Portable Ops Using The Museum's
BIG Discone Antenna
The Titan Missile Museum, also known as Air Force Facility Missile Site 8 or as Titan II ICBM Site 571-7, is a former ICBM missile site located at 1580 West Duval Mine Road, Sahuarita, Arizona. It is located roughly 12 mi (20 km) south of Tucson. It is now a museum run by the nonprofit Arizona Aerospace Foundation which includes a Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile still in its silo as well as the original launch facilities.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1994 (Wikipedia) Read More Here
On the museums home page this intriguing note appears "Hams: Use Our Antenna
Ham Radio Operators, you can now broadcast and listen on the discone antenna at the Titan Missile Museum. Click here for "how to" instructions."
Yes that's no misprint. Their large discone (or discage) antenna is available for ham use. You just check in and sign up at the desk, drive to the picnic table near the antenna, plug it in and have at it. It's that easy.
I had heard about this from John Stevens, K5JS, when I had mentioned to him that I was coming out to CactusCan and then knock around Arizona for a few weeks. He said I that I should give it a try - am I glad I did.
At the conference, which was held in Flagstaff, I met Chuck Penson,WA7ZZE, who was one of the presenters. Chuck is the museum's historian and knows the site inside and out and for top to bottom - literally and completely.
The Green Valley ARC coordinates and provides information on the the antenna
AS I pulled into the parking museum's parking lot at 9AM the discone that struck me was the disone. It dominated the landscape, it's huge. The second thing I noticed was that the temperature was 103!
After signing up at the counter inside and checking the displays in the lobby, I made my way back the coax receptacle, unrolled it, and plugged it int my trusty ATS3.
Due to the heat, I only operated for a few minutes and on 20M only, here's the log:
1305z Joe WØMQY Pittsburg, KS
1315z Dunc KUØDM/P Emporia, KS
1322z Jim K9JWV St. George, UT
1341z Steve K9IS White Lake, WI
Portable ops deserve to be commemorated with a special QSl Card. This one
was produced with the K7LS web site tool at www.radioqth.net/qsl.aspx
Scroll down for pictures.
Discone With Car For Scale, It's 80' Tall
Up Close and Personal
Bottom Of Silo Looking up 125'
Control Room
Who Is Count Ferdinand?
Control Room
Chuck Penson, WA7ZZE, And A Visitor
No One Works Alone
Return To Portable Ops Page
Return to HOME page