Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Atlantic Detachment, Cutler

 military, radio station, United States Navy

NCTAMS LANT DET Cutler VLF transmitter (NAA), located in Washington County, ME, became operational on 4 January 1961. It was built to protect communications between the Pentagon and the US Navy fleet from auroral effects experienced in the northern latitudes; VLF is not affected by these.

The Cutler antenna consists of two arrays, each having six diamond-shaped topload panels made up of cables hoisted by halyards that are attached to 13 towers. Each panel has eight active cables, called conductors, that carry the radio frequency (RF) current. One support catenary cable crosses the eight conductors in the center of the diamond. The RF conductors in these topload panels are specially designed with low enough resistance to have acceptable losses for VLF radiation, but enough resistance to enable deicing with 60-Hz current during winter months. Most of the cables consist of a 1-inch-diameter strand of a special alloy called Calsun bronze. However in order to provide corona-free operation at the high-radiated power levels, some sections of the conductors are 1.5 inches in diameter. The 1.5-inch diameter conductors were specially made with hollow center conductors covered by Everdure alloy exterior wires in order to meet the size, strength, resistance, and weight requirements for use in the antenna. These cables, known as hollow core cables, make up part of the outer two cables on each panel. The hollow core sections on the cables inside of the catenary are 225 ft long, while those on the outside of the catenary are 775 ft long.

This site normally operates with a radiated power level of 1-million watts, termed "full power", and at times as high as 1.8-million watts radiated, termed "maximum power". In order to radiate power levels of this magnitude in the VLF band, an enormous antenna system is required. The Cutler VLF antenna consists of two separate arrays (north and south), each consisting of 13 towers. Every array has a center or zero tower called N0 (for the north array) and S0 (for the south array), which are 997.5 ft tall. Each array has six middle towers 575.0 ft tall. which are located with equal spacing on a circle of radius 1825 ft centered on the zero tower. Each array also has six outer towers 799.0 ft tall. also equally spaced on a circle of radius 3070 ft centered on the zero tower. Every array is over 1 mile across and together they cover almost the entire peninsula. This antenna system is one of the largest in the world.

NAA is used primarily to communicate with U.S. and NATO ships, planes, and submarines in the North Atlantic, Arctic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. Although it is still an operational Navy communications facility, it is now operated by civilian technicians.


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www.virhistory.com/navy/commsta/cutler.htm
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