What is this tower?

Jim K

Jim K

Final Approach
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Richard Digits
I was bringing a truck home from Rockford today, and passed this tower at Minonk, IL. It certainly has the aviation aesthetic. It looks to me like a secondary radar antenna. Perhaps a remote for Chicago Center? It spins if that's any clue.
B88632E6-9034-4C61-8CAC-83DCD2E42089.jpeg
 
Looks like a secondary surveillance radar tower.
 
Interesting. They're building a ton of windmills up there right now...I wonder if it has to do with weather radar or ATC radar. I must have missed it on the OE/AAA alerts I get for around here.

Edit: This must be it
Circle Search for Cases Results Form 7460-1 for ASN 2020-WTE-4194-OE (faa.gov)
ADLS Radar Tower in support of wind farm

I'll be going through there tomorrow and will be on the lookout for it.
 
It makes me think of a boat's radar, those don't have a tall scanning area since they are only concerned with other boats.
 
baboss said:
Interesting. They're building a ton of windmills up there right now...I wonder if it has to do with weather radar or ATC radar. I must have missed it on the OE/AAA alerts I get for around here.

Edit: This must be it
Circle Search for Cases Results Form 7460-1 for ASN 2020-WTE-4194-OE (faa.gov)
ADLS Radar Tower in support of wind farm

I'll be going through there tomorrow and will be on the lookout for it.
Click to expand...
Interesting.... thanks. It's definitely right in the middle of a bunch of windmills. I wish they had that on the ones they built down here last year; they just flash all night. I wonder if that's a county requirement. I also wonder what kind of range it has and how low you have to be to trigger the lights. Maybe I'll fly up there and experiment with it :idea:
 
Jim K said:
Interesting.... thanks. It's definitely right in the middle of a bunch of windmills. I wish they had that on the ones they built down here last year; they just flash all night. I wonder if that's a county requirement. I also wonder what kind of range it has and how low you have to be to trigger the lights. Maybe I'll fly up there and experiment with it :idea:
Click to expand...
I think my state passed a law in recent years requiring aircraft-detection control of wind turbine lights. The USAF opposed it because the sea of flashing red lights could alert an enemy to their helicopters going out to visit missile silos.
 
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