Slimbob Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Loadsmith has it right. It was a highly sensitive Radar system. I know because I was working on (SKE) Station Keeping Equipment at Langley when it first showed up and we needed 1 AWADs plane to lead for 0 - 0 visibility ferry operations. The round radome on top of the forward fusalage is SKE antennas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 They added a bottom antenna to aid with picking up the zone marker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Wilson Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Actually I thought the 122 radar (X and KA band) were really sweet for the operators. It had some really good res and even I could learn to read the scope. Now what really sucked butt on the system though is the minuscule service life of the RT's and waveguides. Ended up changing all that crap out myself in Aviano once, the crew chief I was with was a friggin moron (read that as the guy who put 502 in a drainage ditch) so I wouldn't even let him touch the equipment. The freon light level warning light came on after we landed so he "switched the bottles" and instead of just shutting off the empty one and opening the good bottle he literally "switched the bottles" and in the process completely buggered the aluminum fittings on the bottles - god I should have just killed the guy and saved the AF oh so much money!! (or maybe I should have given him to the Naples transvestites for a good time instead LOL) Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I went out to California for the QOT&E flight testing of the APQ175, and that Ka picture was unbelievable. It painted a great picture of the plowed fields below us, right along with all the irrigation piping, and just about everything else. It's amazing what 70kW at 32GHz will do. RADAR troops do it with higher frequency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C130Hcc Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 The system at the air deflector doors is the Infared Counter Measures (IRCM). They were on the Charlotte, Wyoming, and I think Minn ANG H-3's. There were also few others birds out there with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAllen Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Propylene glycol. It had to be heated (heat switch at nav panel). I was an AWADS nav 1979-84 and taught at the Central Training Flight. Great mission. Went to "dumb" birds after that. What a let down. LARRY ALLEN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Redd Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Tiny, Did you ever get the s*** knocked out of you trying to adjust the centering on one of the IP-268 scopes. I did, three times in a row setting at Cam Rahn Bay. I was cpvered with sweat and told the shop chief I quit for the day my hands were shaking so bad. Gary Robinson I sure remember that damn IP-268 scope! Got nailed a couple times as a young airman at Little Rock trying to adjust center dot. I even had one implode/explode while changing the CRT...talk about messing your pants!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryRobinson Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I was supposed to go to Little Rock in 1980 when I left Yokota. Day before I left CBPO called me in and asked if I wanted to go to Hurlburt Field instead on MH-53 Pave Low helicopters. I jumped at the chance and never regretted it. Love the Ft. Walton Beach area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 When they closed Khorat, they actually in-processed us into Clark AB. Well, all of our stuff got shipped there, but almost all of us ended up going to Hill AFB. Not that Ogden isn't the wildest place to go after leaving Thailand, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSgtRet Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Was at Pope in the Radar shop from 73 to 75. Worked on the AWADS and 59 birds. I remember the "AWADS test bed 130" was 63 7885, anyone know what happened to it? I remember this aircraft because the AWADS installations were just a bit different than the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Wilson Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 7885 I think was at Rhine Main with us in the 37th when I was there 85-89, it was our initial SCNS bird. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INS/Dopplertroop Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 I thought Little Rock had some AWADS birds early 70's. I just remember being on a TAC rotation (with the 316th TAW Langley birds) at Mildenhall where they began knocking out hole in Avionics to put a door large enough for the ASN-24 Test Station Little Rock AWADS was bring on the following rotation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INS/Dopplertroop Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Gary I recall someone in RADAR at CCK working an APN-89 RT and getting a hole arced through his shiney metal belt buckle. That's when we started turning them back under whenever we worked a bench. APN-147 Freq Tracker power supplies used to grab us. It felt as though the damn thing was holding you and didn't want to let go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 That would probably be an APN59 RT, which I am very familiar with, especially being shocked. There was a capacitor on the transmitter deck that would charge up real good if the thyratron tube didn't fire (or if I took off the top cap of the thyratron). Turning off power and shorting it to ground would sound like a .22 going off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INS/Dopplertroop Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 APN-59 RT-289 Yeah.....that thing. What was the saying? "It'll knock yer d..k in the dirt!