New photos from Iraq

Jack_Crow

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Hi guys,
Gordon has posted some of my new photos on his site.

http://www.obscure-reference.com/hosted/RadioMike/index.html

Near the bottom are some photos of the new FM radio station. You might get some giggles. A screaming 250mW covers this base.

Like the photo of the bug net that also includes some laundy in front of the rack. Hey Im human too.

There is a large 'old lady' canvis shoping bag that I keep my kevlar in. That way I can transport it when we are required to have it handy but not put it on.
Between the vest and the helmet that bag must weigh 40lbs. Glad I don't have the plates. Been thinking of getting some Iraqi plates for it. Or asking the mechanics to cut me some armor plate and torch smooth the edges. Bet that would look bad in an airport xray.

There are also photos of my DVD player. Ive rigged it up over my bunk so I can lay on my back and watch tv just by looking up. It's a good trick.

There are also some photos of an Up Armor Humvee that took a direct hit from an IED. Nobody was killed. Their ears rang from the blast.

Note the holes blown into the armor plate. Yet no penitratons into the cabin.

That's a tough bird.

There is a photo of a rack of M16's and the battery charger for the new MP radios. Also you will see photos of the office where I programed up the radios. With the help of guys on another board I was able to get the base station to work with the radios. I now have a very happy MP high level sargent who thinks I 'walk on water'. Fortunatly that's not a problem here. Standing water can't last long with day time temps near 120 degrees. It's not a bad heat, just dececptive. You can dry out very quickly here.

Near that is one of my 'ham radios' (Ham radio in Islam, I love it!) and what they tell me is a 'lost' 50 cal round. Another trooper said it was a 25mm round. I don't carry around coins anymore, so this was the best size comparison I can give you. I know the Spanish armored cars (the 6x6's you see up the page)have a main gun of 25mm. It might be one of theirs.

The MP's also have a surpressed Beretta that I want to get a photo of. They use it for 'quiet' things around the base.

We have a new 'vector control' dude. This guy traps the dogs, kills the mice, and wipes out the bugs. I asked him to look into the fly situation in the dining hall.

The radio station is a good hook for geting favors done. I offer to play his music, and he agrees to my request. You can take the New Yorker out of New York, but you can't stop me from making 'three corner deals'.

We also had an issue with the Chaplin's office. Our new Chaplin is a cool dude. Major Frazer. He wanted a data drop and a telephone in his chappel. Couldent do it. The run was too far for data, and the trench would cut KBR's power wires.

We figured out another way. There is an Internet Cafe. On that we are going to put a 'wireless' port that will cover the base. That will take care of the data drop.

Im also working with the base S6 (Commo LT) to free up an FRS radio channel and code plug. This will will be on a 'wink and nod' approval from command. This channel and code plug will be for the exclusive use of the chaplin's office. That way any trooper can reach the chaplin in the event of an emergency can do so. Im thinking of the various last rights kind of thing. Not for 'do you have soda in the fridg' kind of stuff. Most anything else can wait till a runner finds him.

So, that's the news.
Got to hump stuff into our new conex before the heat get's too high.

Keep it warm
Jack Crow in Iraq
 

Jack_Crow

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R and S,

It's a little strange tonight. We have a heavy overcast and it feels as if it's too hot to rain. Day time temps were in the 115 to 120 range.

Guess muggy for Iraq is 10 or 15% humidity. Just enough to be unconfortable with.

Last night the air conditioner in the tent took a dive. Fortunatly today KBR was able to service the unit. Guess they like the radio station too.

Right now Ive got on Hot Tuna's "Burgers". Imagine that, 60's stars in the middle of the desert.

"Got a 38 special on a 45 frame
how can I miss when I got dead aim"

Or if Tipper Gore actually lisitned to the words to "Keep on Truckin Mamma" she would have flipped.

Later dudes
Mike
 

Greta

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[ QUOTE ]
Day time temps were in the 115 to 120 range.

Guess muggy for Iraq is 10 or 15% humidity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Welcome to my world in July and August... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif

Mike... keep it comin'! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 

MoonRise

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Messages
542
Location
NJ
I don't think that the "mystery 50" round is a 25mm round.

If the bullet diameter is about 1/2 inch (0.50 inch), then it's a 50 cal round of some sort. If the bullet diameter is about 1 inch, then it's a 25mm of some sort.

If you can measure and post some dimensions from the cartridge I may be able to figure out what round it is. Overall length, length of brass case, length to shoulder, length of the neck, diameter of the rim, diameter of the body, diameter of the shoulder, all that sort of stuff. Have a machinist or mechanic or armorer measure the round with calipers if possible.

