Radio sites improve facilities, equipment

  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  "It used to be a rat's nest," said Airman 1st Class Michael McHam, pointing to a neatly organized cluster of wires inside one of the 60th Communications Squadron's new radio receive/transmit sites.

The cluster was a jumbled mess inside the previous facility. The new site, one of two 483-square foot buildings like it at Travis, was completed last year, part of a $1.3 million project to update and improve the base's radio communications and their facilities.

The radios allow Travis' Air Traffic Control Tower and Radar Approach Control to communicate with aircraft in the base's airspace.

Calling the old facilities a "rat's nest" is a on the nose. The previous buildings, constructed in the late 1940s not long after the base was opened, suffered from a chronic pest problem referred to as "unstoppable" by Fred Schreiber, 60th Communications Squadron Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems manager.

"It was a health hazard as well as an issue that threatened the equipment," he said.

In one of the fiber optics stations in the old buildings, mice built a nest between units more than 5 feet above the floor. Rodents and snakes used tunnels dug for running wires and cables to invade the previous buildings.

No such issues exist in the new, state-of-the-art shelters. The entrances to the new building are raised several inches off the ground to prevent insects and pests from gaining access.

"It's a night and day difference," said Staff Sgt. Rafael Rivas, 60th CS noncommissioned officer in charge of airfield systems.

He said there were constant outages with the old facilities, sometimes requiring technicians to come out at 2 a.m. to replace or repair equipment.

"Now we don't have those issues anymore," he said.

In addition to the new facilities are a pair of 70-foot-tall monopole antennas, one for each facility. Previously, the base had old, wooden poles for each individual antenna, but maintenance proved a challenge.

"They were rotten and unsafe to climb," said Master Sgt. Scott Walker, 60th CS plans and programs section chief.

Because of the safety issue, maintaining the poles required a visit from a Beale Air Force Base team with a bucket truck.

Now, instead of individual poles for each of the base's 16 antennas, the devices now sit atop one steel pole at each building.

Putting a halt to Beale's visits is a savings Mr. Schreiber estimated at $5,000 a year.

Two different sites necessary in order to prevent frequency interference.

Additionally, the technicians now have a "screen room" inside the transmit facility available to test transmitters without worrying about the RF frequency interfering with on-going operations.

Both facilities have new backup generators as well as environmental control units to keep power uninterrupted and the interiors at a cool 65 degrees.

Also, the fiber optics were replaced, making for a more reliable communications system for the base.

When the radios go down, it's because of normal wear and tear, not due to other reasons, said Mr. Schreiber, who estimated the project was 15 years in the making.

The transfer of equipment, which took place in August, was accomplished speedily, as two weeks worth of work was accomplished in less than 100 hours, said Mr. Schreiber.

Funding for the project came from both Air Mobility Command as well as the base itself, according to Sergeant Walker. He added that the project was a collaborative success at every level, particularly the 60th Civil Engineer Squadron's work in building the facilities.

"Everyone on base showed a willingness to make things happen," he said.

Airman McHam, who was named Air Mobility Command's Outstanding Airfield Systems Airman for 2010 last month, said the new sites are "100 percent better" than the old ones. After working in the old buildings, he said you "kind of wanted to go home and take a shower."

Though the change is massive to members of the 60th CS, it has been fairly transparent to the base. Sergeant Rivas said the 60th CS's members haven't gotten a lot of feedback -- and that's just how he wants it.

"When we don't hear from our customers," he smiled, "that's a good thing."