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UK
Lightweight HF patrol radio
- under construction
UK/PRC-316 was a transistorised lightweight
HF Special Forces patrol radio, developed in the
mid-1960s by the Signals Research & Development Establishment (SRDE) in
Christchurch (UK), and built by Rank Bush Murphy 1
in Welwyn Garden City (UK). The radio has 45 crystal-based channels and
operates in the 2-7 MHz frequency range in CW
(morse code).
As the device was designed for anti-terrorist operations in the Far East,
it also also known as the Jungle Set [1].
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During its development — which started in 1963 — the PRC-316
it was known as X3145. Twelve months later, in 1964, the radio was
ready for deployment and tests were carried out in the UK and in Borneo.
The set was offered to export customers for GBP 600. The last operational
use of the PRC-316 was during the Falklands campaign. It was decommissioned
in the early 1990s [1].
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Later (1968): Rank Precision Industries Ltd.
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There are five known variants of the UK/PRC-316, marked as Type A — F,
that differ only in the crystal-defined channels. The device has 9 different
base channels, each of which can be given 5 different offsets
(-2.5 kHz, -1.25 kHz, 0, +1.25 kHz, +2.5 kHz), producing 9 × 5 = 45
channels.
The 45 channels are choosen in such a way, that none of their frequencies
have a round number, thereby avoiding the spurious signals emanated by
(domestic) equipment, such as synthesizers, televison sets, switched mode
power supply units, etc. Although each variant has a different set of
frequencies, there are some overlaps, as indicated by the colours in the
table below. Especially
3710 kHz
seems to have been a popular operating
frequency, as it appears in four of the sets.
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| Type | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
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| A | 2215 | 2520 | 3170 | 3710 | 4590 | 4875 | 5130 | 5270 | 5895 |
| B | 2280 | 2700 | 3280 | 3710 | 4510 | 4875 | 5305 | 6350 | 6940 |
| C | 3710 | 4040 | 4490 | 4574 | 4950 | 5090 | 5905 | 6770 | 6955 |
| D | 3205 | 3710 | 3970 | 4040 | 4595 | 5090 | 5925 | 6776 | 6955 |
| E | 2133 | 3170 | 3901 | 4659 | 4870 | 5202 | 6608 | 6770 | 6955 |
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Radio amateurs who want to operate a PRC-316 have to be careful, as most
channels fall outside the allowed bands (see below). The radio in our
collection is of type E, which means that none of its frequencies fall inside
any of the amateur bands:
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80 m 3.500 — 3.800 MHz 40 m 7.000 — 7.200 MHz
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Device HF Special Forces patrol radio Purpose Special Forces (SF) communication Model PRC-316 Designator AN/PRC-316, X3145 NSN 5820-99-117-7807 Developer Signals Research & Development Establishment (SRDE) Year 1964 Country UK Frequency 2 — 7 MHz Channels 45 (9 × 5) Modulation CW, AM 1 Output 4 Watts Range 800 km MTBF 1500 hours Power 16V, Alkaline battery block Duration 20 hours Dimensions ? Weight ? Price GBP 600 (1964)
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AM was used for short-range air-to-ground communication.
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- UK/PRC-316, User Handbook
November 1968 1
- UK/PRC-316, Technical Handbook - Unit Repairs
Issue 1, October 1971. 1
- UK/PRC-316, Technical Handbook - Field and Base Repairs
Issue 1, September 1972. 1
- UK/PRC-316, Technical Handbook - Technical Description
Issue 1, 9 October 1969. 1
- UK/PRC-316, Technical Handbook - Fault-Finding and Repair Data
Issue 2, September 1971. 1
- User Handbook for high-speed morse transmission
MoD (UK), July 1970. 12 pages. 2
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Documents available from VMARS website.
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Document kindly provided by Andy Thomas (G0SFJ).
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© Crypto Museum. Last changed: Tuesday, 16 December 2025 - 15:11 CET.
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