[600MRG] Hawes Radio Antenna, Barstow CA: Technical Excerpts

[James Hollander]

Based on Paul's post, technical excerpts follow here.  Is the huge metal cuff (at the antenna base) RF-significant or solely rain/hail/wind protection?  73,  Jim H  W5EST

HAWES VLF FACILITY (1968-1986. demolished 2008)
http://www.mojavetreks.com/Hawes%20Journal%20Page%204.htmlElevator in tower and huge metal cuffat base. 
http://www.mojavetreks.com/Hawes%20Journal%20Page%206.htmlScroll down halfway. TX.
“Our transmitter was solid state and the Navy’s were tubed.The helix coil for changing frequencies was 20 feet tall…”   “…tracksystem…all over the radio maintenance room..move the equipment from the racksto the work room (some parts weighed over 1,000 pounds.) …helix room was huge.Two stories at least, directly under the base of the antenna. It was copperlined…”  “…enough power radiating fromthe site that at nite you could walk on top of it with a circular fluorescentbulb and it would light up.”
http://www.mojavetreks.com/Hawes%20Journal%20Page%207b.htmlTX antenna “…1 million pounds and was made entirelyof stainless steel.” 4 RX loop antennas on groundwith planes perpendicular. “…helix room… entrance door had a window in it. The glass had copper screen in it so youcould see into the room. During thunderstorms we had to shut down thetransmitter and ground the feed into it, to keep a lightning strike fromblowing up the works. You could look through the window and see the lightning’senergy dancing around the coil before it grounded out…Frankenstein…”  “The transmitting system at Hawes combinedthe old concept of low-frequency radio waves with special transistorizedequipment developed to transmit over 100,000 watts of power.”
http://www.mojavetreks.com/Hawes%20Journal%20Page%208.html“…main power feed to the antenna…100 kilowatts” [Note: Huge metal cuff aroundantenna base. Double-flanged feed conductor.]
http://www.mojavetreks.com/Hawes%20Journal%20Page%2011.html3 generators back up normal grid power.
http://www.mojavetreks.com/Hawes%20Journal%20Page%2012.html HF radio racks. 100kw Westinghouse VLFTX.
http://www.mojavetreks.com/Hawes%20Journal%20Page%2022.htmlGuy wire deadman anchor.
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