That Big Log Periodic Antenna at the FAA Center in Nashua

[WA1QHQ]

I was on a recent flight down to Atlanta and ended up sitting next to a woman that we will call Fran Drescher so as not to reveal her true identity and because she sort of looked like her and sounded like her. Anyway she had a power point presentation that she was reviewing and I glanced over at it and saw her sketching antenna radiation patterns. Of course this provided common ground to strike up a conversation. Turns out she is a communications engineer for the FAA and is based out of the Nashua NH facility. Anybody who has traveled up Rt 3 through Nashua has no doubt seen the large log periodic antenna at their facility adjacent to Rt 3. I asked her about the antenna, what it is used for etc. Turns out it was actually used for the VHF aviation band and is not currently in use although it does get checked out a couple times a year. Now for the bad news, it is scheduled to be decomissioned and destroyed along with a bunch of Rockwell Collins HF gear. No ammount of pleading from me seemed to convince her that there were any other alternatives to destoying the equipment; apparently this is now standard FAA policy. I showed her a picture of a Collins S line radio in an issue of ER that I happened to have on me and she said the HF equipment is newer solid state stuff. Sorry to bring you guys the bad news, perhaps someone with friends in high places at the FAA can get this decision reversed.

[WA1GFZ]

I wonder if freedom of information act could be played to get tax payer access to the surplus. Might be an ITAR issue. Sounds like you want to watch dumster flow since you are so good at it Mark.

[WA1QHQ]

Thats the kind of dumpster diving that could get you a vacation at Club Gitmo.