Beale Air Force Radar and the Amateur 70 cm Band - MDARC Meeting March 19
Posted by af6aq on March 3rd, 2010
To MDARC AND our colleagues in the Amateur Radio Community;
On March 19, 2010 MDARC will be visited by Lt. Coln. Keppler and Captain Leineger from Seventh Space Warning Squadron at BEALE Air Force Base.
These two US Air Force officers will present a program at the MDARC meeting on the upgraded radar system that we share the 440 band with.
You and your ARRL affliated organization are cordially invited to join us.
It is important that we all attend so we may understand the mission of the Beale Air Force Space Warning radar system. We share the 70 cm band with the Beal radar system for which the FCC has assigned the primary use for the band.
Our Amateur radio operations on 440 MHz crucially affect the Air Force radar noise threshold and the ability of the Beale radar to detect and resolve space objects.
We have been asked to lower transmitter power of a number of 440 band repeaters in Northern CA to reduce the noise threshold at the Beal AFB radar.
The missions of the Seventh Space Warning Squadron at BEALE AFB are:
(1.) Detect and track hostile missiles from the moment of launch.
(2.) Guide US defensive interceptor missiles, to destroy these hostile missiles in flight.
(3.) To track thousands of space debris objects.
Even miniscule space debris poses a threat of serious damage to the International Space Station, Space Shuttle, the GPS satilites and communications satellites.
Our meeting will be held at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette, CA at 7:30PM.
Due to another major event at the church that night we are upstairs in the sanctuary that seats 330 people.
Our normal parking lot will probably be full with the other event so we will use the upper parking lot and street parking. Please do not park directly on the street in front of the church because that is an enforced no parking zone.
We ask that if possible, you car pool to this meeting and monitor 147.06 W6CX repeater for parking instructions. If you should have questions, please contact us at jtronan@aol. com or 510 649 9045.
My most cordial 73,
JohN K3ZJJ