Natiional Radio Quiet Zone W.Va

[Phil]

Hi Richard

Yeah, I knew you guys had visited and there was a ban on digital cameras etc. that had you guys scrambling to find replacement batteries for the light meters in your old 35 mm cameras. I was just intrigued about what Josh was highlighting in particular about errors in the news report - people have mobile phones, TVs and radios? Everyone huddles around Jethroe's crystal set on a Tuesday night and dance very quietly? Burglars enjoy the security of burglar alarms being banned? The place isn't full of EMphobics? It was a rather wide-open statement that needed some clarification - but clearly only to me.

Phil M1GWZ


On 14 Aug 2013, at 15:02, Richard O'Neill wrote:

> On 8/13/2013 3:56 PM, Phil wrote:
> 
> please elaborate - in what way different?
> 
> 
> Phil,
> 
> Brian and I have visited the NRO facility with a local group from AMRAD. It's an interesting place to visit but for a country site differs little from a hundred other places in West Virginia. Mountains, cows, widely separated tiny towns and endless winding roads with plenty of switch backs. A great place to get away from it all or hide in plain sight from the authorities.
> 
> The region near NRO differs only in that no transmitters are allowed. However, night time does bring in sky wave signals across the broadcast frequencies. On my car radio I was able to hear most of the usual stuff and a few low power regional stations on AM. FM was pretty quiet, not full of stations as it is along the east coast and most everywhere else I've traveled.
> 
> The NRO site has overnight accommodations for visitors - plus a cafeteria. No fast food places at all. Rooms are equipped with phone, cable TV, AC and indoor plumbing. A bit fancy for my preferred camping lifestyle but it'll do in a pinch. ;-) The time I was there (August?) the night sky was very dark but not particularly steady for telescopic viewing. Cool air draining off nearby mountains continuously spills into the valley until sunrise. I suspect fog a frequent occurrence in Summer with brutal snows in Winter. Weather extremes abound there. All in all an interesting place to visit but, aside from an old gas station / general store down the road a bit (reminiscent of the movie, 'Deliverance') and an occasional modest home, very short on anything resembling civilization as we know it. Bring a bango and you'd be right at home. :-)
> 
> Richard