Or if you can take a picture next to a 5.56 (M16 round) and especially a US .50 cal round, I may be able to take a good guess as to the round. Right now I have an idea of what it might be, but the photo comparison or dimensions would really help. My guess right now is that the mystery round is from a Soviet machine gun, either a 12.7x108 or 14.5x114 Russian.

Quick way to tell if it is from the Spanish gun is just compare it to their rounds. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif Even if you just do a quick line tracing of -your- round and then compare it to -their- round to see if it's a match. But I really don't think it's a 25mm round.

Thanks for the pics Mike. If no one there really knows what the round is, you've peaked my curiosity. PM me if you want to take it off line.

Stay cool (as best you can), be safe.
 

kubolaw

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SF Bay Area
Thanks for the glimpse of life on the front lines. I admire your resourcefulness (fan-cooled Nomad is classic!). Stay safe, and if you have to travel anywhere, try to make it in one of those Humvees - tho that puncture hole through the armor plate is a very sobering image.

John
 

Jack_Crow

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Ms S, Moonrise, and Kub,
Thanks for taking the time to write.

Ms. S,
Rained like an SOB last night, wind, the whole bit. Now there is enough water on the ground for the bugs to hatch. The last thing Iraq needs is more bugs.

Moon,
I thought that NJ was the "peoples republic", nice to see a heavy gun fan there. If you go to the web site with the photos and scroll around, Gordon is trying to make his own 20mm cases for an antique AT rifle he has. Perhps you have the skill and information to be of assistance.

Next time I get to the MP's HQ I will try and photograph the round in detail next to something of a known size. Got a six inch steel ruler to bring along as well. Calipers? in this place. I have a bad time finding electronic fuses on the local ecnomey. Give me some time or a direct e mail address I can send the photos to.

Kub,
Scania life is like living in a cat litter. Parts are interesting and fun. A few moments of concern (kevlar time) and a lot of dead dull routine.

I have some very good people back home. Sandy sent me an electronics care package that included those mini fans. He also did an amazing job on the power amplifier and antenna for the radio station.
Try www.amrad.org dig the club call sign.

Matt W2MDR of Larkfield ARC sent me the exciter and MP3 player.

With some of the extra parts Sandy sent me I have to work up a 'command receiver' so that HQ can 'over ride' the music program and make live announcements if required.

I also have parts to make a 'battery back up' for the Nomad. That way if we get a power dump, the player keeps running during the outage. We make our own power here, so generators quit at times. The joy of the never ending field day.

Have a good one
Jack Crow in Iraq
 

MoonRise

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Re: the mystery "50"

Mike,

Hey, I only asked for a caliper reading, not a micrometer reading! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Some pics with the mystery round next to a US .50 cal round would be most helpful, stand them on the base so that any height differences are easier to see. If the 6inch ruler is there too, it wouldn't hurt. For a pretty good guess on the round, I'd just need to know the diameter of the bullet and the length of the brass case. More dimensions would let me be more sure of the answer.

If nobody has any calipers (the mechanics/machinists/armorers don't have calipers??), push the bullet into some clay/soap/etc and measure the diameter of the hole. Or push the bullet into something else stiff enough to hold the shape but soft enough to move out the the way without tearing/ripping too much.

PM is fine if you want to take it offline.
 

PhotonWrangler

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Thanks for the photos, Jack - I find them interesting as well as sobering.

That last photo appears to show the same model of HT that I have. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Jack_Crow

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PW
The VX-2R is a fairly tough little radio.
We use them within the ITT community for lots of little chores. After my hear here I have new radios for the wife and my self. Not too bad a deal.

We set up a lot of tv receivers here. AFN comes to us via something called 'hot bird'. The antennas and the receivers are never in the same place. So one on the roof, and one watching tv.

I used one the other day to track down someone doing something stupid on a squad channel. Troopers use the FRS radios for local comms. Well when some bonehead has to use one for PTT 'broadcasting music' an upscale sargent looked me up and we went for a walk. Scania is about the size of a good shopping mall back home. The signal stopped abruptly when we can in view of a guard tower. Nobody chewed out, the problem went away. That's the best answer for all isen't it.

Also when seting up the MP's new cop radios, I used it to monitor the channels to check if I was sending digital or analog.

Lately I have been using it to snoop on what's going on in the truck yard. All kinds of different CB sets in use here. AM US Spec, FM Euro Spec. Ive also discovered a broadcast station on 27.275. It was some french reporter, speaking in english about some formulia one race. So much strange stuf in this world.

Now that the Base radio station is 'offical' (the notice went up on the bathrooms and the mayors HQ) I use it to keep tabs on my staton. 105.9 FM Stereo Scania. Right now it's playing a live edition of "The entertainer by Billy Joel." Long Island boy makes good.

