Jim and Memsahib:
I talked with a fellow on 6 meters FM yesterday. He is a military radio collector. I wish that you could have heard this conversation. He collects everything, and has about every military radio. He said that he stopped buying more a few years ago because the prices got too high. After 9-11 prices skyrocketed. He also said the AN/PRC-77 is one of the radios to stay away from. The blow out their finals too easily. The older AN/PRC-25 is much better. Also that the new AN/PRC-168 are superior [in reliability to the AN/PRC-77.] Also, he said to look at the SEM-35. This is the German equivalent of our PRC-25 but made a bit better. Also, he said the government is now purposely pulling parts out of the AN/PRC-75s and AN/PRC-77s before selling them as surplus that they so they won’t work.
OBTW, I went to the ham radio flea market at De Anza [College, in Northern California] on Saturday. I saw a AN/PRC-25. Way cool! It will work from 30Mhz to 70Mhz. I love the controls; very
positive. The guy wanted $350, with two Ni-Cd battery packs. – Fred The Valmet-meister