-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: Jim McDonald <jim@n7us.net>
To: ADXA Reflector <adxa@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: Gary K8BN <gcapek@earthlink.net>
Subject: [adxa] [Fwd: [CADXA-TEMPE] The rest of the story]
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 01:51:46 +0000
Interesting note below. Arne, do you still work at Laguna?
Jim N7US
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [CADXA-TEMPE] The rest of the story
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 18:00:48 -0700
From: Gary Capek
Reply-To: Gary Capek
To: CADXA@LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
When the signal interfering with the DX end of 80 was brought to our
attention by Paul, W8AEF, several of us got involved to try and sort it out.
Stations from Utah, Flagstaff, and Tucson were contacted to listen. Then
when Paul thought it was from the North East I did an Internet search for
the Yosemite Sam reports and got the callsigns of the two ABQ hams who
ferreted out the culprit. N7IR remembered the Sam story too. I sent an
email to the ARRL folks followed with a phone call. They would ask their
20-30 monitoring stations to listen too. Paul sent a .wav file to help them
understand what we were hearing.
I contacted K5MGR and WA5OIP, who had been instrumental in finding the
source of Sam. Their initial NVIS tests put the origin right over the
Yosemite Sam source. Then the FCC was contacted because the signal was
covering the FAA aviation WX station on 3485. FCC case EB-05-DV-481 was
opened and they got involved. The FCC contact was a friend of K5MGR and had
been helpful with Sam. On an Indian reservation in Western New Mexico is a
company called Laguna Industries, in New Laguna. They run a facility for
use by the US Government and several other high tech firms. Go to :
www.monmouth.army.mil/CRDC/n_mosaic.htm for a place to start, then visit
www.laguna-industries.com/Lines_of_Business/ MATIC_Center/matic_center.html
. You may have to cut and paste this since Word didn't underline it as a.
url.
It is interesting that even Tri-Ex Towers is a customer, among other big
name corporations.
Here is the email from K5MGR in its entirety.
Got it, found it, talked to the folks there (it was the MATIC facility) and
it's now off the air.
The signal's propagation was the same as Yosemite Sam -- a DF bearing from
here in Albuquerque by Mike Stark, WA5OIP put the location right over the
MATIC facility's location.
Sidebar:
a friend of mine is an analyst for a number of government/military programs.
Several months ago after hearing my MATIC story (his family and my family
frequently walk our dogs together) he asked me if I'd like to sit in on an
unclassified meeting and tour of the MATIC facility. I participated as an
RF consultant to his company, met all the folks, got the complete tour, and
had lunch with the manager, the director, and the chief engineer. Nobody at
the facility had a clue that I'd been half of the team that DF'd Yosemite
Sam
Also -- I do a weekly radio program on our local 50,000 watt news/talk
station, NewsRadio 770 KKOB called "Hi-Tech New Mexico" on which I interview
representatives of companies from the New Mexico high tech sector. I
invited the MATIC folks to appear. They had no idea I was the guy in their
driveway taking pictures of the facility, nor that as a "consultant" I was
also the Hi-Tech NM radio host. They had no reason to associate the three
experiences as being one person.
When they came to the studio for the program, they recognized me as the
"consultant."
After the show was over, I asked them "So what was the deal with Yosemite
Sam, anyway?"
You shoulda seen their jaws drop as I told them who I was. "You were the guy
in the white truck taking pictures and waving back at me," the facility
manager exclaimed. "Yep," I said, smiling, and watching them all laugh
nervously.
Result: we're on a first-name basis, I've been invited back out, and we have
a very good relationship.
I called the Chief Engineer, Chuck Murdock, this morning -- he said he'd
check to see if the signal was coming from his facility.
It was.
He said he'd call the customer and express the problem -- particularly since
the signal was interfering with the FAA weather advisory SSB channel below
80 meters.
And now the signal is gone.
Apparently the FCC also called him and got the same response (a cooperative
one) that I got.
The program is a "black" government propagation study -- the MATIC folks are
not told what their customer is doing. The system is controlled out of Fort
Wayne, Indiana.
And now you know the rest of the story !
If I can be of continuing help, just let me know !
Mike/K5MGR
_________________________________________________
This is a good reminder that what you know is important, but WHO you know is
everything. A big thank you to out fellow DXers in ABQ and a tip of the
hallowed hat to them.
Gary K8BN
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