What the hell is this?

SkyHog

SkyHog

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Everything Offends Me
I am in Keller, TX. Saw one of those fancy “Warning, this facility is used in FAA Air Traffic Control” signs. Behind the fence is this monstrosity.

Any ideas? It has a octogon shaped base, so maybe a VOR? If so, not like one I have ever seen before.

22FEF236-A330-47A8-A1BD-E48D03BBB120.jpeg
 
Doppler Radar antenna




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The address appears to be 713 Keller Smithfield Rd, Keller, TX 76248 and the front building has ESU EG painted on it.

Google maps has it listed as US FAA
 
I couldn't understand much of the link, George.
Does it describe a plain (truncated) sphere without a frame or panels?
I'm sure we have the capability of making one but for some reason they don't use it.
 
Since we are on the WTHIT topic -

No photo, but you guys will know what I'm talking about:

A couple days ago I was at KMLB (Melbourne, FL).

Next to the rwy was a VOR array, but it was different from what I'm used to seeing.

I don't get around much, so maybe this is more common that I know:

What I'm used to seeing - a circular array with a tall cone in the center.

What I saw at MLB - a circular array without the cone in the center.

What's the difference?
 
Are you sure those pics aren't golf tees for Titans?
 
Sort of funny that I had spotted both KDAL and KDFW TDWR radar domes quite a while before I figured out what they were from skywarn spotter classes, and the weather radar data from them that is visible through RadarScope and other weather radar products. But this one I don't think I've actually seen yet.
 
Pilawt said:
Chart says MLB is a VOR-DME. Just guessing -- is the cone for TACAN equipment, which MLB would not have?
Click to expand...
Here are the sat photos:

MLB and Lakeland, FL (LAL)

LAL is what I'm used to seeing.

Edit:

The sectional says MLB is VOR/DME, and LAL has VORTAC.
 

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Just to be clear, the giant golf ball is simply a weather covering for the antenna which is inside spinning around like any other.
 
woodchucker said:
Chemtrail solution storage tank. The antennas sticking out draw electrical energy through the skin of the tank to excite the molecules.
Click to expand...

For those of us who aren't conspiracy theorists, it's actually an AoA testing array. The probes sticking out from the dome are new AoA sensors off the assembly line. The dome turns in different directions to make sure the AoA sensors are accurate under a variety of relative wind conditions.
 
PaulS said:
Giant golf ball all teed up for ya.
Click to expand...
Years ago while on a USAirways Express ERJ SBN-PIT during some break time from college, a rather stereotypically ditzy blonde and her equally airhead friend were across from me. As we made a turn on approach to PIT over the local NWS office in Moon Twp blonde says to her friend "Wow people must be really into golf in Pittsburgh"

As a meteorology major in my junior year at the time, I was still laughing a bit as we touched down at PIT
 
SkyHog said:
It has a octogon shaped base, so maybe a VOR? If so, not like one I have ever seen before.
Click to expand...

First, that isn't VOR. You should know that those aren't golf balls.

Second, the base it's on is to move it high enough to work correctly with the areas geography and obstacles.

Same decking as used for two (actual) vor's here. Maverick and Cowboy. Both are on very high platforms.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrEzNwi5VRcqjgA0Zw2nIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTBsZ29xY3ZzBHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEc2xrA2J1dHRvbg--;_ylc=X1MDMTM1MTE5NTcwMgRfcgMyBGFjdG4DY2xrBGJjawMwcGpzNzd0YXNkYm9qJTI2YiUzRDMlMjZzJTNEYWoEY3NyY3B2aWQDaHYuWWJ6RXdMaklNejRjX1ZjYXZFd2hZTWpNdU1RQUFBQUJsVllNRgRmcgN5aHMtYWRrLWFka19zYm50BGZyMgNzYS1ncARncHJpZANjR2pzaFlsVVFZaVRWUFQySi5TYUlBBG10ZXN0aWQDbnVsbARuX3N1Z2cDMgRvcmlnaW4DaW1hZ2VzLnNlYXJjaC55YWhvby5jb20EcG9zAzAEcHFzdHIDBHBxc3RybAMEcXN0cmwDMTIEcXVlcnkDbWF2ZXJpY2sgdm9yBHRfc3RtcAMxNTQ5MDY3NTYzBHZ0ZXN0aWQDbnVsbA--?gprid=cGjshYlUQYiTVPT2J.SaIA&pvid=hv.YbzEwLjIMz4c_VcavEwhYMjMuMQAAAABlVYMF&p=maverick+vor&fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&ei=UTF-8&n=60&x=wrt&type=A1&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&param1=20181121&param2=11fa2cbb-08b7-49b9-8f5c-9928b46b06dd&param3=flights_~US~appfocus1&param4=d-lp0-bb9~Chrome~picture+of+maverick+vortex~FE6F89AE39FB9DF531593335C80B8245#id=2&iurl=http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/display/d275d82c-014c-44e4-86c7-c8bfc8571664.jpg&action=click

http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=44afff35-6ea0-4ced-bc3b-594087fdc57b
 
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SkyHog said:
I am in Keller, TX. Saw one of those fancy “Warning, this facility is used in FAA Air Traffic Control” signs. Behind the fence is this monstrosity.

