Non Tactical Portables

Non Tactical Portables
There have been a number of non-tactical portables used over the years. For the most part, these have been commercially available units ( i.e. Motorola, Comco, Repco, Bendix, etc. ) provisioned by the services for use all over the globe, and operating generally in the NBFM mode within some part of or all of one of the following bands...30-50 MHz, or 132-174 MHz, or 406-470 MHz. Additional numbers known to fall in this category are the PRC-23, 24, 29, 39, 46, 55, 56, 58, 59, 61, 97, 101, and 129. Unfortunately, except for the PRC-127, information on this class of portables is sometimes scarce. Some facts have recently come to light, however, and the chart will be updated in due time.

AN/PRC-126
AN/PRC-126		 The Scope Shield program ( AF run tri-service ) is an exception. The second effort at providing a radio that would be interoperable with standard commercial frequencies made use of the AN/PRC-126 but changed the circuitry so that either 30-88 or 130-174 MHz could be covered by exchanging modules. This unit is the AN/PRC-128, and is an outgrowth of the early Scope Shield efforts with the PRC-68B( V ) low band ( the Marines also bought this one for tactical purposes )( 10 channels programmable with independent Tx and Rx frequencies if required, 2.5 kHz steps, NB or WB as required ) and PRC-68B( V )2 high band separate radios. ( The PRC-136 fire rescue set appears to be another derivative of the PRC-68/126 programs. )

The Scope Shield II Program then developed the AN/PRC-139 with Racal. This radio can cover all three bands with module exchange, VHF low, VHF high, and UHF, all NBFM.
Chart 6
 

RT-209 PRC-21

RT-? PRC-37

RT-1594 PRC-127,A

RT-359 PRC-33

RT-507 PRC-40

RT-???? PRC-73

RT-918 PRC-91,A

RT-???? PRC-94

RT-? PRC-136

RT-?/PRC-128

RT-???? PRC-139

Frequency Range

152-174

144-174

136-160

30-42

132-152

132-174

132-150.8

  

130-174

30-88 or 130-174

30/136/403

Modulation

FM

FM

FM

FM

FM

FM

FM

  

FM

FM

FM

Channel Spacing

50 kHz

  

25/50 kHz

50 kHz

50 kHz

        

12.5 kHz

  

# Channels

1

  

28

  

1

        

10

14

Frequency Control

XTAL

  

SYN

XTAL

XTAL

XTAL

    

SYN

SYN

SYN

Tx Power

150 mW

  

3

750mW

0.7 W

1.5 W

        

0.5/2 W

Rx Sensitivity

2 uV

  

.25

0.5 uV

4 uV

            

Handset

H-33

  

int

  

mike

        

int

int

Antenna

AT-486

  

5.5" helical

AT-693

whip

  

Collapsible

    

whip

  

Power Source

BA-358

6/12 V

NICAD

  

301144
17 V

25 V

14 V

  

BB-588
BA-5588 13 V

same as PRC-126
13 V

  

Mfr.

Motorola

  

Bendix/Relm

Indus Rad

  

Repco

Motorola

Comco

Magnavox

Magnavox

Racal

Year

1955

  

1996

1955

1962

      

1994

1987

199?

Manual

11-610 +
11-4073

  

5820-1048-24&P

93651

95681
93339

        

TO31R2-4-810-1,3

  

NSN 5820-00-

536-3320

        

987-4705

889-7556
922-2858

137-8424

      

NSN-5820-01-

                

390-9438

288-0626

369-6046

Other

Army, All Tubes, VRC-19 was the vehicular end of this MP system.

All Solid State, Air Force also

Army

Navy, also for CD, all tubes

136.56 or 150.9, AX model all solid state, 142 MHz

  

Marines

  

CFRCS, (Fire Rescue), OG-196/PRC Veh Mt, Amp, Pwr Sup

Scope Shield, PRC-126 case, OF-185/PRC Vehicular Mount, Power Supply, and Amplifier, change modules to change band.

Scope Shield II, icom, data ready, AF run program, module exchange to change band

Replaces

  

PRC-21

PRC-37?

?

PRC-33?

PRC-40

PRC-73

PRC-91

PRC-94

PRC-68B(V), (V)2

PRC-128

Replaced By

PRC-37

PRC-127?

current

PRC-40?

PRC-73

PRC-91

PRC-94

PRC-136

current

PRC-139

Current

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