Posted on May 26, 2021
What "field expedient" or DIY solutions have you come up with that ended up being better than what the Service has in the inventory?
5.41K
22
10
6
6
0
Example: my personal experience with the "mantenna". about 40" of RG6 or 59 coax, strip out most of the shielding save for 4 inches near the radio and 10 at the end, connect the braid and core at the tip and tape it (end that doesn't connect to radio), slap a BNC/TNC connector on the other end and run it through your kit. I've had this simple antenna outshoot the short whip on the MBTR and the PRC-152 by a couple miles
Communications
DIY
Electronic Warfare (EW)
Signal
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
4
4
0
I'm a ham radio type and had a small HF rig and a portable vertical antenna (Ventenna hFP) that broke down into small sections. I found some sections missing out in the Sandbox. Turned out my crew was using it as a cleaning rod for Ma Deuce. Other than some scrapes, the antenna has worked fine ever since.
(4)
(0)
3
3
0
Ingredients:
RC-292 mast or a fairly bare tree
Slash wire
MRE spoons
D-Cell batteries (BA-???)
stakes (tent, carved wood, etc)
Wavelength formula
PRC-77
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/accp/ss0014/le1.htm
I have hit 3-8x the range of the best manpack systems with these field expedient versions! Our unit successfully setup comms with PRC-77s on Ft Lewis that spanned close to 40 miles!
NOTE: The D-Cell battery makes an excellent resistor. Using an awl or sharp knife, carefully "drill" a hole through the side casing near the cathode and another near the anode. Feed the steel and copper wires through the cathode hole and attach to itself. Feed another slash wire through the anode hole and attach to itself.
RC-292 mast or a fairly bare tree
Slash wire
MRE spoons
D-Cell batteries (BA-???)
stakes (tent, carved wood, etc)
Wavelength formula
PRC-77
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/accp/ss0014/le1.htm
I have hit 3-8x the range of the best manpack systems with these field expedient versions! Our unit successfully setup comms with PRC-77s on Ft Lewis that spanned close to 40 miles!
NOTE: The D-Cell battery makes an excellent resistor. Using an awl or sharp knife, carefully "drill" a hole through the side casing near the cathode and another near the anode. Feed the steel and copper wires through the cathode hole and attach to itself. Feed another slash wire through the anode hole and attach to itself.
GlobalSecurity.org is the leading source for reliable military news and military information, directed by John Pike
(3)
(0)
I can't recall specifics but, man, slapping on some duct tape and/or 550 on just about everything solved a lot of problems.
(2)
(0)
SSG Carlos Madden
Oh I have one that I'll never forget. Using 2x4's and PVC on the zillion dollar MRAP's so the antenna could fit under the street wires. They made this awesome machine to keep us safe and the only way we could drive it on missions was by adding some cheap plastic tubing, wood and some screws.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google