Jeff,
-
- The following data was sent to us as "General Information
- Acting under instructions from USAF arising from the closure of 5SQS,
Space Warning Satellite facility at Nurrungar, Woomera, South Australia".
However, on examination, it turned out to be a most unusual Web Page. The
pages were put on line by a Government authorised auctioneer "Evans
& Clarke Auctions" - General Auctioneers Australia - the page
is called "USAF Mega Tender".
-
- * Site inspection Feb 8-9, Feb 15-16, Feb 23 2000. *
USAF Tenders Close 17th March 2000.
-
- Generally a defence auction would not raise any notice
to most in the UFO world, but to the interested researcher and UFO buff,
and need I say electronic or technically minded, these pages on this site
are full of interesting information about one of Australia's long held
defence base secrets.
-
- As we first report to list members on EBK UFO Updates
12 Oct 1999:
-
- http://www.ufomind.com/ufo/updates/1999/oct/m12-012.shtml
-
- The Joint Defence Facility spy base "Nurrungar"
in South Australia [s31:22 e137:10] designed to analyse satellite data
was closed on the 12 Oct 99. All Nurrungar spy base tasks were relocated
to Pine Gap.
-
- Nurrungar was a USAF ground station for the US Defence
Support Program (DSP). And controlled a set of Pacific / Asia geostationary
satellites designed to detect and track objects.
-
- Now it's your limited chance to have a very good look
into the inside of the base where 400 Australians and Americans worked.
-
- The Home Page [rather slow] is at:
-
- http://www.evansclarke.com.au/site.htm
-
- INDEX Page [images link at bottom]:
-
- http://www.evansclarke.com.au/megatender/
-
-
- You will need to navigate over lots of images in 11
- areas for the auction.
-
- This "USAF Mega Tender" includes approx:
-
- 17 - Transportable Houses, carports, fencing.
- 2 - large Radomes with 18m Dia. Satellite dishes.
- 1 - 3.9 Megawatt diesel Power plant & Switchgear.
- 4 - Large transportable buildings.
- 14 - Shed type building structures.
- 1 - Large office air-conditioning Chillier Plant.
- 1 - Complete Catering Facility.
- 1 - Large IBM 4381 Computer System.
- 1 - Talu Aircraft Loading Unit.
- 3 - Large Compacts Units.
- 4 - Large portable cool rooms.
-
- DETAILED LOOK INSIDE THE BASE.
-
- "Evans & Clarke Auctions" have produced
a very detailed visual look at the base. Take a good look at the images,
they tell a lot about the place. Also have a good look at the walls and
local area. I believe you will all be very surprised at the poor quality
of the equipment and the lack of any real plan!
-
- FOR THE RECORD.
-
- As this page will not last that long I have place on
this post data from 4 of the main sections for future reference.
-
- ***
-
- [1]. THE RADOME + SAT DISHES.
-
- IMAGES: On the Web = 31 Jpg
-
- VIEW: Outside & Inside the DOME. A most interesting
look at a HORN Monopulse Feed system, made by Philco-Ford Corp - WOL Div
- Palo Alto, Ca. This one has the parts number 99-199800-01-5.
-
- STS Bravo comprised a 60-foot dish with dual elevation
and azimuth motors for positioning. It was remotely controlled by computer
workstations from inside the SRS work centre, or locally from a similar
workstation. It could also be manually positioned in emergency situations.
Both the large mission antennas had simultaneous receive/transmit capability,
with extra receiving horns providing auto tracking capability, interference
suppression and scintillation processing to maximise signal quality.
-
- DISH IMAGES: http://www.evansclarke.com.au/megatender/usaf_sts/index.htm
SPECIFICATIONS:
-
- ***
-
- [2]. THE OLD MAIN FRAME COMPUTER.
