Early 151 radio antenna

1959 - 1978, M151, M151A1, M151A2, Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the M151.
Tim 17
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Early 151 radio antenna

Post by Tim 17 » Sat Nov 20, 2004 9:59 pm

Hi all,
I am tring to find out if someone has a clear picture or can refer me to a book with a picture of were the antenna mounted inside the early 151's.
I'm not even sure if they came from the factory with the antenna or if it was a field modification.
Thanks, Tim


muttman

m151 antenna

Post by muttman » Sun Nov 21, 2004 8:17 am

Hi Tim..try this site..Buzz had many pics of radio related stuff.... http://webs.lanset.com/buzz/index.html

Tim 17
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Early 151 antenna

Post by Tim 17 » Sun Nov 21, 2004 11:05 am

Hi all,
Thanks muttman. That is a great site. I will go back often.
Tim

jamie
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Post by jamie » Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:31 am

Tim,
I sent you an email with some pics attached. Has an early M151 with the earlier style antenna bracket an AB15 base on it.

-Jamie
63 M151

Zeppo

Looking for a "Box" type Matching unit perhaps?

Post by Zeppo » Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:31 pm

In the 1960s through early 1970s, most M151 jeeps carried the "box" type matching units for use with the FM AN/VRC-12 series radios. Forgot the ID number but I've got of three of those mataching out in the garage under workbench. Somebody said that they are now hard to find? See if I can rustle up a picture someplace of 1960s M151s with radio antenna mounts. It's an interesting subject.

If you catch the old John Wayne "Green Beret" movie circa 1965, there are various scenes showing M151 jeeps zipping around with the box mount antenna setups. Some very clear shots to freeze frame on a DVD player.

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Kurt Lesser
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matching units

Post by Kurt Lesser » Sun Dec 12, 2004 7:33 am

Zeppo,

The lder matching units are indeed harder to find now and were a better unit because they had gold contacts inside that didn't tend to corrode. The newer round matching units work well when they work but have problems cracking and there is a diode across the stepper soelnoid that shorts the unit out occasionally. Don't let this scare you though. If yours works it'll probably keep working. Don't pressure wash it and make sure the collar on the manual frequency knobs shaft isn't broken. You can tell if it is by the slop in the shaft. The manual knob was the best change in the newer units. Both are correct for a Viet Nam era 151.
Kurt Lesser
US Navy, 1969-1975
M996A1 Ambulance w/M101A3 Trailer
M274A2 Mule
M151A1 Mutt w/M416B1 Trailer
M890 Crew cab

Glen the Rotorhead
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Box Base Antenna

Post by Glen the Rotorhead » Sun Dec 12, 2004 2:46 pm

Here is a link to a box base antenna in Vietnam

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-5/2 ... aMount.jpg
Glen the Rotorhead
1968 M151A1 "C Biscuit"
A Trp 1/9 Cav "Headhunters", Feb 69 - Sep 70

Thank God you can call & complain about the .50 on my jeep. And thank people like me that the policeman on the other end isn't speaking Russian or Chinese.

Zeppo

The box shaped antenna matching unit is an MX 2799 VRC

Post by Zeppo » Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:19 pm

Went out to the garage and hauled one inside. It's 18 degrees Farenheit outside tonight and probably not much warmer in the unheated space. That matching unit is cold as ice! The palte on the bottom shows it to be a MX 2799 VRC .

Heard the story that as these antenna matching units were being phased out in the 1970s, that there was a one for one swap for the newer units. Most of the box mount antenna matching units did not survive as they were scrapped out due to high content of GOLD inside. Gold during the 1970s at one point was up to over $700 an ounce before it took a nose dive. The MX 2799 VRC antenna base units seem to have fell victim to the precious metals hysteria.

Have three of these MX 2799 VRC units with two of them Tobyhanna Army Depot rebuilds. The box antenna matching units were last used on the M880 Dodge trucks.

Wanted these MX 2799 VRCs figuring that one day I'd get an early 1960s vintage M151 jeep where such a thing would be correct.


Image

Zeppo

Pix - M151 jeep w/ Box Antenna Mount - re: Glen's Link

Post by Zeppo » Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:35 pm

Photo below from Glen's link posting above shows M151A1 jeep with MX 2799 VRC antenna box mount matching unit base. This is the antenna mount for M151 jeeps and other vehicles used during most of the Vietnam War period with AN/VRC-12 FM radio systems. That consists of the RT-524 with R-442. Also used with the RT-246 command radio having the push buttom tuning. The jeep in the photo appears to have only the single MX 2799 VRC antenna setup which would indicate that probably a single RT-524 FM radio is onboard.



Image

Glen the Rotorhead
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Thanks

Post by Glen the Rotorhead » Wed Dec 15, 2004 3:29 am

Thanks for posting the picture Zeppo - gotta learn to do that someday. I have this indentical installation on my '68. Mine is a '64 contract but I figure close enough. I have it hooked up to a single RT524, which is the way I recall our vehicles being set up. We mostly talked air to ground. If anybody wants some closeup photos let me know.
Glen the Rotorhead
1968 M151A1 "C Biscuit"
A Trp 1/9 Cav "Headhunters", Feb 69 - Sep 70

Thank God you can call & complain about the .50 on my jeep. And thank people like me that the policeman on the other end isn't speaking Russian or Chinese.