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I don't know what the saying was. It was heavy, and I was big, so they ball and chained me to that RADAR mockup. We used to sneak up behind people working on it, and this included me, with some bubble wrap, packing tape to rip a big piece off, or an end bell to drop to scare the crap out of person working the bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INS/Dopplertroop Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Tiny, Wow..that was pretty cruel and unusal. Somewhat potentially lethal as well. Hey I see you're an AFET at Moody. I knew ACC had a lot of AFETs throughout the "lawn dart community" (fighters), I didn't realize there were any on 130s though. I guess you're mainly with special ops birds? I was an Avionics AFET on C-5s here at Dover from 1986 until I retired Jan 2007. Loved the job. Miss it actually. While we did travel overseas training and troubleshooting, we never had to deploy to combat areas like you guys. You really have my respect. J Rice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTII Raven Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I went out to California for the QOT&E flight testing of the APQ175, and that Ka picture was unbelievable. It painted a great picture of the plowed fields below us, right along with all the irrigation piping, and just about everything else. It's amazing what 70kW at 32GHz will do. RADAR troops do it with higher frequency. Just a higher frequency to jam ... :cool::) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 APQ175 was X band and Ka band. The replacement for the APQ122 had to be form/fit/function. They had to put a lot of crap into that system that wasn't necessary, just to meet the "guidelines". Ku band is only 12-18 GHz. From the shop manual: Frequencies (SRGM) (nine selectable channels) 32.2 GHz +/-50 MHz 32.3 GHz +/-50 MHz 32.4 GHz +/-50 MHz 32.5 GHz +/-50 MHz 32.6 GHz +/-50 MHz 32.7 GHz +/-50 MHz 32.8 GHz +/-50 MHz 32.9 GHz +/-50 MHz 33.0 GHz +/-50 MHz 70.8 kW peak min at RT/antenna interface flange Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Tiny, Hey I see you're an AFET at Moody. I knew ACC had a lot of AFETs throughout the "lawn dart community" (fighters), I didn't realize there were any on 130s though. I guess you're mainly with special ops birds? I was an Avionics AFET on C-5s here at Dover from 1986 until I retired Jan 2007. Loved the job. Miss it actually. While we did travel overseas training and troubleshooting, we never had to deploy to combat areas like you guys. You really have my respect. J Rice We got sucked into the ACC program when that command took control of the C130s back in 1992, and then promptly gave them back to AMC as soon as they woke up and decided they may have to chew their arm off to get away from the old girl. We're the red-headed step children of the program. We are deployable, but haven't as of yet, since we don't send a full squadron as the fighters do. Not that I don't want your respect, but I can't take credit where it isn't due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INS/Dopplertroop Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Hey....Your an AFET helping keep the Air Force flying and fighting....that alone is worth the utmost RESPECT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Sanchez Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 thanks to tinyclark for the list of planes converted to AWADS. 64-0505 is not on the list because it crashed at Guam on Dec 17, 1972. I was he primary crew chief on her 1969 to 1970. She was a great bird and I was sad to find out about her crashing. Killed everyone on board during that crash. We made many trips to Cam Rahn Bay and Bangkok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSgtRet Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 That would probably be an APN59 RT, which I am very familiar with, especially being shocked. There was a capacitor on the transmitter deck that would charge up real good if the thyratron tube didn't fire (or if I took off the top cap of the thyratron). Turning off power and shorting it to ground would sound like a .22 going off. I remember being zapped by a PFN I discharged myself while working on an RT289. I was at Castle and it was a humid day in the shop, reached up to move the handle on an o-scope out of the way and when I touched the handle the PFN arced out, hit me in the lower, left gut and came out my left index finger at the handle. Burned a pinhole in my fatigue shirt and t shirt, small burn on my stomach and a big red welt on the finger. A great way to remember a piece of equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyclark Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 At least it didn't go across your chest!! Usually, you're OK if that doesn't happen. Yea, I hated working on that thing, but I like to think I raised the reliability rate on the RT289 in Europe quite a bit while I was there. I basically overhauled them when they came in. Tube checks, new PFN, TR tube, ATR tube, thyratron, magnetron, etc. They were always bitching about what we spent on our bench stock though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INS/Dopplertroop Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I did the same thing when I got to the 316th at Langley. Got the shop on board with pulling all the Doppler Shop LRU's, during every Phase/ISO, for tube tests, power out checks, bench check, alignment, and a good cleaning. The results were really amazing. The very first TAC rotation I took into Mildenhall we had a 16 bird flight that had been through the process. We didn't have a single in-flight writeup until four or five weeks there. I initially had to listen to the Moldyhole regulars bitching about how all their work was on the stateside 130s on rotation and what pigs 130s were. Our rotation shut that talk down. We actually shocked them, so much so they gave me an out-of-cycle 9 APR. Talk about cleaning, on the inital pull the Altimeter and Doppler RTs were caked with dirt. Cleaning them out had to have helped alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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