-
- IMAGES: On the Web = 31 Jpg
-
- VIEW: The Data Reduction Centre used the IBM 4381 Computer
System to process and record infrared data detected by satellite and transmitted
by the Satellite Tracking Station (SRS). The raw Satellite data was relayed
through a variety of computers and electronic equipment and finally to
the DRC'c IBM 4381 mainframe computers. The mainframe computers each had
dual processors: a support processor and an instruction processor. The
processors filtered out any spurious data by comparing the data against
pre programmed event criteria. Data that were not needed were discarded
while data that met certain criteria were formatted and sent to the SOC
for further evaluation, this time by human beings.
-
- COMPUTER IMAGES: http://www.evansclarke.com.au/megatender/usaf_ibm_4381/index.htm
SPECIFICATIONS: nil.
-
- ***
-
- [3]. THE POWER PLANT.
-
- IMAGES: On the Web = 33 Jpg
-
- VIEW: The JDFN Power Plant was commissioned on March
5th 1971. With no commercial power available the power plant was designed
to operate 24 hours a day using five 1947 Nordberg diesel powered generators.
A sixth generator was added in 1989, providing additional redundancy in
power supply and ensuring continuously stable power for the sixty-one facilities
at the site. Each of these vintage generators was capable of producing
up to 650 Kilowatts, 480 Volts, and 60-Hertz power for a combined total
of 3.9 megawatts of power.
-
- In a 24-hour period, each unit used approximately 3410
litres (750 gallons) of diesel fuel, or about 3,200,000 litres (700,000
gallons) per year. Each Unit was supported by auxiliary equipment, such
as the dual-stage air compressors used for starting them. In 1995, electronic
switchgear was installed in the plant. The electrical bus was changed to
a dual-bus system, allowing the separation of critical and utility loads.
-
- The upgrade also integrated programmable logic control,
data acquisitioning, automatic start-up, and synchronization and governor
control. This state-of-the-art technology allowed the operator one button
operation. The data acquisition system, along with the local control board,
recorded and monitored load, amperage, and system pressures and temperatures.
-
- Although these generators and their associated support
equipment required tender loving care, the plant proved it's reliability
by providing electricity for many years to all JDFN Work centres
-
- POWER PLANT IMAGES: link
- SPECIFICATIONS: link
- ***
-
- [4]. THE MAIN TRANSPORT BUILDINGS.
-
- IMAGES: On the Web = 40 Jpg
-
- VIEW: The following transportable buildings are being
- offered for tender as part of the United States Air
- force Mega Tender.
-
- 013 Transportable, IM.
- 0167 Transportable, IM Class Room.
- 017 Steel Building, CE Offices.
- 050 Steel Building, Security Services Office.
- 051 Steel Building, Base Services Office & Alt SOC.
- 052 Steel Shed, Sustenance Store.
- 053 Demountable, CE Main Office.
- 054 Steel Shed, Sustenance Store.
- 055 BBQ.
- 062 Transportable and Garage, Electrical Main Yard.
- 065 Site Break Area & Ablutions.
- 1210 Refuse Collection Shed.
- 1211 Garden Shed.
- 1212 Garden shed.
-
- View floor plans, available on the "Pic Tutorial
Page", to gain an indication of buildings suitable to your needs.
Please note that any drawings illustrating floor plans etc are not drawn
to scale, and are only to be viewed as approximations.
-
- ***
-
- As I said, you will find a lot more, but I think you
will find the data most interesting and a limited view & insight into
the workings of a very old but important defence link.
-
- Get what you need now, this page will not last long!
-
- Enjoy.
-
-
- Best Regards,
-
- John W. AUCHETTL - Director PRA Research
-
- DR Ron BARNETT - Deputy Director
-
-
- WARNING: Spelling Error! The web page spells with a [a]
as Narrungar it should be Nurrungar with a [u].
-
- Phenomena Research Australia [PRA] P.O. Box 523, Mulgrave,
Victoria, Australia, 3170 Australian & Asia UFO 1961-2000 - 39 YEARS
OF RESEARCH SERVICE
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