Iltis comms- radio

[Marc Montgomery]

out of curiousity as evidenced by one of my doghouses, why would one radio be installed facing forward in the doghouse as per usual while another is mounted on top facing backward?

[Marc Montgomery]

ok, so noone knows why 2 radios would have been mounted one on top of the other but facing in opposite directions in the limited space in the back of the jeep

question 2-did the CF ever use the 30w ampllifier for the PRC-25 prc 77?

[Marc Montgomery]

Terry, my particular SFOR jeep was in Bosnia, apparently roto 13.when the RCDs were there, Dean Milner in command from what I know.

alas no tac signs found, just "9" on the fender as the only marking in spite of careful sanding of usual spots on bumpers etc.
86158 cfr

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally Posted by Marc Montgomery

ok, so noone knows why 2 radios would have been mounted one on top of the other but facing in opposite directions in the limited space in the back of the jeep

question 2-did the CF ever use the 30w ampllifier for the PRC-25 prc 77?

Extremely doubtful ref 30W amp in CF service.

I got one from Israel, but it's missing the CY-2577 battery box which apparently contains a cable required for final connection.

Love to try it out and compare to RT 524 for "punch".

[Marc Montgomery]

thanks Jon!
I was wondering about that possible configuration as <theoretically> it would give the same performance as 524 (which Im looking for)
but, no point really IF we can get more confirmation the CF didn't use that amp...

Im waiting to get in touch with BGen Milner to see if he remembers anything about his jeep at the time, or if he has any photos of it,, and what he remembers about his radio configuration...Of course he would have had plenty of other serious priorites at the time, and of couse since..but its worth trying.

still curious about the two radios mounted facing in opposite directions..any thoughts?

also Scotty says he can't remember a c-2299 being used with the Iltis even with two radios...?

[Scott Bentley]

Originally Posted by Stuart Fedak

Ref A: C-53-442-000/ME-000 Installation Instruction Electronics Equipment
RADIO SET AN/VRC-46 OR AN/GRC-160 IN TRUCK UTILITY, LIGHT 4 X 4, MILITARY DESIGN ILTIS CANADIAN, BASIC, ECC 121501. 1985-08-06 Ch 1 1993-02-25.

This installation instruction covers the installation of one, two or three transceivers in the Bombardier Iltis. It demonstrates several combinations of transceivers such as RT-524; PRC-77 (plus AM-2060); PRC-66B and PRC-515 (HF radio).

The stores lists (Ref A page 2-4) lists nsn 5820-00-892-3340 Control, Radio Set, C-2299/VRC. The section 2 Second Radio Set, demonstrates the installation of the C-2299 control, and the connection between the two MT-1029 mounts using two CX-4723/VRC cables. The C-2299 is mounted on the top of the second doghouse (NSN 5820-21-897-0351 Base, Assembly ,MTG).

Figure 3-2-11 (sheet 1 of 2) Page 3-2-16 shows a photograph of the C-2299 and the cabling. (note the figure is incorrectly labelled as (sheet 1 of 2 Control C-2298 and cabling). Figure 3-2-11 "(Sheet 2 of 2) page 3-2-17 lists "Route the two cables CX-4723 from behind the mounting bases and connect their free ends to C-2299 control as follows:
CX-4723/VRC, 3 ft to J702
CX-4723/VRC, 5 ft to J701."

Cheers!
Stuart

Originally Posted by Marc Montgomery

Im waiting to get in touch with BGen Milner to see if he remembers anything about his jeep at the time, or if he has any photos of it,, and what he remembers about his radio configuration...Of course he would have had plenty of other serious priorites at the time, and of couse since..but its worth trying.

also Scotty says he can't remember a c-2299 being used with the Iltis even with two radios...?

