Former FCC Monitoring Station Grand Island NE

[N9JIG]

Years ago I was privileged to have a tour of the FCC monitoring station in Grand Island Nebraska. This station closed 15 to 20 years ago.

Over the years I tried to go by when in the area to see if anything changed. The last time I was there was probably 5 or 6 years ago.

Last night I drove by it and it seems to be used for something now. It has a TV style satellite dish on the roof and there were a couple cars in the lot at an outbuilding nearby. The place still has a gated fence around it. The old wire antennas are long gone, as are the half-height telephone poles that supported them along the road.

Anyone know what the use of the facility is now? The building appears in very nice shape, and is an attractive brick building that would make a neat home...

 

[drdispatch]

The one in Allegan, Michigan is now a private residence.
It's condition is the same as you described, all antennae are gone, but the building is still in good shape from the looks of it:
https://goo.gl/maps/N9Fgo

On Satellite view you can see where some of the antennae used to be, west of the building:
https://goo.gl/maps/7z4af

I wonder if all the coax, copper, etc. is still there.

 

[N9JIG]

A friend and I got a tour of Allegan years ago as well. We had to make advance plans and submit to security questions but they were very pleasant about it and accommodating.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[drdispatch]

FCC Monitoring Stations

Our ham club made a field trip up to Allegan on 2 separate occasions way back when. Both times I had to work & couldn't get the day off. Looking back, I should have just called in sick.

I did get the chance to see one of their mobile units, though; One of their field engineers came down to help us catch a guy who was running so much power it was affecting his neighbor's toaster oven. The unit was a Ford Taurus station wagon with a rack of equipment in place of the front passenger seat, and most of the antennas were hidden in the roof or the windshield. As soon as that guy keyed up, the rack lit up, and the "Sniffer" DF equipment pointed right at his tower. By the time the FCC was done, the guy had racked up several hundred (if not thousand) dollars in fines, the FCC became the proud owner of yet another illegal amplifier. and the neighbors could once again watch TV & heat their food.

 

[SCPD]

Our ham club made a field trip up to Allegan on 2 separate occasions way back when. Both times I had to work & couldn't get the day off. Looking back, I should have just called in sick.

I did get the chance to see one of their mobile units, though; One of their field engineers came down to help us catch a guy who was running so much power it was affecting his neighbor's toaster oven. The unit was a Ford Taurus station wagon with a rack of equipment in place of the front passenger seat, and most of the antennas were hidden in the roof or the windshield. As soon as that guy keyed up, the rack lit up, and the "Sniffer" DF equipment pointed right at his tower. By the time the FCC was done, the guy had racked up several hundred (if not thousand) dollars in fines, the FCC became the proud owner of yet another illegal amplifier. and the neighbors could once again watch TV & heat their food.

Would love to see an FCC mobile DF vehicle. Like the above post, I understand the antennas are now hidden and not like the old days with a van looking like a Porcupine!. But then again I don't want one show up at my door. Always making sure my RF networks are clean.

 

[N0ZQR]

Was by it yesterday.Still has the U.S. Government signs on the fence.

 

[N0ZQR]

Rich, took a look at the pictures that I took and I think the "satellite dish" on the roof is for internet service into Grand Island(could be wrong).

Don't know if you noticed it, the gate was a keypad entry system and looked higher dollar than what a normal person would want to spend!

 

[kd0fx]

Years ago I was privileged to have a tour of the FCC monitoring station in Grand Island Nebraska. This station closed 15 to 20 years ago.

Over the years I tried to go by when in the area to see if anything changed. The last time I was there was probably 5 or 6 years ago.

Last night I drove by it and it seems to be used for something now. It has a TV style satellite dish on the roof and there were a couple cars in the lot at an outbuilding nearby. The place still has a gated fence around it. The old wire antennas are long gone, as are the half-height telephone poles that supported them along the road.

Anyone know what the use of the facility is now? The building appears in very nice shape, and is an attractive brick building that would make a neat home...

Can anyone tell me where this is located at? I'm nearby; it would be neat to drive by and take a look at it.

 

[mikepdx]

Can anyone tell me where this is located at?

Google is our very best friend.

http://landmarkhunter.com/177178-grand-island-fcc-monitoring-station/

5 mi. W of Grand Island near NE Spur 430, Grand Island, Nebraska

 

[N9JIG]

The physical address according to Google Maps is 617 N. Monitor Road, just north of Old Potash Road west of town. View it at https://goo.gl/maps/yZUzdq4i9mo


Enjoy!

 

[Hooligan]

I suspect some of the Monitoring Posts that people here are saying closed-down long-ago are still in operation, but remotely controlled by the FCC HFDF Center at Columbia Maryland & now solely using a more discrete type of antenna system.

 

[N9JIG]

Allegan is definitely closed, it has been converted to a private residence.

These posts had been remotely operated for a while so I suspect there may yet be some remote operation of something someplace.