Yeah I have a lot of uses for this toy.
Try
http://www.obscure-reference.com/hosted/RadioMike/Apr18013.jpg
for a photo of the radio station it's self.

http://www.obscure-reference.com/hosted/RadioMike/Apr18002.jpg
This is the 'broadcast' antenna. It's a Ramsey unit that was built by Sandy of www.amrad.org That and about 250mW covers the base. Im real pleased with the results. When I get all the bits togther and working well, we will transfer the station to the top of the building behind the white trailer and own the landscape with one watt. Talk about QRP in action.

Have a good one.
Jack Crow in Iraq
 

PhotonWrangler

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Yeah, I like my VX-2R also. It's almost got dc-to-light receiver coverage! Like you I use it to listen to FM radio (and TV sound) when I'm not using it for ham stuff.

I'm also a Ramsey fan. I built one of their 100mw synthesized FM transmitters, and except for a little bit of power supply hum it works great. Supposedly this was fixed in a newer model, but I don't know if they chose a wall-wart with better filtering or whether they beefed up the DC filtering in the Tx itself.

Thanks again for the pics of the radio station. Stay safe and I hope you can get back home soon.
 

drchow

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Apr 9, 2004
Messages
73
Jack,

Very nice Motorola XTS radios....3500s I think? Are they VHF? UHF? 512mhz? trunked? Is there a repeater/base station for these XTS? Do they linkup with other units in the field?

I am curious, I bought a bunch of xts's from a out of business sale and haven't had a chance to hook these up to my trunked network.
 

14C

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Reno, Nevada
Jack....let me know what you think of the stuff you ordered if and when you get it. I have found a better replacement for the Mag bulb. Better than the EverLED so far.
 

Jack_Crow

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West Palm Beach FLA (for a while anyway)
DR,
Nope, these are 5000's and the base is a consolett Astro radio. We use six uhf simplex channels in a military preserve. That's about all I care to say. Operational security you know.

As for linking up, some medics here brought radios from another base. I can take those units and program them up to work on our channels. I am also trying to establish a "Medcom Base" with a spare base radio that came with the order. That way medcom can keep in touch with it's portables and the MP's don't have to deal with phones to the med unit. If required they can operate on each others channels by just rotating the knob.

No trunks here that I know about. Heck no cell phone service either.

This is Iraq, what exists outside the wall isen't always healthy for normal people.

Our LT is getting us plates for our body armor. That's a scarey thought. My pucker factor just went up 10db.

Keep it warm
Jack Crow in Iraq
 

Jack_Crow

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417
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West Palm Beach FLA (for a while anyway)
Hi,
As for the everled's Ive got two on order. Since the war heated up, mail has gone from once in a while to real rare.

Ive had boxes pilfered. Some got sent back empty to the senders. Can't pretend this is a good situation.

Some stuff has been 40 days in shipment if it gets here at all.

PM me with the particulars.
Hope all is well
Jack Crow in Iraq
 

BC0311

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May 31, 2003
Messages
2,488
Jack, thanks for the terrific photos. I thoroughly enjoyed them. Thanks for all your news and insight on the situation in Iraq. Watch your 6. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Britt
 

Unicorn

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Near Seattle, WA
[ QUOTE ]
Jack_Crow said:
DR,
Nope, these are 5000's and the base is a consolett Astro radio. We use six uhf simplex channels in a military preserve. That's about all I care to say. Operational security you know.

As for linking up, some medics here brought radios from another base. I can take those units and program them up to work on our channels. I am also trying to establish a "Medcom Base" with a spare base radio that came with the order. That way medcom can keep in touch with it's portables and the MP's don't have to deal with phones to the med unit. If required they can operate on each others channels by just rotating the knob.

No trunks here that I know about. Heck no cell phone service either.

This is Iraq, what exists outside the wall isen't always healthy for normal people.

Our LT is getting us plates for our body armor. That's a scarey thought. My pucker factor just went up 10db.

Keep it warm
Jack Crow in Iraq

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool. I wish you were here to give us an alternative to the Armed Forces radio. Ok, programming, but only four stations, and they can get repetative. I think our radios are asimilar, but I'm not a commo guy, so all I know is what's written on the case. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Don't worry too much about getting plates. It's probably just that there are now enough to go around. Took a while to get production up to meet the demand. And the increase in the number of bad guys with guns and missiles.
Sorry about the last, but I have a strange sense of humor. I understand your feelings, when we have to go to full "battle rattle" just to go outside, my pucker factor goes up a bit as well. But to be honest, I don't feel like I'm earning my combat patch or hostile fire pay.

Stay safe, and keep your head down when needed.

Made a mistake with one word, left out not. Where I'm at, I don't really feel like I'm earning the hostile fire pay and the combat patch.
 
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