GRC-122 TTY Shelter

Rescuing a GRC-122 Teletype Shelter from the scrappers at DRMO

Updated 23 May, 2010

GRC-122 TTY Shelter

Loading up at DRMO

Setting it in my truck...carefully. No Problems, fit like a glove.

Dual 3KW genset trailer loaded up and ready to go.

What the shelter looked like inside when I popped the lock.
Notice the three mast sets on the floor and the power cables and chair.

Back home, here is what it looks like. Yes, its still heavy after I pulled the masts and stuff out and got it down to about 1600 pounds or so. My truck is still lower in the back than the front.

Here is the inside after I cleaned it out, I now have the chair buckled down the the floor, notice the seat belt, they acctually accomodated running the radio and Teletypes from the truck power while they were driving. Man I would hate to be sitting there trying to do that while bumping around the AO.

Left side of shelter inside. Up top is the Power/ SWR meter/ Dummy load. Below in the corner near the door is the Gasoline fired heater...talk about scary right, and then next to that would have been the TT-76 or UG-74 Teletype / paper tape maker. The floor of the shelter is covered with Chads right now, yes just like Florida 2000.

This is the right side of the shelter. Up on the wall are two scematic diagrams, one for power distribution, the other for signal flow. Left of that are two hatches that lead to the outside that allow an Air condintioning trailer to duct air in and out. Below in the corner is the electric heater, which is moved to floor for use, and the empty spot next to it would have been the TT-98 Teletype.

This is the main radio, an HF 2-30 Mhz GRC-106, next to it would have been just the RT poertion on the bottom, without the power amplifier, leaving it unable to transmit, (it was used as an auxiakury reciever), on top ov that would have sat the modem, to convert the TTY signals for radio transmission.

This is one of two inverters, they are a motor that runs on 28v DC and creates 110v AC. This one is on the lower right, behind the field phone. They were used to run the TTY units when the shelter was only supplied with 28v DC.

This reel has the two power cables, 110v AC an 28v DC. It weighs about 80 LBS.

These are all the spares supplied with the rig. I have not oppened them up yet.

VIDEO - Tour the inside.

Update- 17 Feb 2010, I fabricated a power plug onto a pigtail and powered up the shelter. I went through everything but could not get the GRC-106 radio to power up. I checked the fuse and found it blown. I replaced it with the spare that is contained on the radio. That blew too. So...the radio has a short of some kind in it. I have a friend that knows about these old things that can help me work on it in a few weeks. So for now the door is locked and Im moving on to other projects.

Update- 1 March 2010, I was able to make a connection with a fellow that let me salvage cables out of a S-250 shelter that was a GRC-142 TTY rig that he is using for storage. I was able to get the cables I am missing for the front TTY and the right side TTY, but not the TT-76 that goes on the left. At least now I know what they look like so I can most likely strectch out whats left of that cable for the left TT-76 and make the connections.

Update-16 March 2010, I was able to locate the source of the short in the GRC-106 RT-834, it was a 40v 120MFD capacitor power filter shorting through to ground. I dissassembled the RT and traced it down, removed it and replaced it with the closest available capacitor made today, a 50v 100MFD.

I also just aquired a bunch of RTs and another amp. In testing, one RT-662 blows fuses and needs repair, one RT-834 powers up and recives fine, and the other RT-834 recives ok for a while but the RF and Audio drop off over time or when the freq is changed. That needs more looking into. The power Amp seems to be DOA. The Test Meter doesnt move on power up. Im looking into getting more help on that.

Update-18 March 2010, I moved the shelter from my f-150 to the generator trailer.

Update- 28 April, 2010, I picked up the teletypes TT-76 and TT-98 at the Tower Park meet. I have set them in place but not serviced them yet or hooked them up.

Here is inside the power input on the right side of the radio behind the power plug. I have the radio opened up with all the modules out and the front removed and hanging down. The bad capacitor that was shorted has a red arrow pointed at it.

This is the radio as I am putting the modules back in it.

This is one of the other RT-834 radios I aquired. Here Im testing it out and monitoring our collector net just to see how its performing.

Finally I got the shelter forklifted out of my truck and on to the former genset trailer. Notice that the fenders are missing from the trailer. There wasnt enough room between the wheel wells to fit the shelter so they had to come off.

Here is the shelter with rear stay cables added. Note I had to remove the jerry can rack to allow clearance for the left stay cable. It also shows that the fenders are back on the trailer.

Here I had to add a wood 4x4 block to prevent the shelter from sliding forward while on the road. I used the L beam that was inbetween the fenders for extra support as my brace for the block.

Here is the TT-76 I picked up, sitting where its supposed to go. This model is mounted on a table top mobile base with Phono plugs for external use. It doesnt fit the bolt holes of the spot where it sits. I'll have to figure this one out.

In this picture, I have mounted the TT-98 Teletype in the center rack where it is supposed to go. I have the cover off of it, sitting on the upper right side over top of the crypto dummy box.