• Matt Blaze@federate.socialOP
      1·
      3 months ago

      I should note that while the site had a number of discone antennas like this one, they were mostly there as backups in case the main antennas (including truly massive wire rhombics pointing toward various oceanic regions) or transmitter combiners failed. The old Bell System did not mess around.

      • Lot⁴⁹@mstdn.social
        1·
        3 months ago

        @mattblaze@federate.social Often felt that if AT&T leadership had been visionary, instead of focused on charging you $1.50/month for a long handset cord, there’d be no Internet or cable teevee.

      • Matt Blaze@federate.socialOP
        1·
        3 months ago

        Here, by the way, is what I believe was the last published frequency list and schedule for the High Seas service. (A souvenir of my last visit to the station before it went off the air.)

      • jbaggs@infosec.exchange
        1·
        3 months ago

        @mattblaze@federate.social It makes sense they’d use something more omnidirectional / lower gain, and broad spectrum for backups.

    • Jake Miller@federate.social
      1·
      3 months ago

      @mattblaze@federate.social Wow! That’s really interesting, thanks! I wonder if we are going to regret being dependent on satellites for all comms in the next decade or so - the risk/threat profile seems to have changed since 1999.