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NCS Installs New SHARES Antenna to Enhance High Frequency Emergency Radio
From October 3-5, communications workers removed the old Shared Resources (SHARES) High Frequency Radio Program antenna from its tower site off of South Courthouse Road, and replaced the ice-damaged antenna with a larger antenna system.
Hazzard said the installation went without problems and
that the NCS will be completing two important steps before the new SHARES
antenna resumes full operations. “We need to first complete the
required RF (radio frequency) sweep tests to ensure the new unit performs
to specifications,” said Hazzard. Once that is complete, he added
that the NCS needs to install new remote circuits from the NCS’s
Arlington operations center/radio room to the tower site so the NCS
can obtain full remote capabilities to the new antenna. Recently, SHARES operators stood ready to respond to Federal
Government needs during the Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, activating to
its highest levels before, during and after each landfall. Questions or comments concerning this site? Please contact the webmaster. |
             
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Arlington,
VA. October 08, 2008 - A new antenna – installed last
weekend in Arlington -- will improve high frequency radio operations
for one of the National Communications System’s (NCS) priority
communications programs, allowing the NCS to better monitor and participate
in backup emergency radio communications in the event of national emergencies.
Using
a crane, construction workers lifted and installed the 1,600-pound antenna
fixture into place last Sunday. The new antenna – measuring 65-feet
in length and 86-feet in breadth – replaces a smaller model that
has lasted about 12 years. Larry Hazzard, who leads SHARES operations
with the NCS Critical Infrastructure Protection Branch, said he anticipates
that the larger antenna will yield better performance with improved
gain and directivity.