Any ideas? It has a octogon shaped base, so maybe a VOR? If so, not like one I have ever seen before.

View attachment 71240
Click to expand...

If you got close enough to snap this pic, you're done, toast... they got ya... I would suggest the COSTCO pack of Reynolds Foil from here on in...

12774-TinFoilHat-May-Move02_650x.gif
 
Ravioli said:
First, that isn't VOR. You should know that those aren't golf balls.

Second, the base it's on is to move it high enough to work correctly with the areas geography and obstacles.

Same decking as used for two (actual) vor's here. Maverick and Cowtown. Both are on very high platforms.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrEzNwi5VRcqjgA0Zw2nIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTBsZ29xY3ZzBHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEc2xrA2J1dHRvbg--;_ylc=X1MDMTM1MTE5NTcwMgRfcgMyBGFjdG4DY2xrBGJjawMwcGpzNzd0YXNkYm9qJTI2YiUzRDMlMjZzJTNEYWoEY3NyY3B2aWQDaHYuWWJ6RXdMaklNejRjX1ZjYXZFd2hZTWpNdU1RQUFBQUJsVllNRgRmcgN5aHMtYWRrLWFka19zYm50BGZyMgNzYS1ncARncHJpZANjR2pzaFlsVVFZaVRWUFQySi5TYUlBBG10ZXN0aWQDbnVsbARuX3N1Z2cDMgRvcmlnaW4DaW1hZ2VzLnNlYXJjaC55YWhvby5jb20EcG9zAzAEcHFzdHIDBHBxc3RybAMEcXN0cmwDMTIEcXVlcnkDbWF2ZXJpY2sgdm9yBHRfc3RtcAMxNTQ5MDY3NTYzBHZ0ZXN0aWQDbnVsbA--?gprid=cGjshYlUQYiTVPT2J.SaIA&pvid=hv.YbzEwLjIMz4c_VcavEwhYMjMuMQAAAABlVYMF&p=maverick+vor&fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&ei=UTF-8&n=60&x=wrt&type=A1&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&param1=20181121&param2=11fa2cbb-08b7-49b9-8f5c-9928b46b06dd&param3=flights_~US~appfocus1&param4=d-lp0-bb9~Chrome~picture+of+maverick+vortex~FE6F89AE39FB9DF531593335C80B8245#id=2&iurl=http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/display/d275d82c-014c-44e4-86c7-c8bfc8571664.jpg&action=click

http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=44afff35-6ea0-4ced-bc3b-594087fdc57b
Click to expand...
Wow. I’ve never seen a VOR like that either. Texas sure is different what from I’m used to.
 
SkyHog said:
Wow. I’ve never seen a VOR like that either. Texas sure is different what from I’m used to.
Click to expand...
A lot of times you’ll see those as ‘on-field’ VOR’s. The ATL VOR is like that, as well as BNA. Both are on field.
 
woodchucker said:
Chemtrail solution storage tank. The antennas sticking out draw electrical energy through the skin of the tank to excite the molecules.
Click to expand...
Just looking at it has my molecules excited. Am I allowed to say that?
 
-KLB- said:
Sort of funny that I had spotted both KDAL and KDFW TDWR radar domes quite a while before I figured out what they were from skywarn spotter classes, and the weather radar data from them that is visible through RadarScope and other weather radar products. But this one I don't think I've actually seen yet.
Click to expand...
Classes are in session!
 
That is a NEXRAD weather RADAR.

Also, those VORs with the funny spoke-like thingies are called Adcock Radiator Ring VOR/DME. The old style TACAN is a mechanical spinning mask inside the cone. The newer digital DMEs are more of a cylinder with a bump on top.
 
IK04 said:
That is a NEXRAD weather RADAR.
Click to expand...
Except that the closest NEXRAD to Keller is KFWS, way down in Bureleson, about 30 miles south.

ETA: And while the TDWR sites do have FAA warnings around them, NEXRAD wouldn't.
 
-KLB- said:
Except that the closest NEXRAD to Keller is KFWS, way down in Bureleson, about 30 miles south.

ETA: And while the TDWR sites do have FAA warnings around them, NEXRAD wouldn't.
Click to expand...

Yep. That's ARSR. I didn't check the location of the nearesrNEXRAD. Good place for it, out on the middle of nowhere!
 
The good aspect of KFWS being so far off the edge, is that it will hopefully be a really long time before development starts obstructing its view. TDFW was fairly well positioned, with 270 degrees of its view protected by corps of engineers land for lake Lewisville. A few years ago, somebody built 3 story apartments on the remaining quadrant, and now TDFW does not run for those 90 degrees. I was surprised that the FAA had not acquired suitable height restriction covenants on that land back when it would have been fairly cheap. No idea if the have any plans to add height to the base, and rectify their blind spot or not.
 
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