Missle silo comms

Posted: 1/1/2012 10:27:15 PM EDT

THIS THREAD reminded me of a trip to the Titan Missle Museum in Arizona.

One of the docents mentioned using handie-talkies in the silo. I asked him how was that possible, given that the rooms were all made of steel?

He replied that there was a constant loop of coaxial cable running through every room in the silo; the loop was broken at intervals (1/2 or 1/4 wave, I don't remember), and that this enabled them to use HTs within the silo. It wasn't a very strong signal but it was better than nothing.

They also have a way cool HF discone antenna outside!

Posted: 1/1/2012 10:39:43 PM EDT

[#1]

and HF antennas that pop out of the ground after nuclear war

Posted: 1/2/2012 6:09:53 AM EDT

[#2]

The discone is cool. Hams can actually go there and use it. Just sign in at the desk, go out and hook up your rig!

Posted: 1/2/2012 11:20:06 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:

The discone is cool. Hams can actually go there and use it. Just sign in at the desk, go out and hook up your rig!

" CQ CQ de XXXX, ballistic missile mobile"

Posted: 1/2/2012 1:03:53 PM EDT

[#4]

We actually have at least 3 old silos in my area. One was "refurbished" in 2000 and equipment with some type of Laser generater to "beam" a laser into space with various "recorded" messages! You could even send your own for something like $50 bucks! Right after the New Year (2000) they dismantled all the equipment and disappeared. This partiucular silo still has the ground blast doors open, to the weather the idiots, and is, again, in disuse. The chain link fence around it keeps the casual "gee lets go look at the missile silo and its 3-4 story drop to the bottom" lookie loos away. Interesting history around this area!
Sarge

Posted: 1/2/2012 1:14:30 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The discone is cool. Hams can actually go there and use it. Just sign in at the desk, go out and hook up your rig!

" CQ CQ de XXXX, ballistic missile mobile"

The local 4x4Ham club goes down there once in a while to operate on the discone..
Discone info I've been meaning to go myself someday.

Posted: 1/2/2012 5:30:07 PM EDT

[#6]

I have actually worked them before. K7SID. Got a EQSL from him. I was at a drive thru ordering a burger and talking to him on 17m.

Posted: 1/2/2012 11:56:04 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
We actually have at least 3 old silos in my area. One was "refurbished" in 2000 and equipment with some type of Laser generater to "beam" a laser into space with various "recorded" messages! You could even send your own for something like $50 bucks! Right after the New Year (2000) they dismantled all the equipment and disappeared. This partiucular silo still has the ground blast doors open, to the weather the idiots, and is, again, in disuse. The chain link fence around it keeps the casual "gee lets go look at the missile silo and its 3-4 story drop to the bottom" lookie loos away. Interesting history around this area!
Sarge

They probably have to be open to satisfy the existing anti-ICBM treaties with Russia.

The doors at the Titan Museum were permanently welded half-open for this reason!

Posted: 1/3/2012 5:01:01 AM EDT

[#8]

On my bucket list of stupid things to do is scuba dive a missle silo.

There is an Atlas missle silo just outside of Midland, TX that has filled up with water seeped through the 6 foot thick concrete wall. You can dive the thing if you want. Challenges are that the water is a constant 60F and that lighting from the top of the silo is all you have. So basically a night dive in butt ass cold water. Doesn't top the fun list but then not many have actually seen the inside of a silo much less get to explore the insides of it.

Got a whole bunch of other stuff to do before I get to this one.

Posted: 1/4/2012 10:18:11 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
On my bucket list of stupid things to do is scuba dive a missle silo.

There is an Atlas missle silo just outside of Midland, TX that has filled up with water seeped through the 6 foot thick concrete wall. You can dive the thing if you want. Challenges are that the water is a constant 60F and that lighting from the top of the silo is all you have. So basically a night dive in butt ass cold water. Doesn't top the fun list but then not many have actually seen the inside of a silo much less get to explore the insides of it.

Got a whole bunch of other stuff to do before I get to this one.

I used to dive in that temp off of So. California. That was actually close to the norm. Nothing a half-assed decent wetsuit won't handle.

Posted: 1/4/2012 3:11:07 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
On my bucket list of stupid things to do is scuba dive a missle silo.

There is an Atlas missle silo just outside of Midland, TX that has filled up with water seeped through the 6 foot thick concrete wall. You can dive the thing if you want. Challenges are that the water is a constant 60F and that lighting from the top of the silo is all you have. So basically a night dive in butt ass cold water. Doesn't top the fun list but then not many have actually seen the inside of a silo much less get to explore the insides of it.

Got a whole bunch of other stuff to do before I get to this one.

I used to dive in that temp off of So. California. That was actually close to the norm. Nothing a half-assed decent wetsuit won't handle.

The wife and I are bathtub divers. If the water ain't bathtub warm, our interest level drops fast.

Posted: 1/5/2012 11:51:21 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
On my bucket list of stupid things to do is scuba dive a missle silo.

There is an Atlas missle silo just outside of Midland, TX that has filled up with water seeped through the 6 foot thick concrete wall. You can dive the thing if you want. Challenges are that the water is a constant 60F and that lighting from the top of the silo is all you have. So basically a night dive in butt ass cold water. Doesn't top the fun list but then not many have actually seen the inside of a silo much less get to explore the insides of it.

Got a whole bunch of other stuff to do before I get to this one.

I used to dive in that temp off of So. California. That was actually close to the norm. Nothing a half-assed decent wetsuit won't handle.

The wife and I are bathtub divers. If the water ain't bathtub warm, our interest level drops fast.

So, how often do you make it to Hawaii?

Posted: 1/6/2012 10:23:25 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
On my bucket list of stupid things to do is scuba dive a missle silo.

There is an Atlas missle silo just outside of Midland, TX that has filled up with water seeped through the 6 foot thick concrete wall. You can dive the thing if you want. Challenges are that the water is a constant 60F and that lighting from the top of the silo is all you have. So basically a night dive in butt ass cold water. Doesn't top the fun list but then not many have actually seen the inside of a silo much less get to explore the insides of it.

Got a whole bunch of other stuff to do before I get to this one.

I used to dive in that temp off of So. California. That was actually close to the norm. Nothing a half-assed decent wetsuit won't handle.

The wife and I are bathtub divers. If the water ain't bathtub warm, our interest level drops fast.

So, how often do you make it to Hawaii?

I live on the Gulf Coast. Three hours and I'm in 80 degree water during the summer. During the winter the gulf cools off to the mid 60s and only the hard cores dive. By April it warms to the mid 70s and is tolerable. We typically hit Central America or the Caribbean two out of three years on vacation.

And if you see a lion fish outside of Asian waters, terminate with extreme prejudice.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Missle silo comms

Outdoors » Ham Radios

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us