Stuart,
All I ever saw was the two Handsets clipped to the Roll Cage. Each was marked with a piece of tape and black marker to indicate the Net it was for. Not sexy, but that was reality. Still better than the 77 Set with the 10' Sectional Antenna sticking out the Door like the Reserve Units. According to that CFTO you posted, the C-2299 was pretty conveniently mounted on top of the Dog House (insert sarcasm) in the boot of the Iltis. So, on the Dual Installation Iltis' I used over the years, they (2299) may have actually been there, but we most likely just bypassed them by plugging directly into the face of Sets. Especially since rarely if ever was someone sitting in the back seat to switch between A and B for you. My Job was never Signals, but using Comms stuff was an everyday part of it. If things worked fine, I seldom remember the details. Turning metal Coat Hangers into "Clippy Things" on the Roll Cage for the 2 Handsets in the Iltis was something I vividly remember doing, using a C-2299 in an Iltis isn't registering, but according to that CFTO clearly i'm wrong. Anyway, maybe its "Aluminum Pot Syndrome" setting in finally....

Mont,
I'll be curious to see what BGen Milner (Sir to me ) remembers about the TCCCS/IRIS installs in his Iltis. Mind you from what Terry Warner pointed out, he most likely used a LAV III or an SUV. Thinking harder back to my SFOR days thats making more sense. The OC's generally used a version of what ever their minions were driving, ie our OC (Engr Sqn) had a Bison, and i'm pretty sure the Recce Sqn OC had a Cougar, and FP Coy OC a Grizzly/Bison. Working the Zgon Gate from time to time in 1998, most of the Iltis I saw were being used by LO's, Monitors, etc. Our Sergeant Major also had one, but spent most of his time in the OC's Bison. When you're arriving to a negotiation about handing over weapons or giving back land etc etc, i'm sure 9'er would have preferred arriving in a LAV just for the psychological effect that a 25mm Cannon gives you over say, an Iltis. Without a Tac Sign to go with it, that "9" on your Iltis could have easily been left on there from one of the many Units it served with prior to Bosnia:

VMO History for CFR Number : 86158
VMO Type Pending To ECC To AC To HUIC To DA UIC
DLE22449 - 19-Sep-05 REGULAR No 121501 MB 1941 1941
DLE26610 - 14-Jun-04 REGULAR No 121501 MD 1941 1941
DLE25103 - 01-Mar-04 REGULAR No 121501 EV 1941 1941
DLE25041 - 19-Feb-04 REGULAR No 121501 ET 3153 3153
DLE20811 - 13-Mar-03 REGULAR No 121501 ET 3153 3153
DLE20148 - 24-Jan-03 REGULAR No 121501 EW 3162 3162
DLE29439 - 20-Nov-02 REGULAR No 121501 EW 1941 1941
DLE28022 - 22-Aug-02 REGULAR No 121501 AS 0114 0114
DLE27527 - 09-Jul-02 REGULAR No 121501 AX 1941 1941
DLE28578 - 10-Sep-00 REGULAR No 121501 HX 0127 0127
DLE28922 - 31-Jan-98 N1368 No 121501 HX 0127 0127
DLE28108 - 08-Oct-97 N1368 No 121501 HX 3537 3537
DLE24124 - 30-Aug-96 REGUL No 121501 HX 0109 0109
DP356102 - 20-Sep-92 REGUL No 121501 AX 2481 2481
DP354432 - 29-Apr-92 REGUL No 121501 AS 0122 0122
DP353653 - 22-Nov-89 REGUL No 121501 AX 2481 2481
DP359973 - 04-Apr-89 UPDAT No 121501 AS 1732 1732
DP355138 - 29-May-88 REGUL No 121501 AZ 1941 1941
DP355047 - 20-May-88 CANCE No 121501 HX 1941 1941
DP354477 - 08-Apr-88 REGUL No 121501 AX 2477 2477
DP352737 - 19-Nov-87 REGUL No 121501 HX 1941 1941
F86-121 - 27-Mar-86 UPDAT No 121501 CX 0105 0105

[Marc Montgomery]

My Iltis had (has) a small wooden block tie-wrapped to the roll bar, with two little eyehooks screwed into it....perhaps to hold the "two" handsets?

well, I guess I'll have to ask Gen Milner about what he used...and "if" he remembers anything about comms setup..which- as I said given his responsiblities-is not assured.. As Scotty noted, even though he himself was using the stuff everyday, he wasn't payiing real attention to the setup,...which is fully understandable.

Wow..lotsa numbers Scotty...any idea what it all means?