PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-679
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 679
JUNE 2009
44
PS 679
JUN 09
Y
O
kay, all AN/PRC-148 MBITR or JTRS enhanced MBITR (JEM) users, let’s get
straight on which rechargeable batteries you can use and which ones you can’t.
You CAN use,
and should use, batteries built by Thales, NSN 6140-01-487-1153.
These batteries have “4.8” and “Thales” written in white letters on the battery case.
You CAN use,
but for training only, batteries built by Thales but without “4.8” and
“Thales” written on the case and all batteries by RACAL. These batteries are well
past their useful life, but may have enough life left to serve in training situations. In
the long run, to prevent future confusion, you need to dispose of these batteries in
accordance with local regulations and order the newer battery.
Y
our 300-meter, NSN 6020-01-220-5435, and 1,000-meter, NSN
6020-01-208-1147, CX-13295/G fber optic cables are sensitive to dirt
once they’re disconnected. Most oF you do your PM job by using
protective caps on the connectors when they’re not hooked up.
But extra care is needed with fber optic cables. The fber optics in
these cables are bare at two pin-sized points in the connector. Just a
little dust or dirt on these points can stop your communications.
OFten that little bit oF dust or dirt comes From the connector cap.
When you do a good thing by putting the cap on the connector,
it turns out to be a bad thing when dirt or dust lands on the bare
fber optics.
So make it a regular routine to tap the connector and then the
cap on your hand to Free loose dirt. Then give the connector and
the cap a good blow.
Now look them over. More stubborn dirt may require a brush to
get out.
You CANNOT use
batteries without “4.8”
and “Thales” written on the case that are
supplied by other vendors that have part number
PRC148LI. Common sense would say to use
them. But common sense lets us down this
time. These batteries cannot be recharged in the
Thales battery chargers and vehicular battery
charger adapters! In reality, they become non-
rechargeable batteries!
Are there safety issues to the user or the
MBITR with these
CANNOT use
batteries.
No. Not on the surface. But underneath the
surface is the issue of trying to recharge these
batteries and Fnding you can’t after having
planned on using them operationally. Now you
do have safety issues!
You CAN and SHOULD
submit a product
quality deFciency report (PQDR) ±orm S± 368
on all the PRC148LI batteries you have. You
can do this electronically.
Go to:
SUPPLY/AMCQDR/ENTRY.CFM
If you have question about this battery issue,
contact the MBITR ofFce:
catherine.wodzisz
@us.army.mil
Tap,
Tap,
Blow,
Blow
Hey!
These
Batteries
Recharge!
AN/PRC-148 MBITR…
Hey!
These
Batteries
Won’t
Recharge!
CX-13295/G Cable…
Tap,
Tap,
Blow,
Blow
Look For Thales and 4.8
You can still train with this battery
Tap connector…
…and cap, then blow
Make sure fber optic
cable ends are clean
sorry,
fellas, you
can’t
hook
up with me!
679.44-45.indd
1-2
5/4/09
5:30:13 PM
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