AN/TRC-24 Remembered
Posted
Got drafted
40 years ago and ended up in Fort Gordon trying to learn Radio Relay
Carrier stuff. The Vietnam war was going on heavy and they needed a
bunch of 31Ms real bad. The class cycles were several hundred strong
lasting several months.
Forty years ago tubes were still around and transistors were just
beginning to replace stuff. I would have to guess the MOS went away with
the progression of technology, but am curious how it happened. Anyone
have of answer?
Back then Gordon was some place. The wooden barracks were run down and
the roaches were large enough to carry away a roll of toilet paper. Hope
things a improved a bit since then.
rickrick19466
Posted
31M as you
know it does not exist.The concept of communications have changed. I
taught the 31M course for a while. Remember Moran Hall,Willard Trng area
and Site 3?
I started as a 293.17 Airborne signal which was the old designation for
31M back in 1958. We had AN/GRC-10and TCC-3. Going to a leg unit later
we used AN/TRC-24 and AN/TCC-7.
Later AN/GRC-50 and then the MRC-103's.
Like the other post said it is now 25Q. I retired a long time ago so I
don't even know what the equipment looks like. You should have seen Ft
Gordon in 1958. Student Company #4 and #32
SigVet
Posted
I guess what I really enjoyed the most were the antennas. Remember those
batwing reflectors and what it took to get those things up in the air? I
remember those classes where the insturctor went over and over the
importance of getting it staked out correctly before pulling the thing
up into position. Someone usually got the cable measurements wrong and
the antenna would be pulled past vertical and all hell would break
loose. I saw one of them pulled over too far and the whole thing came
down into a pile of bent pipe and broken batwings. Like I mentioned
earlier, the army was pushing hard to get us through those classes and
off to Nam. Nobody was sent back a cycle so the not so smart ones
graduated with the smart ones.
As luck would have it they sent me to Korea instead of Nam where PCM was
being used. Not sure what it stands for (Pluse ???? Modulation)but it
used a horn shape looking antenna. It must have been up there real close
to microwave.
Oh well, it's fun remembing.
SigVet, I don't know what the area was called in Ft. Gordon where we
were at. I'm sure all the old WWII barracks where the classes were given
are long gone, but it was real close to "Riot City". This was a place
where they taught riot control to the MPs. Remeber that place? This was
1968 time frame. Maybe 8640916 knows about Riot City.
rickrick1946
Posted
Thanks guys
for responding. My memory is fading faster than the technology. I wish I
could remember the nomenclatures for the equipment. The AN/GRC preface
is familiar but from there on the model name and number is a blur.
SigVet with you teaching the stuff you should have a real good grasp of
it.
I guess what I really enjoyed the most were the antennas. Remember those
batwing reflectors and what it took to get those things up in the air? I
remember those classes where the insturctor went over and over the
importance of getting it staked out correctly before pulling the thing
up into position. Someone usually got the cable measurements wrong and
the antenna would be pulled past vertical and all hell would break
loose. I saw one of them pulled over too far and the whole thing came
down into a pile of bent pipe and broken batwings. Like I mentioned
earlier, the army was pushing hard to get us through those classes and
off to Nam. Nobody was sent back a cycle so the not so smart ones
graduated with the smart ones.
As luck would have it they sent me to Korea instead of Nam where PCM was
being used. Not sure what it stands for (Pluse ???? Modulation)but it
used a horn shape looking antenna. It must have been up there real close
to microwave.
Oh well, it's fun remembing.
SigVet, I don't know what the area was called in Ft. Gordon where we
were at. I'm sure all the old WWII barracks where the classes were given
are long gone, but it was real close to "Riot City". This was a place
where they taught riot control to the MPs. Remeber that place? This was
1968 time frame. Maybe 8640916 knows about Riot City.
rickrick1946
Posted
I taught
antenna erection the last part of 67 and the first part of 68 in the Student Officers Basic Course. Went to
Nam in Feb
68.
Pulse Code Modulation is what you were talking about.
The antenna with reflectors were 45ft and you really did have to get it
right using the gin pole. I never dropped one. I had a lot of experience
putting those things up in some narrow and difficult places, especially
in Germany.
The horns you referred to, are with the AN/GRC-50 or the AN/TRC-24 with
F band or J band. You can use it with Vertical or Horizontal
polarization.
I can't believe I still remember some of this stuff. I retired 30yrs
ago.
SigVet
Posted
SigVet: You
remember stuff real good. I guess we called it the "Angry50". The
antenna launcher for that system was awesome! I have some pictures of
this stuff in my photo galleries, but Military.com said they are having
problems making them show up in my personal profile so just maybe a
direct url will get you close to my galleries.
http://photos.military.com/community/Military/popular/all#114369971_3Ch2u
If that doesn't work go to "Community" to "Photo Center" to "Today's
popular photos -today-all time" click on all time and then go to the
second page and there's a picture of three Korean Katusas. That photo
should take you to my galleries (3) where all the Ft. Gordon and Korea
pics are.
Another way to get to the galleries is smugmug.com and search "camp
coiner".
rickrick1946
Posted
Reading a
few comments about memories of Ft Gordon, I was wondering if anyone
spent time in
Tile
City, you remember, the hold over company located in the WWII POW camp
made out of tile blocks? Spent some time there in 65 waiting for my
security clearence to arrive so I could finish the secure half of
training on the old KL-7s and KW-7s. Everyone there was waiting for
something and until it arrived, it was shite details all around the
post.
I thought I was learning a MOS there but when I arrived at my first duty
station the first thing SFC Jack Jackson said to me was, "forget
everything you learned at Gordon". I did. Strange though that in 65 when
I was in school it was the old WWII two story barracks, when I returned
in 1983 for the advance course my barrack was brand new BUT!!!!! it was
sitting exactly in the spot where my old barrack was in 1965.
SignalSgtWilliams
Posted
I thought I was learning a MOS there but when I arrived at my first duty
station the first thing SFC Jack Jackson said to me was, "forget
everything you learned at Gordon". I did. Strange though that in 65 when
I was in school it was the old WWII two story barracks, when I returned
in 1983 for the advance course my barrack was brand new BUT!!!!! it was
sitting exactly in the spot where my old barrack was in 1965.
I got to
Ft.
Gordon in the summer of 1968. I'm not familiar with
Tile
City. It may or may not have been there at the time. My introduction to
Ft. Gordon was their in/out processing
Tent
City. No kidding they had us in tents for about a week and a half. Those
hot Georgia summers days with its afternoon downpours made tent city a
sweltering hell. From there it was into the WWII two story bararcks.
Life there wasn't much better. Everything was run down and warn out.
Most of my 31m classes were also given in those barracks converted into
class rooms. The only thing that made those barracks bareable were huge
free standing fans. They moved the 100 degree air from one side of the
class to the other.
Upon graduating from signal school it was back to Tent City for another
week or so, but this time the seasons were changing to wet and cold.
Georgia is a beautiful state, but you can have its weather.
I have a few photos of
Ft.
Gordon back in '68. Getting to my galleries does't work anymore here in
my profile. Go to
http://www.smugmug.com and search (signal school
ft.
gordon) You'll find my gordon photos.
rickrick1946
