TRA-906

first a few words on
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~2-30 MHz Portables, Racal, 1960 to 1980 or so

In the period from about 1960 to about 1980, Racal brought to the market a series of all solid state Low Band Backpack Military and Para-military portable radios. Chief among these were the following.

TRA-906 Squadcal (~1965) 29 ch, 2-7 MHz, clarifier, USB or LSB, but not both in the same unit/AME/CW, 5W, 18V

TRA-921 Syncal (~1970) syn, 2-8 MHz @ 1 kHz, clarifier, USB/LSB/AME/CW, 5/20 W, 18 V
 
TRA-929 Minical (~19??) 6 ch, 2.6-9 MHz, USB/LSB/CW/AM, 1 W, 12 V

TRA-931 Syncal 30 (~19xx) syn, 1.6-30 MHz @ 1 kHz, clarifier, USB/LSB/AME/CW, 5/20 W, 12 V


TRA931 Variants, Courtesy of Keith at
http://www.recelelectronics.demon.co.uk 

Note: Not included here are the BCC (eventually bought by Racal) sets A13, A14LP, A14HP, and A16 manpacks. These apparently do not have SSB capability. For information on these sets, visit the following page from Louis Meulstee’s excellent site:
 
http://wftw.nl/larkspur/larkspur1.html
 
Representative of the Racal series of low band radios is the unit shown here, the

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This type of radio, too, was brought back from "Operation Desert Storm".

Other captured radios from "Operation Desert Storm:

PRC-439 PRC-638 BCC-349 TRA-967 R-143

Frequency range:

2 .. 7 MHz

Channels:

29, crystal controlled

Modulation:

AM, CW, USB

HF output:

5 W

Powered by:

NiCad- battery, 14 "D"- cells, 3 Lantern cells,

Power supply or mobile.

Antennas:

Rod antenna or 50-Ohm- connector

Issued:

1965

Other:

Clarifier, Automatic antenna tuning, RF- Gain

.. but NO volume control.

In this same time frame, other manufactures also introduced HF portables. Companies and models included:

Japanese TRP-4 (~1961) 6 ch, 2.5-8 MHz, clarifier, USB/CW, 2 W, 6 V
 
Harris RF301UP (~1963) hybrid (tube and transistor), 2-15 MHz @ 1 kHz, USB/LSB/CW, 20/50W, 12 V
 
Hughes HC-162 (~1964ff) [became the AN/PRC-74 series], 2-12 and then 2-18 MHz @ 1 kHz, clarifier, USB/CW, 15 W, 12 V
 
Sunair PRC-108 (~1970) 6 ch, 2-12 MHz, USB/AME (LSB/CW optional), 25W, 12 V

Southcom (Loral) SC-120 Patrolfone (~1972) 23 ch, 2-10 MHz, clarifier, USB and/or LSB depending on model ordered/CW/AME, 10/20W, 12 V
 
Cincinnati PRC-70 (~1972ff), 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/AM/CW/FSK/ (30-76 FM), 3/30 W, 24 V
 
Hughes (HC-191) PRC-104, (~1975ff), 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/CW, 20 W, 24 V
 
Yugoslav RU-20 (Collins PRC-515, nee 719D-2) (1975) 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/AME/CW, 20 W, 24 V
 
Southcom (Loral) SC-130 Patrolfone (~1974) Syn, 2-12 MHz @ 1 kHz, clarifier, LSB/USB/AME/CW, 5/20W, 12 V
 
AEG (Telefunken) 6861 (~19xx), 4 ch, 1.5-30 MHz, USB/LSB, 2/20 W, 24 V
 
After 1980:
 
MBLE RT-600 (~1980), Syn, 1.6-30 @ 100 Hz, LSB/USB/AME/CW, 5/20W, 14 V

Elmer/Magnavox, regency net components, GRC-215 (RT-1511)(RT-1512 is a 100 mW exciter only) (~19xx) Syn 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/CW RTTY, 5/25W, 24 V, LCD display, uses H-356 handset

Kachina MP-25 (~1980) syn, 2-15 MHz @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/AME/CW, 6/25 W, LED display,

Transworld PRC-1099/1099A (~1980ff) syn, 1.6-30 MHz @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/CW/AME optional, 1099A ALE, 5/20 W, 15 V, LCD display
 
MEL (Philips) PRC-2000 Callpac (1980ff) 1.6-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/CW, 4/20 W, 15 V
 
RFT SEG 15D (1980's) 1.5-12 @ 1 kHz, clarifier, USB/LSB/CW, 1.5/15 W, 24 V
 
Southcom (Loral) SC-140/PRC-130 (~19xx), 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/AME/CW/FSK, 5/20 W, ? V
 
UK (MEL/Philips) PRC-319 (1988) 1.5-40 @ 100 Hz, loads only 10 channels into memory at any one time, USB only/CW/Data, 5/50W, 24 V (Clansman type).
 
Loral TerraComm (L3) PRC-132 (was Southcom M50A) (~1989) syn, 1.6-50 @ 100 Hz (20-60 @ 5 kHz for FM), USB/LSB/CW/AME//+, 5/10/20/50 W, 5/10 W FM, 12 V
 
BCC32V, also known as the SSB32 (~19xx))Larkspur era), 12 channels, 2 - 12 MHz, 2-12 MHz, USB/LSB/CW/CAM, 24VDC
 
UK/PRC-320 and PRC-320/1 (19xx) 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB (320/1 only)/AME/CW, 15/20 W, 24 V
 
IRET PRC-247A (19xx) 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/AME/CW, 2/20 W, 24 V
 
Russian R-143 (19xx) 2-20 @ 1 kHz, USB/?, 10 W, 12 V Rx/24 V Tx

Russian R-163-1k (19xx) 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/AME/CW, x/y W, ? V

Russian R-163-10k (19xx) 2-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/AME/CW, x/y W, ? V

Racal BCC-39B (19xx) 1.6-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/AME/CW, 25/50 W, 24 V
 
Racal PRM-4031 (~19??) syn, 1.6-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/AME/CW, 15 W, 12V
 
Harris PRC-138 (~19xx) syn 1.6-60 @ 10 Hz, USB/LSB/CW/AME/+, 1/5/20 W, 1/5/10 W FM, 24 V
 
Yaesu  FT-70F & FT-70G (~19xx), syn 1.5 (with mod)-30 @ 100 Hz, USB/LSB/CW/AM, 4/10W, 13.6 V, ext antenna tuner required
 
South African RS B25 SA (~19xx), syn 2-30 @ 1 kHz, USB/LSB/CW/AM, 6/20 W, 15 V
 
And a bunch I have forgotten or never knew about
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**..**by Alan Tasker

Representative for these radios are shown here::

USA: Southcom SC-130
USSR: R-143
South Africa: RS B25 SA
BRD: AEG (Telefunken): 6861
GDR: RFT SEG 15D
USA: PRC-104
UK : PRC-320
UK : BCC39
UK : PRC-2000
YU : RU-20 (PRC-515)