Big white radar (?) sphere things near A59 (?)

Big white radar (?) sphere things near A59 (?)

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Discussion

Kiltie

Original Poster:

7,504 posts

245 months

Saturday 4th October 2014
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Hello people of Yorkshire. smile

We were driving to Skipton on Thursday evening and saw these big white sphere things.

I saw a sign nearby to (I think) RAF Menwith Hill but I can't figure out from Google Maps what we would have been seeing.

Thanks. smile

Sportidge

1,032 posts

236 months

Saturday 4th October 2014
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Yup, RAF Menwith Hill, right alongside the A59:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/RAF+Menwith+Hi...

http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/rafmenwithhill....

<Adjusts tin foil hat, as they're probably listening....> ears

Kiltie

Original Poster:

7,504 posts

245 months

Saturday 4th October 2014
quotequote all
Perfect - thanks. smile

When I get back from a road trip, I have to spend a little bit of time Googling for stuff I've seen.

I've just established the significance of all the yellow bicycles too. biggrin

Viperzs

966 posts

166 months

Saturday 4th October 2014
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It is heavily populated by the US and used for monitoring and intelligence support.

julianm

1,531 posts

200 months

Saturday 4th October 2014
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Don`t pull up & start taking photos or you`ll find yourself having a chat with some blokes in uniform:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjblackwell/12243668...

If you can have a chat with one of the Yanks there they`ll be able to help you with locating those emails you deleted a few years ago.

Evoluzione

10,345 posts

242 months

Sunday 5th October 2014
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julianm said:
Don`t pull up & start taking photos or you`ll find yourself having a chat with some blokes in uniform:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjblackwell/12243668...
You aswell? hehe I took some pics of a car a year or two ago with that as a background, a few days later I had the boys in blue knocking on my door, I was hiding behind the curtains wasn't in so my brother (who just happened to be outside) spoke to them, I think he just confirmed who I was and no further action was taken. I did wonder how many of my emails/texts/phone calls have been read/listened into since though. wavey

Martin_Hx

3,951 posts

197 months

Monday 6th October 2014
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Many years ago (about 10!) i was nominated to deliver a load of gear here (IT, printer stuff)

So i drive up but go in the wrong entrance.... whoops. I wondered why there were all these obstacles to stop me gaining any speed, 5-6 guys pop out with MP5's and a couple of dogs. They had to sweep the van inside/outside and underneath.

They realised my mistake but gave me very privileged badge to pass through the "back entrance" into the base to then drive back out and back in the proper entrance to get a vehicle pass + ID, whoops.

It was a bit daunting when i was first stopped though

DoctorX

7,240 posts

166 months

Monday 6th October 2014
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I've been in one, it contained a normal looking radar dish and the dome is a radio transparent protection from the elements.

(or so they said, who knows what's in all the others..... scratchchin)

Most jaw dropping sight was the 'gas' prices at the petrol station. Jammy sods!

BULLITT Rich

550 posts

215 months

Monday 6th October 2014
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My dad once got a job to repair a monitor there when he worked for Ganada TVs, this was 30+ years ago so things were repaired rather than replaced.

He was told by the guard at the front gate how to get where he needed to be on the base in typical military fashion but since my dad is deaf in one ear he didn't quite it all so was told if he gets lost to just stop and they'd find him.

As expected he got lost, stops and put his hazards on, within 60 seconds a jeep pulls up with four very armed soldiers in it. He explains and they politely say they will escort him to where he needs to be but with the last stern instruction from one of the guards "follow us, if you stop or decide to take a different route you will be arrested or shot"

Gets to the building and says the monitor needs to be taken to the workshop for repair - not allowed, under no circumstances, being told abruptly that he isn't taking any equipment away and he won't be allowed back on the base if he leaves. So had to get all of the spares and equipment driven up and dropped off at the gate which was brought to the building after being searched through. Took all day to fix one monitor.

