IAN'S AMATEUR RADIO PAGE
KD7SYD

ICOM T90
6 Meter
2 Meter
70 CM
Tri-Band HT

 

This page has various bits of information, files for downloading, pictures and other trivia that may be of use to am owner of an old military vehicle. The Second World War was really the beginning of the "electronic age" for the military. Radar was first employed in both defensive and offensive operations. We'll not comment on the lack of some command officers' understanding of radar on Hawaii on the morning of December 7th, 1941. The British, however, made excellent use of radar, able to detect the Luftwaffe as soon as they took off from French airfields and gained some altitude.

Old military vehicles used radios that are still available today. Granted, they may be expensive it you want one in working condition. Others are satisfied in a period "display" radio, which allows their vehicle to more closely represent its "kit", or equipment, during military deployment. One of the biggest challenges to operating an old military radio, especially the "manpack" type, is finding an appropriate power source. The original batteries have long since deteriorated and "NOS" are virtually non-existent. There are some users that have made up battery packs using readily available batteries that fit in the original battery boxes. The vehicle powered radios are more easily used, when properly installed with the right cables and antennas. The radio set below is in my Ferret, called a "Larkspur".

Much of the amateur radio movement owes its spread to the availability of WWII surplus radios that came on the market in the late 1940's and 50's. With the low initial cost a "ham" was able to tune up an old military radio and get on the air pretty inexpensively. Another reason may have been the dramatic development of new technology during the war. Thousands of men and women were trained to built, operate and repair all kinds of electronic equipment. After the war some found that they had developed a new hobby and kept on tinkering with radios.

These "green radios" are often called "boat anchors" due to their almost universal heavy weight. The cases were designed to take the kind of treatment that could be expected during wartime, so everything is heavy duty. The same construction was used inside, so that the radio would be reliable. Many of these radios weigh in excess of fifty pounds!

Many of the surplus military radios are capable of operating across a wide range of frequencies. The Larkspur (above) C42 set tunes from 30 mHz to 70 mHz. Most of this frequency range is "off limits" to amateur radio operators, but the six meter band, 50 to 54 mHz, is within the radio's capability. 51.0 mHz is often called the "green frequency" and is used for short range communications using old military radios. One has to be careful not to transmit in the frequencies assigned to radio control.