Kusojiji
RANK AMATEURS OF THE MODEL RAILROAD FORM MEMBER
I just watched this video about the folks on the USS NJ working to get systems moving on the ship. This one is about the OE-82 satellite communications system that I used to work on. The only thing related to the OE-82 is the gray box with the two big knobs on it, about his face level. That's the controller that receives ships course info and keeps the antenna pointing at the satellite as the ship changes course. Depending on what circuit you want to use, you have to point the antenna in the general direction of that geo-stationary satellite, which is where those big knobs come in.
I'd get calls about a ship not being able to come up on a certain circuit. As I walked to the ship, I'd be looking up at their trashcans and see if they were pointing the same as the other ships in the area. If they were not, that's the first thing that needed to be investigated as their look angle was only 15 degrees.
In the end of the video, he asks which systems would make the ship look like it was coming back to life. To me, any antenna that rotates. That's part of pre-underway checks - get the navigation antennas spinning. The air search radars normally don't get going until out at sea, but in this case, they can get those going as well.
Rotating radars was our signal that they were getting ready to go to sea.
I'd get calls about a ship not being able to come up on a certain circuit. As I walked to the ship, I'd be looking up at their trashcans and see if they were pointing the same as the other ships in the area. If they were not, that's the first thing that needed to be investigated as their look angle was only 15 degrees.
In the end of the video, he asks which systems would make the ship look like it was coming back to life. To me, any antenna that rotates. That's part of pre-underway checks - get the navigation antennas spinning. The air search radars normally don't get going until out at sea, but in this case, they can get those going as well.
Rotating radars was our signal that they were getting ready to go to sea.
