thapack]

Will be curious to see your photos. Mine has since been moved on to another owner. Was in such a sad state I didn't have the time/resources necessary to repair same.

 

[Another Ahab]

MOTHER
OF
GOD.

For a handful of years I have searching for a M762 or a M116 with a 30-40 foot tower.

I hate you.

So that's the height (fully deployed); about 35-40 feet?

 

[BillIdaho]

I think so. I saw one a few years before I got into the sub-category of military radios when I started out collecting military vehicles. I didn't care much then. Then, about the same time I really got the radio bug, another one went across my bow, and I didn't have the loot.
The M762 (or whatever its updated M number would have been) variant had a screw-type leveler, probably a simple trailer tongue jack, mounted on each back corner-and with a short 2-3 foot extension for more stability. The mast swiveled on an pivot pin about 4' up from the deck. I think the mast was tilted with a hand winch via a crank.
Man, I wished I would have grabbed it back then. I have been searching for one since, to no avail. The second one I saw was identical to the first, which would lead me to believe it was some type of special run, or maybe a depot level change.
The bigger one was darn-near the same, but with more elaborate out-riggers.