AN/PRC-68 Radio Family

AN/PRC-68 Family of Squad Radios

The AN/PRC-68 and later members of that series are rugged, small squad radios, intended to be used over short distances for tactical communication within a military unit. It is the successor to the World War II SCR-536 / BC-611 and the AN/PRC-6. This radio is sometimes referred to as the Joint Tactical Radio System.

AN/PRC-68 Family of Squad Radios
AN/PRC-68 Family of Squad Radios.

Today in WW II: 14 Apr 1940 British North Western Expeditionary Force begins landing in Norway to oppose German invasion. More ↓
14 Apr 1942 Destroyer USS Roper [DD-147] sinks German U-boat U-85 in the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina, the first such sinking of the war.
14 Apr 1943 US Navy Fleet Radio Unit Pacific intercepts message NTF131755 (decrypted by Project Magic) enabling mission 4 days later to shoot down Japanese Combined Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
14 Apr 1945 Gen. Truscott's US Fifth Army begins ground attack in the Po Valley of Northern Italy.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

AN/PRC-68 Family of Squad Radios History

The AN/PRC-68 project began in the middle 1970s as a Marine Corps effort to develop a squad radio to replace the unsatisfactory helmet-mounted AN/PRR-9 receiver and receiver/transmitter hand-held AN/PRT-4 (both developed by the Army). The AN/PRC-68 was first produced in 1976 by Magnavox, was issued to the Marines in the 1980s and it was adopted by the US Army as well.

AN/PRC-68 Family Description

The PRC-68 radio was the first of a series of tactical solid state FM sets, consisting of the PRC-68A, PRC-68B, PRC-126, PRC-128, and PRC-136 all manufactured by Magnavox.

All of the radios in the series have in common:

  • a micro-controller (except prc68) and frequency synthesizer
  • a built-in Push To Talk switch
  • a combined Speaker/Microphone
  • a ten position knob to allow selection of the operating channel
  • either of two antennas, a short antenna to restrict the range to nearby troops and a long antenna for greater range
  • a carry pouch that attaches to standard military web equipment

AN/PRC-68 Family of Squad Radios

Characteristics of the AN/PRC-68 Family

The following table gives general characteristics for the AN/PRC-68 family. The next section discusses some of the differences between models.

Tactical Range One to three km (.62 to 1.9 mi)
Frequency Range PRC68 and 68A: 30 to 79.95 MHz, others see next section
Channel Spacing 50 kHz for PRC68, 25 kHz PRC68A or 2.5 kHz later models
Channel Bandwidth 2 MHz wide band, 10 channels preset, synthesized
Power output 1-1.5 Watts
Secure Voice Module KYV-2 or KYV-2A
Power Requirements 15 VDC, 1 Watt minimum
Dimensions 4.5 to 6.125" H x 3.75" W x 1.5" D
Weight, with antenna and battery 2.5 lbs.

Ancillary equipment including hand sets (H-189 or H-250), test sets, vehicular mounts, antenna options, and batteries are produced for this radio family as specified in the Technical Manuals:

  • TM 11-5820-882-10: Operator's Manual
  • TM 11-5820-882-23: Organizational and Depot Maintenance Manual

Differences Between Models in the AN/PRC-68 Family

This table lists the main models of the AN/PRC-68 family of squad radios. Other models have been produced for experimental or short production purposes.

PRC-68 Requires FSM to tune for antenna. Internal switch channel prog. No freq. LCD. Uses multi-modules. 30 to 79.95 MHz, spaced 50
PRC-68A Internal switch channel prog. No freq. LCD. Two modules. 30 to 79.95 MHz, spaced 25
PRC-68B Pushbutton chan. prog. Freq. LCD. Two modules. 30 to 87.9875 MHz and 130 to 173.9875 MHz, spaced 2.5
PRC-126 Pushbutton chan. prog. Freq. LCD. Two modules. 30 to 87.975 MHz spaced 25, 12.5 option
PRC-128 Pushbutton chan. prog. Freq. LCD. Two modules. 30 to 87.9875 MHz and 130 to 173.9875 MHz, spaced 12.5
PRC-136 USMC Crash Fire Rescue. Pushbutton chan. prog. Freq. LCD. Two modules. 130 to 173.9875 Mhz, spaced 2.5

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