PRC-320 HF MANPACK: picnic-bench beachhead

Sometimes you just want to operate comfortably, with a park bench to yourself, a little DX-ing fluid at the ready, and a sunset for company. Helps if the bands are open and stations are listening.

MILSPEC radios are built to be heard, and the PRC-320 can work pileups even with its middling 30 watt High Power setting. In reality, it’s ~ 15-20 watts on transmit. I get compliments on the audio. Some stations love the “punch” and the “DX-y” voice quality.

PRO TIP: Say “portable” enough—when you’re portable, of course—and operators will let you in, especially when points count.

PRC-320 HF manpack: FAIL

This is how it happens: you spend earnest hours charging batteries, testing peripherals. You might solder a bit here and there. You pack for bugout.  You tell family and friends and bosses “Gee I’d like to [insert family, friends or bosses commitment here] but I’m deployed elsewhere…” You grab a GPS, some jerky, your tuff boots (you know the ones), say goodbye to the pup, grab the car keys and you’re off!

You make the infil point and it’s empty—you planned it that way! The WX is amazing, rich with golden-hour vibes. It’s coming on grey-line, and the bands will be hopping. That tingly DX sensation enters the fingers, readies the mind. “Today,” you say to yourself, once more, “I’ll work that Capetown station…”

And you sit on frequency, waiting out the pileup. Putting up with the long-winded. You keep calling. Tide’s coming in. The sea is swallowing your counterpoise, but the saltwater amp is dead. And no matter how many times you press the button, or how many tweaks you make to the tuning, no matter which mic you use, it’s just not happening. And crows gather to laugh and caw: “NEGATIVE CONTACT! NEGATIVE CONTACT!”

Some days its just not on, is it?

PRC-320 HF manpack: Logbooking

Amateur Radio operators keep logbooks of the stations they’ve contacted for a few reasons. A) They’re handy if you have to prove you aren’t creating interference with neighbors, a business or government (it happens); B) they’re important for filling out a reply QSO card, and critical for contesting, or uploading your POTA/SOTA OPs; and C) They’re a personal memorialization of your day at the beach, that great time at Field Day, the Net you joined, and the thing you wave at your family to prove “See! I told you I worked Capetown!”

My logbook is definitely the latter.

Jarret Green KB0ICT wrote HAMRS for all of us. It’s one of several computer logbooks I like. It’s cross-platform, works on Mobile, beautifully designed and free. Donations are encouraged.

https://hamrs.app

the most important prc-320 manpack accessory

During its service life, the RT/UK PRC-320 Manpack HF Transceiver deployed wherever the British Army was sent. That likely ran from frozen wilderness to scorching desert. So the radio was built to handle extremes (as well as live underwater for a time; but that’s another video) with stable operating ranges from -37ºC to +52ºC. This video short pays homage to the upper range.

Another in my occasional series of adventures with my old, heavy and extremely capable military radio.

PRC-320 HF MANPACK: BEACH OPS

Welcome to an occasional series of adventures with my old, heavy and extremely capable military radio: the RT/UK PRC-320 “Clansman” Manpack HF Transceiver, built for the British Army, and dating from sometime in the early 80’s.

This time, a visit—in warmer weather—to a nearby beach to test propagation and a new antenna, the Chameleon MPAS 2.0

The antenna is a complete system for deploying manpack verticals, wireline dipoles, inverted V and L shapes, and more. It’s super-configurable. What I love is the ability to mount the whip and whip extension together for an 18’ 2” vertical, which is then screwed into the Hybrid-Micro Matching Unit, and connected to a ground spike. The unit contains counterpoise and feed-line inputs, and the whole thing stands up in just a couple of minutes. No fuss outside of screwing the elements in place, and finding some earth that yields to the spike.

Kudos to Chameleon for the Ranger Green paint, lending notes of badassery to the proceedings. The system feels like a long-lost cousin with my Clansman.