KH6BB
USS Missouri Antenna Photos
| Missouri communications were primarily carried out on VHF satellite, using sixteen AN/WSC-3 VHF transceivers and two six-foot satellite dishes. All of these electronics and antennas were removed at decommissioning. But the ship also carried a great deal of HF transmitting and receiving equipment and antennas as backups. Fortunately most of the HF antennas were left in place and we have been able to put many of them back into operation. Although the Navy used the antennas on the ship either for transmitting or for receiving, but not both (with one exception), KH6BB uses them in transceive mode. |
For USS Missouri Radio Central Photos CLICK HERE
The principal HF transmitting antenna was this "discage" antenna up on the bow. It has two 1-5/8 inch heliax feedlines. When fed at the top, between the apex of the wire cone and the skeleton disk, it functions as a wide-band discone antenna in the 10-30 MHz range. When fed at the base of the cone against ground, it becomes a wide-band monopole in the 6-10 MHz. Range. The discone feed is the principal KH6BB antenna today.
This pair of 35-foot whips just forward of the flying bridge forms a surprisingly wide-band antenna in the 7-30 MHz range when fed in parallel at the base with no further matching system. This antenna was used only for receiving by the Navy, but KH6BB uses it for both receiving and transmitting (at power levels that satisfy RF safety standards for near-by visitors).
This pair of 14-foot transmitting whips is located midships on the starboard side. Note the 1-5/8 helix transmission line angling up towards the antenna (not connected yet). The white dome aft of the antenna houses one of the four CIWS (Close-In Weapons System) Gatling guns that can fire 3000 rounds per minute.
This 35-foot whip is located midships on the port side. The red-painted insulator at the base identifies it as a transmitting antenna (receiving antenna insulators are painted blue). The mounting brackets at the base are for a Harris remotely tuned antenna coupler (which we have but have not yet installed). This was the only HF antenna on the ship to have a tunable coupler at the antenna - all the other antenna tuners were located in the transmitter compartment.
This 18-foot trussed whip antenna is located far aft on an equipment shelter just above the main deck. It was originally a receiving antenna. The truss wires are electrically connected to the whip to give it a broad band response.
Low-frequency communications (4-8 MHz) was provided by this wire "fan" antenna - two sets of three-wire fans fed in parallel and running between superstructures atop the forward and aft stacks. This antenna was used for both transmitting and receiving.
For Mighty MO Radio Central Photos CLICK HERE