The AN/PRC-77 entered service in 1968 during the Vietnam War as an upgrade to the earlier AN/PRC-25. It differs from its predecessor mainly in that its final power amplifier stage is made up of solid state components and not vacuum tubes like the PRC-25. Also the PRC-77 has the ability to use voice encryption devices, while the PRC-25 could not. These include the TSEC/KY-38 NESTOR equipment used in Vietnam and the later KY-57 VINSON family. Problems were encountered in Vietnam with the combination as described in the NESTOR article.
Today the AN/PRC-77 has largely been replaced by SINCGARS radios, but it is still capable of inter-operating with most VHF FM radios used by U.S. and allied ground forces.[3] It was commonly nicknamed the “prick-77” by U.S. military forces.[4]
Technical details
The AN/PRC 77 consists of the RT-841 transceiver and minor components. It can provide secure voice (X-mode) transmission with the TSEC/KY-57 VINSON voice encryption device, but is not compatible with the SINCGARS frequency hopping mode.[3] During the Vietnam War, the PRC-77 used the earlier TSEC/KY-38 NESTOR voice encryption system.
Major components:
- Transmitter/Receiver unit
- Battery
Minor components – CES (Complete Equipment Schedule):
- 3 ft antenna – ‘bush/battle whip’
- 10 ft antenna
- 3 ft antenna base – ‘gooseneck’
- 10 ft antenna base
- Handset
- Harness
| Technical characteristics[5] | |
|---|---|
| Channels: | 920 channels across two bands using 50 kHz steps |
| Frequency Ranges: | 30.00 to 52.95 MHz (Low Channel); 53.00 to 75.95 MHz (High Channel) |
| Estimated Range: | 8 km (5 mi) Dependent on conditions |
| Power Output: | 1.5 to 2.0 watts |
| Power Source: | Current (2015) military batteries: BA-5598/U LiSO2 nonrechargeable BB-386/U NiMH and BB-2598/U Li-ion rechargeableObsolete (unavailable) nonrechargeable military batteries: BA-386/PRC-25 zinc-carbon, BA-398/PRC-25 zinc-carbon cold weather vest (use w/cable to radio battery connector), BA-4386/PRC-25 magnesiumDiscontinued but available military or equivalent batteries: BA-3386/U alkaline nonrechargeable BB-586/U NiCad and BB-LA6 SLA rechargeable |
| Antenna: | AT-271A/PRC 10 ft (3.0 m) multi-section whip “Static” Whip-a-way, or AT-892/PRL-24 3 ft semi-rigid steel tape “Bush-whip”, |
| Type of Service: | 30K0F3E (FM) Manpack field radio land mobile service |
| Weight: | 13.75 lb (6.2 kg) |
| Security | Could be used with TSEC/KY-38 NESTOR and, later, the KY-57 VINSON secure voice systems. |
| Note: | A modified version of the AN/PRC-77 is available and is designated AN/PRC-1177. This version has been enhanced to allow a smaller channel step of 25 kHz and to reduce voice bandwidth to 6 kHz. These features combine to double the number of available channels to 1840. |
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