While I was working on the Census out on the Ft. Hall Indian Reservation I drove down a road and saw this very interesting house with quite an antenna array! There are at least six antennas all with different purposes. One antenna on the roof of the house is specifically for communicating by way of the amateur radio satellites in orbit. Most of these satellites receive on one amateur radio frequency and re-transmit the received signal on a different frequency. These are very high frequencies that have only line-of-sight capability … that is, they don’t bounce off the ionosphere like shortwave frequencies do. However, they do allow communications to occur over very long distances. This fellow’s setup is a fully-automated array. That means the system automatically tracks the satellite as it passes somewhere overhead. It also means he’s got a LOT of money invested!

It is an axiomatic truth that the ham radio operator’s radio is no better than the antenna to which it is connected. This guy has some excellent antennas and looks to be a very dedicated ham radio operator!

This is also catch-up day. I’ve got several days worth of pictures that need to be uploaded. TTFN!