MOJAVE

 

Type: Junction/Power Feed/Terminal

Callsign:

Location: Just north of US-58 and northwest of Edwards Air Force Base.  Remote

LAT/LONG:

Paths: Bird Springs and High Vista.

Notes:

Mojave was a very important junction for both commercial and military communications.  Mojave was the switching terminus (end) for the first "nuclear hardened" L-3I transcontinental cable that started in Airmont, New York.   Mojave also served branch point for the cables serving southern California. L-3 Cables were routed from Mojave to Los Angeles 03 (Madison), San Bernardino and an extension to San Luis Obispo Junction (via Maricopa power feed) to connect with Transpacific cables.  Mojave was an AUTOVON site and secured military cables were routed to Edwards Air Force Base.

Mojave was a hardened site i.e. to "survive" a nuclear blast and had reinforced underground shelters with enough food and water for maintenance personal to allow communication continuity.  Emergency generators and decontamination equipment was also installed.

More info to come........

Note: These pictures were taken on a rare rainy day in the Mojave desert.  Quite a contrast to the typically hot, dry months.

As of December 2004, microwave "horns" have been removed.

 

Click on picture for larger size

  Overall view of site looking toward the northwest.  Antennas facing you are pointing to High Vista.

  Overall tower view.

  Looking to the north, thick concrete walled equipment/storage compound.

  Looking toward the northeast.

  Underground entrance building (strange shaped roof) to the left, substation in middle and a "vent" stack at the right.

  Hardened building at base of tower.  Note outside plant equipment.

  Four exhaust vents for underground compound.

Nuclear blast detector. (Center of picture on columnar concrete post).

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