Not his most enjoyable experience and the company apparently didn't like doing jobs there because of similar experiences. Understandable why but you'd think they'd have their own tech staff rather than using outside contracts if it's so secret.

coppice

8,564 posts

143 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
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It's so secret I went to a wedding reception there once.Very cheap rounds at the bar. Not as sinister as Fylingdales - once walking across the moors there to shortcut to a rally stage; didn't consciously ignore signs but warned off by gun toting guards nevertheless

skip_1

3,459 posts

189 months

Saturday 11th October 2014
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Not the best pic as they don't like you to take pics inside and you may be renditioned to Poland or somewhere, but I managed to find this picture somewhere.

to3m

1,226 posts

169 months

Sunday 12th October 2014
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DoctorX said:
I've been in one, it contained a normal looking radar dish and the dome is a radio transparent protection from the elements.

(or so they said, who knows what's in all the others..... scratchchin)

Most jaw dropping sight was the 'gas' prices at the petrol station. Jammy sods!
They pretty much all used to be open to the elements, I think, and (at the time) they were just fairly ordinary-looking radar dishes. Who knows what's gone on since then of course. From memory the golf balls started to proliferate in anger in the late 1980s... or thereabouts? I was a child at the time and my family used to take the dog for walks at nearby Brimham Rocks. My childhood memories could easily be faulty of course...

My school friends and I often used to gawp at the American saloons that could sometimes be seen parked or driving round Harrogate, looking (it must be said) somewhat out of place. I'd always assumed that people working on the base got free shipping for their cars, and the cheap petrol would explain why they bothered to actually use them wink

Edited by to3m on Sunday 12th October 22:29

Mr Whippy

28,945 posts

240 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
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The ones at Menwith Hill were all big radar dishes the last time I looked.

I remember in the mid 90's they were doing work up there, a few new ones (a bigger one) and some of the others had their domes off for a time.


I also recall going on to their site to go bowling many moons ago, and having burger and fries. That may not seem like a fancy thing now but in the mid to late 80's it was probably quite new ish to the UK.


I still don't get why they have radar dishes in there though, or the domes. Maybe they went to planar array like Fylingdales but have left them inside domes?!

Fylingdales is a weird one indeed. I've managed to be able to walk around the outside quite closely when it was domes and also the new planar array, and that new one has a certain 'thrum' to it in the air. Feels kinda weird. I felt like if I hung around too long I might become sterile hehe

Ah the joys of rounding up sheep over hundreds of acres of bleak moorland!

Dave

marksx

5,052 posts

189 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
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Fylingdales is a strange place. Odd atmosphere when you walk around. Probably all the radiation above head height they warn you about.

Marc p

1,023 posts

141 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
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I live very near Menwith Hill, I have been in quite a few times as there is an Independance Day car show every year, which is really good, plus, as it's filled with yanks, so there is always an array of American muscle cars round me(they bring their cars with them). I was in the supra about a year ago and a nice black SRT Challenger in front of me did the most epic rolling burnout I have ever seen...........at 4 in the afternoon, on a Tuesday biggrin

Vaud

50,291 posts

154 months

Sunday 26th October 2014
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They aren't radars.

Mr Whippy

28,945 posts

240 months

Monday 27th October 2014
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What are they then?

Pointing them at comms satellites and listening in instead?!

Dave

Vaud

50,291 posts

154 months

Monday 27th October 2014
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Mr Whippy said:
What are they then?
Pointing them at comms satellites and listening in instead?!
Yes. Comms dishes of various types.

benjj

6,787 posts

162 months

Monday 27th October 2014
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It started out as part of the US's early warning system for ICBM launches in the Soviet Bloc.

It then developed into a key part of the Echelon system and is used for signals intelligence, up to and including private mobile, landline, email and web traffic monitoring. This information is shared between us, them and the Aussies I think.

GOG440

9,247 posts

189 months

Monday 27th October 2014
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Marshalled on a stage that ran past Fylingdales a couple of years ago, lots of weird electrical glitches, one of the guys was locked out of his car despite having the key in his hand! On my car the odometer zeroed itself then went back to normal. I thought I had imagined it then it did it again a minute or two later. We also had horrible comms problems all day, the bigger sets wouldnt work at all, only managed any communication with the little handhelds.