p10butty wrote:
Hello guys,
I get an almost new Racal MA 4224 encryption unit. They seem that our Army bought them before 1982. They are new. I think they don't used them.
My question should be: Would I be able to connect this unit to any radio?
If the audio levels are similar to those from a Racal radio, then yes.
Does it need power from the radio that pass through the TCVR connector?
Yes. Where else could it come from?
But you are going to need two ( or more ) of course. You can check pairs of them by connecting one to each audio socket and using the Intercom setting on those Racal radios that have it. But in the majority of countries it is illegal to use these on the amateur frequencies. They were quite popular with Alaskan fishermen and some folk in Central America which may explain the stupid prices they sometimes fetch.
It is an interestingly designed unit; despite the millions of possible settings of the internal links etc., a unit I have that had been used by the Iraqi army Republican Guard had strange modifications inside, presumably because they were worried that the manufacturer might have done something sneaky that would make it easier to decrypt. Pure paranoia.
And make sure the Nicad battery has not leaked and damaged the circuit board.
Dan
ac6ao / g3ncr
