PRC-148 Radio, First Impressions and Initial Setup, and Follow on Setup on Chest Rig

[Sparky5019]

Just got a couple of new (2019 Vintage) TCA PRC-148 MBITR Clones. These were released this month.

Haven't had a chance to really suss it out yet; however a couple of standouts upon initial assessment:

Better Machining
Better Anodizing
Louder internal speaker
Potentiometer is more crisp
Screen more evenly illuminated
Comes with an 18650 Adapter Battery Pack
Comes in a hard-shell, Pelican-style case
Battery pack has a USB adapter to charge phones/devices from the radio’s battery
8 Crypto Settings
Multiple repeater settings
5 power output settings (0.1W - 8W)

aven't had the opportunity to delve too deep into the menus, yet. The manual is hot garbage so I'm going to have to figure things out on my own.

It’s way more streamlined than the TRI 148’s FPP.

You have two menu modes.

One to set global parameters like Wideband/Narrowband/key-functions, etc.

You have a secondary mode that only adjusts channel-specific settings like Frequency/CTCSS, etc.

So for example, on the TRI, all settings are in one menu, and it has to be changed per that menu to be written to a channel. The TCA’s menu system allows you to set all global settings separately from channel-specific settings.

The TCA also has 8 zones or banks to which you can assign 16 channels per bank. The channel function on the TCA is effectively identical to the JEM/MBITR, in terms of channel management.

Other odds/ends so far:

When you key up, all the data/parameters related to that channel are displayed, including power level, TX Freq/RX Freq, etc.

It has VOX, so if you end up running this with the GD interface you don’t have to manually key up to TX.

There’s about 4 or 5 different repeater settings as well as a RELAY function, none of which I’ve had the chance to monkey with yet.

Sounds like on the surface these are better quality than the TRI.


Which of these TCAs has the crypto?

Is crypto worth the upgrade?

What is your source for these?

And, of course, are they making a 10-pin or only the 6-pin version?




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[Bitcoin]

Sounds like on the surface these are better quality than the TRI.


Which of these TCAs has the crypto?

Is crypto worth the upgrade?

Digital crypto ?

Kick> any clue were to vind a used or new AN/PRC-152 (U/V/H)?

[Sparky5019]

Kick> any clue were to vind a used or new AN/PRC-152 (U/V/H)?

I guess my question was ANY crypto. It’s of limited use IMO. If CW2 ever happened it would be useless to us given our .gov/.mil has the best signal intel in the world. Crack that this crypto would be child’s play to them. Lol.

What are these variations y’all speak of? U/V/H?


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[just a scout]

I guess my question was ANY crypto. It’s of limited use IMO. If CW2 ever happened it would be useless to us given our .gov/.mil has the best signal intel in the world. Crack that this crypto would be child’s play to them. Lol.

What are these variations y’all speak of? U/V/H?


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Crypto would help at the tactical level. The time lag to crack it is juice worth the squeeze. There isn’t a magic machine every cop or troop has that lets them listen in to encrypted transmissions. It takes time and limited resources.


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[Sparky5019]

Crypto would help at the tactical level. The time lag to crack it is juice worth the squeeze. There isn’t a magic machine every cop or troop has that lets them listen in to encrypted transmissions. It takes time and limited resources.


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Agreed. I get that. I mean it’s likely more of an academic question anyway.


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[Bitcoin]

I guess my question was ANY crypto. It’s of limited use IMO. If CW2 ever happened it would be useless to us given our .gov/.mil has the best signal intel in the world. Crack that this crypto would be child’s play to them. Lol.

What are these variations y’all speak of? U/V/H?


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U for UHF V for VHF and H for HF (25-30mhz)
Like this: https://www.yoycart.com/Product/43959571417/
Only I do not know this seller is Legit?

[Sparky5019]

U for UHF V for VHF and H for HF (25-30mhz)
Like this: https://www.yoycart.com/Product/43959571417/
Only I do not know this seller is Legit?

That’s interesting. So the versions are set to those frequency ranges only?

To me that give the TRI an edge over the TCA; the ability to use UHF and VHF in one unit.


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[Bitcoin]

Yes one radio can do all 3 bands. However for what I understand they are only made for a short time only and extremely rare. Not even one video can be found of this TRI 152 radio
I do not have much info that why I ask if anyone can tell more about them. I do even know if it can do AM or FM at 10 meters, and is it compatible on CB?

TCA and TRI can do both UHF and VHF

[jpmuscle]

Big shout out to the homo fudd ham boomers who ruined importation and sales of said multi band 10w radios.


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[SouthernPhantom]

What kind of crypto are we talking here? Voice inversion scrambling or an actual AES or DES algorithm?