[TowerTalk] Radials

[Jim Lux]

At 11:56 AM 3/30/2007, Barrie Smith wrote:
>This chat about radials reminds me of a long, well maintained road, well up
>in the mountains, I walked up several years ago.
>
>At the end of the road, and at the top of the mountain, I came upon an
>installation that appeared to be a GWEN facility, twelve foot fence and all.
>
>While I could not see much of the concrete building, I did see a very sturdy
>tower and many, many guys.
>
>The thing that attracted my attention the most was the radial system.  It
>was strung from the base of the tower, which was on the highest point of
>nearby land, downhill for quite a distance, and was mostly elevated over
>rock.
>
>The interesting characteristic of the radials system was that it was not
>just wire strung straightaway from one end to the other, but was intersected
>with wire at right angle every foot or so.
>
>Similar to wire fence?
>
>Another interesting thing was the diameter of the wire.  It was certainly
>close to one inch.
>
>Could the thickness of the wire and the large number of wires be necessary
>because of the low-frequency used by GWEN (180 KC)?


Any ice and/or snow and/or wind in the area?  Could be that the size 
is chosen for mechanical purposes.
(or, that it's a "standard installation" desiged for such, and 
installed everywhere.. wire cost might be a small fraction of having 
multiple designs and drawings)

Perhaps designed to also carry lightning/HEMP impulses?  (Which would 
require larger diameter conductors, especially if you need to take a 
hit anywhere in the grid)


the notional GWEN station has 300ft towers and a 300 ft radius ground 
screen  (or thereabouts) and runs in the >$1M construction 
cost.  Since the function is survivable communication during nuclear 
attack, one can assume that they're worried about HEMP.

Through the miracle of the internet, you can also read lots of 
"interesting" stuff speculating about what the function of GWEN 
really is, and most interesting, what conspiracy folks thing they're 
doing with it now that it has been "officially shut down"..


>73, Barrie, W7ALW
>
>
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