While trawling MERX, these locations came up; with some Google Satellite View snooping it was pretty easy to identify their locations. However, I'm light on details as to what system they support. Are they part of the "Strategic National Communications
infrastructure"(citation)? I would guess that Cardiff and Riverbend are remotely operated by CFB Edmonton, and that Carrying Place and Point Petre are operated by CFB Trenton; but that's only a guess, based solely on proximity. Three of the four sites have the unmistakable LPH-89 antennas in their antenna farms, so I assume some of their duties involve HF communication.
(LPH-89 Antenna @ USAF HF Receiver Site, Lincoln, California)
The next time I'm near Trenton I'll certainly check out Carrying Place and Point Petre and hopefully get some better pictures of their antennas.
(LPH-89 Antenna @ USAF HF Receiver Site, Lincoln, California)
The next time I'm near Trenton I'll certainly check out Carrying Place and Point Petre and hopefully get some better pictures of their antennas.
Carrying Place Receiver Site
Note the directional microwave antenna pointing SE toward Point Petre.
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Point Petre Transmitter Site
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Cardiff Transmitter Site
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Riverbend Receiver Site
Note the directional microwave antenna pointing NW toward Cardiff
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If the antennas you've identified are the same as the US one you pictured, then the point of these installations is to facilitate HF comms in the arctic. Op NANOOK and other sovereignty exercises in Canada's north have highlighted the need for dedicated HF infrastructure, as this remains the only reliable means way up there.
ReplyDeleteUpdated with street-view of the sites which had street view available - as it turns out all of them have those big fancy HF antennas!
ReplyDeleteEach site is supplied with three phase power, and just looking at the google streetview pictures the visible three pole mount transformers are somewhere between 15 and 30 kVA each, resulting in an estimated site available power of 45 to 90 kW. Remember that this also supplies all the building things like lighting so it's not all available for "transmitter power" My 2 cents. Usually the kVA are stencil painted on the cans, 25 means 25 kVA etc. So if someone drives by and can look with the naked eye, they can probably read the sizes.
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