VERY PROUDLY SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE

WV NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS MEMBER'S RADIO PROJECTS

This Month's Featured Project:  40 Meter QRP Rig 

Lee -  NNN0IOF, describes his project: " The 40 meter QRP receiver puts out about 3 watts, has a crystal receive filter, and was Manhattan-style from a schematic developed by K8IQY. It is called the 2N2-40 because it originally contained only 2N2222 transistors. At the top center you can see the 3 heat-sinked 2N2222's paralleled as the final RF amplifier being driven by the one heat sinked 2N2222 drive stage.  The rig has a plexiglass top as protection for the many times it was taken to a Show n'Tell."

Figure 1: Lee's 40M QRP 

MORE PROJECTS COMING SOON

Meanwhile...A little history: 

RADIOMAN: The Original U.S. Navy "Techies" 

Necessity is the Mother of Invention, (credit Victor Hugo) has been the US Navy Radioman's mantra as the consummate technical innovator for shipboard and land-based communication systems. The Navy Radioman is always knee deep in equipment that is vital to the success of the mission and whether at sea or on base, the radioman built and operated the radio stations used to communicate.  Long-haul communications are done in the HF bands and with the advent of packet radio, MARSGRAMS "traffic" are no longer primarily read word-for-word between stations.  Present day Navy-Marine Corp service members have degrees in Communications Engineering; specializing in Satellite Communications, use VOIP / HF integrated systems and other digital communications, which marry the computer and HF radio.  

Before digital communication systems, Navy MARS Stations were dotted across the globe on ships and bases on every continent, even Antarctica.  Now, with fewer active stations, and almost all shipboard communications using satellites, the Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) mission has changed to provide auxiliary and emergency communications.  Largely volunteer members now provide this service and proudly carry on this tradition.   

HISTORY OF US NAVY RADIOMAN RATINGS (Source: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq78-1.htm)

"During World War II, the Bureau of Naval Personnel and other commands charged with personnel administration found themselves dividing and subdividing existing ratings to reveal special skills. The Radioman (RM) rating, for example, split into Radioman (RM) and Radio Technician (RT); later some Radio Technicians were transferred to the newly established Radarman (RD) rating, and others to the new Sonarman (SO) rating. To the SO rating itself was later added SOH (Harbor Defense)."

Ratings Acronyms by Job Title for Radio Mate (see definition of "Mate" below)

RM - Radioman
RMN - Radioman (Radioman)
RMT - Radioman (Telegrapher)
RT - Radio Technician
RT(SR) - Radio Technician (Ship Repair)

('The term "Mate" comes from the French word matelot, meaning Sailor and the term has long been part of our sea language. At one time it was also the official title of a Navy rating. It goes back to the early days of the sea service, appearing first as Master's Mate.')