Old Giant Talk 46 Communications Group Transmitter Site

USA / Louisiana / Bossier City /
 military, transmitter
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Big, big, big hardened HF radio complex that allowed SAC to talk to any any bomber or other SAC base anywher in the World. This faiclity was phased out as the USAF proved that AFSATCOM was a more effective communications mediu during Project ELF One. Quasi decommisions in 81 and 82 (Top Secret Gear ripped out), and then used for 2-3 years after that for Secret and Confidential materials, and then fully retired and the antennas taken down.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   32°29'2"N   93°37'35"W

Comments

  • I wonder what happens when the Chinese knock out our satellites?
  • The site was phased out when the USAF decided to merge a variety of different USAF transmitter sites. Some SAC-only sites like this Barksdale Communications Annex were deactivated, but the SAC 'Giant Talk' HF command & control network absolutely continued operation, simply using other HF sites around the world. AFSATCOM was merely another redundant communications system -- SAC prided itself in redundant methods to pass emergency war orders & force direction messages to their Alert Force components.
  • I think this is where comic legend George Carlin worked during his air force years as a radio operator in the 1950's.
  • This was the transmitter site with 1Kw, 10KW, and 20KW transmitters. It had multiple types of antennas and the best Blue Gill fishing in the world at the back of the site. There also is a ton of old transmitter tubes buried across the road in a small mud hole that seemed bottomless. Why is that interesting? Each tube was lined with a gold film. Guess there is at least a 1M$ still there in the mud.
  • I worked at the Giant Talk transmitter site in Granby, Mass ~ 10 miles from Westover AFB,Mass. There were 3ea 50Kw and ~7ea 15 Kw transmitters. All were selectable to utilize any antenna available in the antenna farm which was like 75 acres. I visited the site in 1999 and it was leveled but I was able to drive right up to where the building was. All that prime property sitting vacant !! I would place the 50K xmitter into the dummy load, select the CB frequencies and key the transmitters causing all kinds of havoc. good times
  • 4cx5000 and 250 as drivers?
  • I worked at the March AFB Giant Talk receiver site, in southern California, back in the late 70's and early 80's. It was a great job. Loved every minute of it. A lot of good people there. Always enjoyed going to the transmitter site out in the Mojave desert close to Edwards AFB. The world is a different place now. I'm sure the AF is still fun. but all we had to worry about back then was being vaporized by the USSR. Now you have to worry about the car next to you blowing up or being shot by some nut on a mission....
  • The transmitters in England when I was there from 1981-1984 used KWT-6's for transmitters, and we had (2) 2o8u10's for amps. 6 Radios, and 2 amps, and the amps used 4CX10000D's for tubes, if you could call them tubes. I actually brought (a dead) one home for a table weight. Talked on those radios, then transferred to Mcclellan AFB and talked on their 25KW radios, And just to have fun, I was notorious for tuning up a transmitter on 27.185 (channel 19) with 25 KW. I bet some truckers radios jumped right off the dash at them.....
  • Were you at Barford St John? What range in freq were the RLPs there and power output. I go past from time to time and drool at one of those in the garden on 20m! There used to be a big curtain array as well but that got taken down in the 90s. Looks v underused now but still there with the sheep grazing...73!
  • Still have a 4CX5000 as a paper weight
  • Hey Scott 181, I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall and worked at the Giant Talk from 78-80. I used to play backgammon with the pilots of the SR-71 when they would come out to use our phone to call back to the states so they could talk to their families. I remember one time tuning up to one of the BBC radio stations and jamming them for a few seconds!
  • Jeff, I was at Mildenhall Giant Talk during the same time. Wish I knew your last name. My call sign was Sierra Sierra.
  • Oh wow! My call sign was Sierra Yankee. I worked at March AFB Giant Talk 79-80 and then Andersen AFB Giant Talk 83-86. I loved talking to you guys at Mildehall. I always wanted to be stationed there.
  • I worked at March AFB Giant Talk from 79-80. Loved it.
  • Ed, you know me, we are now friends on Facebook!
  • My call sign was Foxtrot Romeo. Remember?
  • I served as NCOIC of the Transmitter Site at Barksdale in 78 & 79 retireing in Aug of 79. Also worked at the Transmitter Site at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska during 54 & 55. My name is Bill Markle. Our call sign for CB at Barksdale was the Burnt Bacon Base. I was The Red Wagon.
  • Bill, I was the NCOIC of the RX site 77-79. I remember your name but not much more. I left in may- June for OTS. John Brown
  • I was in the 46th comm grp from 76 - 78. Radio maintenance 304x4. Everybody called me Rojo. Spent a lot of time at both the xmtr and rec sites. The lake behind the site was Flag lake. Great fishing. One of my buddies had a garden site along the road to the xmtr site. Baddest CB radio in the world.
  • I was there 75-78 worked with Tsgt Elkins and Ssgt James Shaw as a 293 radio operator. Do you remember a merle schwelen
  • I worked under MSgt Markle at Barksdale. Great times!
  • Then you might remember Karen Teasdale. Her and I had some great conversations on the order wire!
  • Didn't EVERYONE @ a TX site transmit a 1KHz tone out on 27.085 MHz @ 50KW at least once! LOL
  • I was a Giant Talk radio operator at RAF Mildenhall - '77-'79.
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This article was last modified 13 years ago