AN/TRC-97

The AN/TRC-97A Radio Set, or TRC-97, as it is fondly called, is a radio set that has 24 multiplex channels and 16 teletype channels connected to an analog radio. The radio set is a fixed line of sight radio that can transmit the 40 mile straight line of site anywhere from 1 watt, using a travelling wave tube amplifier, to 1 kilowatt, using a tunable klystron amplifier, at a frequency range of 4.4 to 5 gigahertz.

The TRC-97 can be connected to one of three mobile antennas, depending on the distance and signal strenth needed. One such antenna that can be used with the TRC-97 is the MRT-2 parabolic tropospheric antenna, which is designed to cover distances of up to 160km, or 96 miles. These antennas are transported on trailers and have to be manually erected every time they are used, so knowledge of mechanics as well as electronics was needed to erect and maintain that equipment.

The receiver of the TRC-97 can pick up very faint radio signals as low as -100 dBm. It uses zenor diodes, which utilise quantum mechanics theory, to amplify those very low signals. The signals from the two receivers are then sent to a comparator, where they are compared, combined, or used separately, if necessary.

The TRC-97 was initially made for the Marine Corpse to help them with their war efforts. It originally only had only 12 multiplex channels, but when the Air Force decided to use the fine piece of equipment, they added an additional 12 channels in another module called the baby mux, next to the cabinet that houses the klystron. Under the care of the Marines, the radio set was expected to live only three months, but when the Air Force took over that versatile radio set, they had been using it for more than 20 years in the 1980's.

The TRC-97 Radio Set is quite small, as radio sets go. It is housed in a van that is little more than 5'6", and is delicately loaded onto a M1028 pickup truck. A trailer hauling a twin set of parabolic antennas is usually pulled by the truck when it goes on its many maneuvers and deployments in support or the American defence system.

The humble frequency modulated radio set, fondly known as the TRC-97, would eventually be superseded by a more modern, less maintenance intensive, digital radio set called the AN/TRC-170. The TRC-97 should never be forgotten however, because it had superior design that enabled many an airman, soldier, or marien to complete his mission. The AN/TRC-97 radio set has proved its worth time after time, far exceeding its original three month life expectancy as predicted by the Marine Corpse.

There are several military organisations that have used the humble TRC-97. One such organisation was the 601st Tactical Control Wing, headquarted in Sembach Air Base, near Kaiserslatern, Germany, which has one of the largest concentrations of Americans outside of the United States. The 601st and 602nd Tactical Control Squardons fell under the 601st Tactical Control Wing, and military personnel assigned to those squadrons often went on deployment to various sites in Germany, thereby providing a show of force during the cold war.

The 602nd Tactical Control Squadron was located in Turkheim, Germany, which was a remote village in Bavaria. The nearest military intstallation was an Army installation in Nue Ulm, Germany. The 602nd Tactical Control Squadron closed its gates forever in 1985, when the United States agreed to minimise their military presence in Germany.

The 601st Tactical Control Squadron was located at Prum Air Station,in Prum, Germany, a quaint little town in Rheinland Phalz. The nearest military installation is Bitburg Air Base, in Bitburg, Germany.