Modern SF Commo
 

Folks, I understand that the "XMTR in a cigar box" and the RS-1 are no longer standard equipment. Y'all pick my feeble mind for info but I would also like to learn something about the present day digital commo in use today.

Thirty years I said that in the future SF would carry hand-held radios which communicated via sattelite and could communicate directly to the SFOB and higher. Apparently those days are upon us. How about some of you current 18Es contributing??

Please excuse my intrusion to this forum.

I can't comment about the devices currently in use, but I can speculate about where I think they are going. I think 4G technology will be used extensively within 18 months.

The devices/networks will support the convergence of 3G and 4G technologies.

http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/16/
http://www.80216news.com/

Just my .02

Can you dumb this down for me? How could I use this technology in operational areas such as Afghanistan, Iraq, the Sahel region of Africa or in potential countries that are hostile and denied areas?

Until the infrastructure is in place you can't. Even after the infrastructure is in place you'd have to consider the technology suspect/unreliable in an operational area, that is, if it survives any air strikes involved. But take it one step further and put satellites in the mix for data transmission, which has been used on the civilian side already with limited success/reliability, and it's a whole new ballgame, and this is probably a good place for me to stop.

A note about OPSEC here: So far everything stated is available from multiple public sources.

With satellites it isn't a bad idea, but you'll always have PACE to bear in mind.

As for today's stuff? I don't know what I could say about the HF side. Open source info is a bit vague (or was a few months ago when I looked for it) and rightfully so. Satellite has changed some in the last decade, but the differences are in software and capabilities, not hardware. By that I mean the size/ weight has decreased little; the capabilites are night and day however.

I'm sure there's better stuff out there, but the best piece of gear I made commo with was a VDC-400, www.viasat.com. I liked the ability to send any file, anywhere over any secure means at my disposal.

We need a good science fiction writer here.

That's about the extent of my limited experiences, too. You should have seen the face of the Commo NCO at the Base Station when he realized the capabilities of what I was asking when I asked for dedicated ftp server space to upload files that could be useful without breaching OPSEC during Sage. He had never thought of it and I gather it had never been asked for.

Some of the things presently used were Sci Fi in my day.:D

True. ;)
I wouldn't call it limited success. Works damn well :D

Just to add: Smart Antennas are also coming of age:
link

Two quick notes:
1) 7th Grp has a "Battlestar Galactica" C4I set up for their FOB. This was 5 or so years ago so I'd think it is standard to an extent: multiple widescreens and projection screens with all of the necessary data for an OPCEN to do their jobs. Neat stuff....

2) At JRTC in 98 I used two AOL accounts to traffic from the FOB to an ODB for two days (Damn you, OC's!:) ). Our SOCA was broke so I improvised. I recived a 1 for initiative and a 5 for judgement, but it caused everyone to rethink our PACE and equipment. We were better prepared the next time as a result.

AN/PRC-117F
 

http://www.rfcomm.harris.com/product...ommunications/


This link will cover the AN/PRC-117F.

BMT

AN/PRC-148
 

http://www2.racalcomm.com/details.asp?item_id=1

This link is for the AN/PRC-148.

BMT

Thanks BMT and Y'all. Noe I'm starting to get some current info.

BTW: Anyone know where I get an AN/GRC-26D or GRC-41 cheap? I figure I can install the set in my backyard and hook up to commercial power. Then add A/C a cot and my pooter. Then I'll have someplace to go when I'm en la casa del pero!:D

Most Teams are using the AN/PSC 5D


http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache...n+psc+5d&hl=en

Some teams have the 117 but those are special...................


Personally I will take the 117 any day and twice on sunday!!!!!!!!!!!

Just out of curiosity, why don't all the teams have them? Do all the teams want them, or are they more comfortable with what they have?