Zeppo

Have had NO luck in finding the antenna mast!

Post by Zeppo » Wed Dec 15, 2004 1:56 pm

Have most all of the other junk that fits in with an AN/VRC-12 radio system of various periods except for the antenna mast for the MX 2799 VRC box base matching unit. The female screw thread is wider than the other later editions of whip antenna bases including the SINGCARs which almost fit.

Recall going to an MV meet at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds a few years ago and I guy entered his Vietnam War era M151A1 radio jeep for judging. This vehicle was covered in radio equipment. Looked like a cartoon version military radio deal.

Trouble was, this character had the WRONG antenna later type matching units on the vehicle and was gigged big time by the judges being disqualified. Was surprised that these people apparently knew they're stuff. That day I happen to have bought the only two like new MX 2799 VRC boc monuts on the field for something like twenty bucks each. The radio jeep guy tracked me down and was begging me to sell the two MX 2799 VRC antenna mounts to him. He offered a hundred bucks each but I was in one of usual contrary moods and refused to sell. Told him that before "restoring" a thing for a certain historic period and entering it to be judged, he should have done better research work with the correct parts in place. Too bad that his efforts turned out to be a chaotic clusterfarg.

Your M151 is probably the only correct radio antenna equipped Vietnam war era jeep known. Who else has a correct MX 2799 VRC box mount with antenna hooked up to their RT-524? Excellent work!

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Thanks

Post by Glen the Rotorhead » Thu Dec 16, 2004 4:37 am

Thanks Zeppo, I appreciate the compliment.

I have spent a lot of time and effort trying to make my 151 "right", although my wife is puzzled why I take things off and replace them with "identical" parts. They are all green boxes to her. But I now have a 1968 A1 with a 1967 RT524 (working) on a 1968 M1029 attached to the correct sub mount (really a pain to find) all connected to a 1964 box base antenna. I even have a 1969 handset. My only concessions are recent NOS cables, which I would like to replace with 60's vintage if I can find usable ones, and a two piece whip antenna with an unmodified tiedown. All the antennas I saw in VN were the multi-piece "stiff" kind. But at least my antenna is molded in OD and it fits in the garage.

I have had knowledgable people comment that I don't have the ball on the end of my antenna. I reply that when this vehicle was in service, nobody cared if you put your eye out by walking into the antenna tip, just so long as you didn't damage the antenna in the process!
Glen the Rotorhead
1968 M151A1 "C Biscuit"
A Trp 1/9 Cav "Headhunters", Feb 69 - Sep 70

Thank God you can call & complain about the .50 on my jeep. And thank people like me that the policeman on the other end isn't speaking Russian or Chinese.

Zeppo

Correct Vietnam War era radio gear

Post by Zeppo » Thu Dec 16, 2004 11:08 am

Had an M151 Jeep all rigged up for VRC-49 repeater setup with dual FM antennas using the two MX-6707 matching unit bases. Stored the jeep with the antenna masts mounted and tied down. Found upon entering the garageo ne day, which was in another building, that one of the plastic MX-6707 bases had ruptured and simply broken in two causing the antenna to launch like a catapult. The plaster ceiling was damaged and the car next to the jeep had a side window wiped out as the antenna whipped around. Have some photos of the debacle someplace and saved the antenna base as proof. Thank God nobody was near that antenna when it shattered. Somebody may have been killed!

Doubt if that would happen with one of the metal box mount bases which are far superior quality.

Have some of the 1960s vintage cables that go with the earlier mount. They seem to be of lighter grade than later versions. Will look around and see what might be here. Had boxes filled with radio cables, hand sets, head sets, mounts, bottom plates etc. etc. Need to sort out the stuff.

Glen the Rotorhead
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Thanks

Post by Glen the Rotorhead » Thu Dec 16, 2004 11:13 am

Thanks Zeppo, any help would be appreciated on cables. I think that most of them that old have been tossed.

Also, I have a hard time picturin this antenna base shattering. The sucker is all metal and really solid. I do get concerned about the antenna spring taking a permanent bend, but the nice thing about the base is you can position it to all 4 compass points to allow bending the spring back in another direction.
Glen the Rotorhead
1968 M151A1 "C Biscuit"
A Trp 1/9 Cav "Headhunters", Feb 69 - Sep 70

Thank God you can call & complain about the .50 on my jeep. And thank people like me that the policeman on the other end isn't speaking Russian or Chinese.

doctordirt
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Matching Units

Post by doctordirt » Fri Dec 17, 2004 7:31 am

Just my 2 cents.

Both types of matching units were in use in Vietnam. See the website below for many pictures of radio jeeps.

See the Vietnam Guntrucks website for more pictures of both types installed in jeeps.

My own (1969) photos show the jeep I am driving is equipped with the MX6707 matching unit.



http://www.geocities.com/militarypolice ... page6.html


Again, just my 2 cents.
Doc
1942 Ford GPW
1944 Willys MB Litter carrier
1944 Willys MB-SOLD
1942 Bantam Trailer
1945 Bantam Trailer-SOLD
1946 CJ-2A-SOLD
1964 M151A1-SOLD
1967 M416 Trailer
1972 M151A2
1986 M1008-SOLD
1952 M43 Ambulance-SOLD
Amateur radio callsign - WW2DOC
COL, USA, RET


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