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UER Forum > US: Four Corners > Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona (Viewed 777 times)
ange1 


Location: Gilbert, AZ
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 7 likes




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Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona
< on 1/8/2023 7:12 AM >
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Hi everyone, I'm new here. I managed to find this place myself and paid a visit after some brief research.

This site, one of several throughout various states, was part of a radar system operated by the U.S. Navy throughout the late 20th century to detect and track objects in orbit with remarkable accuracy. By the turn of the century, the system found itself outclassed by new technology and was discontinued in the early 2010s due to budget cuts. Every transmitter site and receiving station was vacated, yet left intact. As a result, the half-mile long structure of transmitter antennas still stands at this location, along with the surrounding utility buildings.








There are mangled cables everywhere.




I have no idea what this is.


Don't know what this silo would have been used for. The hatch on top was open but I didn't look inside.




The main building. The only one on duty is a bird who made his nest inside. (Speaking of birds, there were a lot of owls around here. They seemed to enjoy perching on the radar and watching me from a distance.)




Nothing to see in here...


Overall, the place has suffered some damage, but the transmitter structure itself is a pretty unique sight.




lonewolf34 


Location: Phoenix
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 137 likes




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Re: Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona
< Reply # 1 on 1/8/2023 4:49 PM >
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cool find! I haven't seen anything from this site before (and there's not a whole lot out here in AZ).




Skyguide 


Location: PDX
Gender: Male
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musician • explorer • artist

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Re: Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona
< Reply # 2 on 1/9/2023 8:54 AM >
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Nice shots!Wonder what's inside the hatch? 👀




https://instagram....gshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=
Aran 


Location: Kansas City
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 1839 likes


Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

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Re: Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona
< Reply # 3 on 1/9/2023 10:34 PM >
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Very cool! The US military did A LOT of weapons testing out in the American Southwest, and not just the atomic tests everyone thinks about. They did a lot of artillery, rocket, and intercontinental ballistic missile testing out there as well and they built a fair number of radar and observatory sites to monitor those tests in flight. There's still quite a few of those abandoned stations scattered around the desert to this day, just like this one.




"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

BatsandMines 


Total Likes: 12 likes




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Re: Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona
< Reply # 4 on 1/27/2023 7:00 AM >
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Wow very nice!




/-/ooligan 


Location: Las Vegas area
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 278 likes


When in danger, when in doubt, RUN IN CIRCLES, SCREAM AND SHOUT!

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Re: Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona
< Reply # 5 on 2/7/2023 1:23 AM >
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Great find!

That site was part of a program to send radio signals directly up into space and a sister site in the region would receive any reflection/bouncing of that signal off an object in space (hence RADAR...).

There's a specific name for that program that would result in a lot of informative hits if you did a Google search on the program name, but I'll send that to you via email & leave it up to you whether to post it here. As the site is deactivated/abandoned and the program was replaced by a more modern version, I don't see an issue in posting the project name, except it will make it easy for others to find the location.

Hooligan




There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
/-/ooligan 


Location: Las Vegas area
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 278 likes


When in danger, when in doubt, RUN IN CIRCLES, SCREAM AND SHOUT!

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Re: Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona
< Reply # 6 on 2/7/2023 1:29 AM >
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By the way, the elevated wooden hutch you couldn't ID is an old weather monitoring hut, aka meterological instrument shelter, etc. The large white cylinder should have been a water tank -- maybe drinking water, maybe water for fire-fighting, maybe both...

/-/oolie




There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
NMPatriot 


Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico
Gender: Male
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Re: Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona
< Reply # 7 on 4/6/2023 7:25 AM >
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One of the receive sites for this system is relatively nearby here locally.. Would be cool to make a trip out there in the next few months and try to get some drone footage if I can find the time.

--NM




UER Forum > US: Four Corners > Abandoned radar transmitter, Arizona (Viewed 777 times)


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