Emetteur Recepteur ITER PRC 368 1980 Saumur
English Translation
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PRC-638
The most common set of it's type to be brought home by U.S. troops is the PRC-638 Built in Italy by IRET. Basically their equivalent of our PRC-77, it would be deployed to perform the same roles. Though it is of high quality design, manufacture, and boast several advanced features over it's U.S. counterpart ( then 25 years old ). It is not as robustly built as the U.S. PRC-77, but far less complicated to operate and service than our PRC-119 ( which is by all accounts, "a nightmare" ). References do not list the PRC-638 as ever being used by the military in it's country of origin ( Italy ) in any quantity, from this we can deduce two things:
#1.) It was not the best design available.
#2.) It was most likely intended for the export market.
Most if not all examples of this radio coming here from the Gulf War, have all their panel markings in Arabic, one of only two radios known to be customised as such.
Virtually every account from the original owners of these sets said the same thing, " I picked it up out of a ditch, they just threw them there when they were running away ".
Below is a description of the set.
PRC-638 Non-US, Back-pack VHF, FM transceiver. The PRC-638 is built in Italy by IRET, and is intended to perform a similar role as the US PRC-77. It can be combined with various ancillary equipment to provide backpack, vehicular, or semi-fixed station operation. Features digital synthesis, with four rotary knob selection of frequency. Modular construction for easy field service by replacement of sub-assemblies. And an automatic antenna tuner operates in the receive mode with either 1 or 3 Meter whips. Ops 30-76mc in 25kc steps for a possible 1840 channels. RF power output is a selectable 4 Watts high ( optional 2 Watts ), or 100mw Low. Requires 11VDC ( 100ma max rec. ), 1.5amps ( trans High ), 400ma ( trans Low ) as supplied by nicad batteries or vehicular accessories. Size 202mmH x 140mmW x 80mD ( with 4Ahr battery ), 3.5kg ( with battery pack ). Known accessories include PAL-30 30 watt vehicular RF power amplifier ( VRQ-109 ), CU-14 vehicular antenna tuner, CV-3TA optional vehicular antenna tuner, 2.75 Meter vehicular antenna, PU-66 24VDC fixed station power supply, PU-64 12VDC fixed station power supply.
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