Tour the Russian 'Woodpecker' (DUGA): Featured in CNN Travel News

Speaking of my research on the matter -

Out of Western Russia:
DUGA-3 (Arc-3) RADAR (TX) system ['Russian Woodpecker' and 'Steel Yard'] 51.305318° 30.065265° (sub-station just outside the perimeter fence)
DUGA-3 (Arc-3) RADAR (RX) system 51.637762° 30.702823° (sub-station just outside the perimeter fence)
The 2 above are spread by 35.9 miles, and have the same exact directional axis to each other.

Out of Eastern Russia:
DUGA-? (Arc-?) RADAR RX system 50.386837° 137.325960° (sub-station just outside the perimeter fence)
DUGA-? (Arc-?) RADAR RX system 50.892813° 136.835508° (sub-station just outside the perimeter fence)
The 2 above are spread by 41.1 miles, and have the same exact directional axis to each other.

These 2 systems above 'meet' (converge) near WaKeeney, Kansas at 39.060778° -99.937540°

Out of Ukraine:
DUGA-1 & DUGA 2 (pointed towards Europe) 47.041420° 32.199278°

KK4VRE

 

The old sub-station was located just outside the facility: 51.303344° 30.072764°
If you like, you can still follow the transmission line 'cut swatch' back to the reactor plant.
You should read my other post in this thread.

 

From wikipedia:
the antenna array usually seen in pictures is the receiving site, located at 51°18′19.06″N 30°03′57.35″E
the transmitter site is at 51°38′15.98″N 30°42′10.41″E

 

They got that backwards (RX vs TX).

 

I love big in antennas

 

That was when it was time to go on 80 and 160 where it didnt operate and the low end of 40 CW was often manageable with a directional antenna. I went from phased verticals to a 4 el 40M KLM (linear loaded and about 10' longer elements than 20M on a 42' boom during its operation and didnt miss much.

Iffn I remember it wasnt on the ham bands during a major contest and other times it could be forced to QSY with the keyer in full dit mode and a little VFO swishing.

Carl

 

You can watch a very nice video from famous Russian blogger MSH (video has English CC and there is a series of 3 chained videos).

He makes a lot of interesting videos about many post-USSR places like Chernobyl, different abandoned factories, subways. He actually makes pretty good fact discovery about those places.

 

You didn't tell'em what was in Kansas 40 years ago.

It wasn't Toto....or Dorothy.

Never mind the man behind the invisibility cloak (chuckle)

;-)

For example, this link is interesting....

http://www.548sms.com/missilelocations.htm

I am not sure what info is out there for the post-Atlas days.

The Duga system was designed for asymmetric warfare. That's when the species pushes itself back into the stone age.

My opinion; yours may differ.

Just remember, this is from a country that turned its space shuttle into an ice cream stand (no, NOT the USA!)....lotsa denial of true use.

For those of you who like to look at the ionosphere as a 'national park', don't poo poo this very dangerous use of the electron based magic mirror. Thank God it is history.

The DUGA system was the Soviet's 'Star Wars'.

Most of the US 'big boy toys' are now in Montana, NDak, and Wyoming. Where the buffalo roam...with poor eyesight, purple tongues and attitudes in a 2000 pound muscle bag.

I sleep well.

 

to have antenna like this...would I need a building permit? what about aircraft warning lights. with only running 1 watt and the antenna gain, you wouldn't need any sun spots.

 

Don't worry about planes....they will fall out of the sky when they enter the main beam....

;-)

 

I'm glad to see some links to explorations of the antenna.
There is also youtuber called, "bionerd23" who explored the antenna and some of the neighboring buildings.

 

Speaking of EW, when I couldn't sleep the other night, I turned on my Grundig FR-200 portable radio. While tuning across the AM BCB, I heard "CQ CONTEST CQ CONTEST - K3LR - KILO THREE LIMA RADIO - CONTEST" on Donald Duck slop bucket.

The human microprocessor took care of BFO duties...

 

I was on the woodpecker monitoring team that volunteered to monitor and send in info reports . Still have the reporting booklet they sent out at end required reporting period that they wanted, along with the postcard thank you that was sent to us. More info you want, hum...de Jerry kb7aa

 

Some of those “toys” are still active in N. Colorado.