Repair a PRC-6/6 (German Version)

I got from eBay a PRC-6/6 (Banana) Military Squad Radio. It was build in October 1961. The PRC-6 (the U.S. Korea and Vietnam radio) you can get often by eBay, but the german one I saw not so often. So I bought it for 50 €. The seller wrote, that he can’t test it, so he sell it broken.

The first what you need is a battery for it. Normally you must have a BA-270/U. But you can’t buy it any more. So I mus build this by my self.

This battery specification can be downloaded from the website:
http://mil-spec.tpub.com/MIL-B/MIL-B-18-75D/MIL-B-18-75D00001.htm

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I made one out of plastic. I heated it and bent it to the dimensions from the specification.

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The socket is a 7 pin octal tube socket.
The battery has +90V, +45V, Minus (for 90+45V), -4.5V and +1.5V. See the the specification. Installed are 10x 9V battery block, 1x 1.5V mono cell and 3x 1.5V mignon cell.  I pay for all battery 8 € by pollin.

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It fits 100% in the Radio.

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After that I can try the first time the radio out, and it was broken. I Checked all tubes (measuring the header) and I saw that 2 tubes are broken. I ordered a near complete set of new tubes (NOS) from a German dealer for 12 €. After that I solve a contact problem by the channel switch and the radio works 🙂

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The crystals are from my craft crate.

The frequencies are in the moment:

1: 45.900 MHz
2: 49.130 MHz
3: 49.180 MHz
4. 51.980 MHz
5: 53.490 MHz
6: 54.900 MHz

The crystals can you calculate with: Frequency – 11.38 MHz = crystal frequency.
But I look for crystals in the 6m band. From 38.62 MHz to 39.62 MHz.

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After you installed a crystal, you must set up the frequency with that scale. You must use the four socket head cap screw.

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The original handbook I bought for 16€ brand new and unused.

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The German caption.

So my price for a working PRC-6/6 was app. 90 € with battery and handbook. Maybe a little bit too expensive, but the antique heart that does not matter 🙂

 

17 thoughts on “Repair a PRC-6/6 (German Version)

  1. Hallo,my name is Cees and am very interested in WO 2 transceivers .
    I enjoyed your information lessons of the 6/6 transceiver
    This moment I try to repair a PCR 6/6 which is completely different from the PCR6 which manual i found on the internet .
    The transmit mode of the 6/6 is ok but no reception at all
    Is t possible to mail me a copy of the realignment procedure and copy of the 6/6 electrical schema .

    i will be very gratefull
    thanks
    Cees

      • Hello Donald,

        Please can I ask you the courtesy to have a copy of the same 11MB file with the documentation of the PRC6/6 ?
        I’m trying to help a friend 85 years old fixing it.
        Thanks in advance for your invaluable help.

        73s, Pino IK2HEW

  2. Herr Schwab,

    I found an eBay seller with PRC-6/6 crystals in the six meter band. He currently has frequencies we use in the U.S. with military radios: 50.955, 51.08 and 51.62, also 50.38 if you wanted to whisper to someone with an AM rig. Perhaps these could be pulled closer to 51.0, 51.6, and 50.4. Here is the link:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/302022680690

    Thanks for your video showing how to tune the rig, I enjoyed watching it.

  3. Hello,
    I am also looking for the 6/6 schematic. I don’t have the radio, but I have a kit of tubes and I was curious to see the circuit solutions adopted.
    Could you please forward the schematics?
    Many thanks,
    Roberto

      • Unfortunately both links point to the prc6, non the prc6/6. Everywhere I look, I find the older prc6 docs.
        I wrote you because I saw the previous reply to Cees…
        Thank you
        Roberto IW3IPD

        • Hi Roberto,
          yes its hard to find this manual from the German version. That’s the reason I buy it for a lot of money on Ebay.
          It have near 60 sides. Maybe I can copy it, if you have time enough.

          • If you haven’t already a pdf, please don’t spend your time for this. It’s not so important, I don’t have a radio to repair.
            I’ll keep on searching…
            Thank you!
            Roberto IW3IPD

          • Herr Schwab,

            Here in the USA, if we have something on paper and want to make a .pdf of it, we go to the Xerox copy store, and it only takes a short time to do automatically with their copy machine, which has an automatic feeder.

            Do you know what the crystal specification is? I would like to have some made for 50.4, 51.0, and 51.6 from this website:

            http://www.krystaly.cz/en/

            Here, our bandplan says 50.4 is all mode, 51.0 is how most “surplus” radios used to come from the military, and 51.6 is said to be used by people with higher power vehicle radios like the RT-524.

  4. I have 2 still in the box we’ll I opened one
    RT-196/PRC-6 radio receivers
    US army from Vietnam I need batteries for them can u help me can you build them for me

  5. Hi there,
    I have bought a PRC-6/6 and I have enjoyed reading about your PRC-6/6. I was wondering where you purchased your manual for the radio, as I would really like a manual for mine. If you could assist, I woukd really appreciate it.
    Thank you,
    Stephen.

  6. Buonasera DC2WK. Mi chiamo Salvatore Riso sto cercando di riparare 3 PRC 6/6 (la versione tedesca) e nella mia ricerca del manuale mi sono imbattuto nel suo blog che descrive la riparazione del suo apparato. Non sono riuscito a trovare il manuale ( in rete trovo solo quello del PRC -6 Versione americana) e quindi le chiedevo se è possibile inviarmi via mail il PDF di cui lei sembra in possesso.
    La ringrazio anticipatamente per la sua eventuale disponibilità.
    Cordiali saluti Salvatore Riso

  7. Hi ,

    I have two PRC6/6 sets , one is not transmitting so I need a schematic to do some fault finding

    can you help me with this ?

    is there a manual number for these PRC6/6 ?

    regards

    Ruud

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