AR15.Com Archives
 antenna farm in southpark colorado - who's QTH is this?
ghurka  [Member]
5/27/2012 12:00:02 AM
I saw what appears to be an ameteur radio antenna farm in the vinicity of Cumo, Colorado (near Fairplay). It is fairly substantial. Does any one have the back story on this facility? Someone has a very nice QTH!

frogdiver  [Member]
5/27/2012 2:10:08 AM
Shouldn't have taken that picture. Hide your dogs.
MissouriBob  [Team Member]
5/27/2012 2:34:08 AM
It looks like the entryway is even made of antenna masts. That's impressive as hell if it is a private farm.
34ID11B  [Member]
5/27/2012 3:09:41 AM
Cartman?



Sorry. Couldn't resist.
piccolo  [Team Member]
5/27/2012 7:37:53 AM
One way to find out is to drive up to the house and knock.

Give him your callsign and odds are he'll give you a tour. People like that are generally proud of what they do and are generally willing to show you what they are up to.

(Unless it is an ubersecret unit attached to area 51. When that happens, you disappear.)
aa777888-2  [Member]
5/27/2012 8:28:33 AM
What's the exact address? You can probably search on it in the FCC ULS database.
ChinoUSMC  [Team Member]
5/27/2012 11:18:30 AM
I saw one exactly like that here in Hernando County, FL... also on a farm... about 4-5 tall towers and lots of antennas. If I ever get a chance to drive out there again, I'll try to take a pic. I was thinking... either a ham operator or secret squirrel.
F350PSD  [Member]
5/27/2012 3:24:15 PM
WWV
Gamma762  [Team Member]
5/27/2012 5:42:17 PM
Originally Posted By F350PSD:
WWV

WWV is a bunch of conical monopoles, not HF yagis on big towers.
yadayada  [Member]
5/27/2012 8:34:34 PM
Understand one of the masts fell and killed Kenny. You bastards!
seek2  [Member]
5/27/2012 9:57:13 PM
I just searched the calls in Cumo and Fairplay –– not a single extra and you'd think with that many antennas,
he'd have a zillion QRZ hits, and the active guys were all around 200. Curiouser and curiouser!
34ID11B  [Member]
5/27/2012 10:17:11 PM
So, go to this website-
http://hams.mapmash.com
and out in the appropriate zip code and check against the map.
See if that answers your question.

EDIT: [sarcasm]Interesting, it seems only two people in that whole area actually have a street address.
Everyone has a PO Box.
Must not be streets or roads.
[/sarcasm]

Anyway, check out this grid in google earth.
It seems to have something over the driveway at the road.
N 39° 19' 54.21"
W 105° 53' 55.23"
Skibane  [Team Member]
5/27/2012 10:53:14 PM
Originally Posted By ghurka:
Someone has a very nice QTH!


Can't say much for the view, or the landscaping....

KB7DX  [Team Member]
5/27/2012 11:28:58 PM
Could be the owner doesn't live in the area and this is his "retreat".
HankEllis  [Member]
5/28/2012 6:09:50 AM
Originally Posted By seek2:
I just searched the calls in Cumo and Fairplay –– not a single extra and you'd think with that many antennas,
he'd have a zillion QRZ hits, and the active guys were all around 200. Curiouser and curiouser!
Went to the FCC ULS and dug around. Searched Cumo and came up empty. Searched Fairplay and did find six hams with current licenses. One, and only one, Extra. The other five are Techs. Checked the Extras QRZ page and he had only 259 hits. Not what I expected for such a station. Can't be him.

A possibility.
Heard of guy who got tired of the restrictions in his 'hood in CA. No towers. No yagis, yada yada. So he bought a piece of worthless desert in AZ for next to nothing and set up the station of his dreams. Towers and stacked yagis for all the upper bands and decent enough aluminium for 80 and 160. Set it up so he can operate it remotely from his home in CA. Could be the CO version of what this guy did.

aa777888-2  [Member]
5/28/2012 6:52:05 AM
This is too good a mystery. Ghurka––we need you to weigh in with a better location than that. What road were you on? Where exactly on that road. Certainly we are all looking at google earth but need a better place to start.
ghurka  [Member]
5/28/2012 10:03:23 AM
here are some additional details. the site is approximately a 20 minute drive on a dirt/gravel road East from hwy 285. the cross raods are Elkhorn Road and Antelope Lane, northeast quadrant. zip code 80456. there were no signs posted, although the gatge was open. I did not venture in, because I was traveling the wife and kids and they already thiink I'm a nut, LOL.
KwaiChangCaine  [Team Member]
5/28/2012 10:25:25 AM
I found it by your description but still don't know what it is yet.

39.152519,-105.733593

Google maps says it's
181 Antelope Ln
CO 80456

Appears to belong to W0DLE
Jax2Chl  [Team Member]
5/28/2012 10:49:20 AM
The Park County, Colorado Assessor's Office lists 181 Antelope Lane as a private residential lot owned by Charles Gerarden (Park County, Colorado Assessor's Office) who is listed in the FCC ULS as:

Charles Gerarden - WØDLE
Amateur Extra Class
PO BOX 271
Hartsel, CO 80449
ghurka  [Member]
5/28/2012 3:23:56 PM
thanks Jax2Chl. your research is a great example of data fusion. using different databases to put the puzzle pieces together.
next time I'm in the vinicity of Hartsel, I'll bring my HT and try to make contact, or even stop into the antenna farm and say hello.
Gamma762  [Team Member]
5/28/2012 3:31:17 PM
Originally Posted By ghurka:
thanks Jax2Chl. your research is a great example of data fusion. using different databases to put the puzzle pieces together.
next time I'm in the vinicity of Hartsel, I'll bring my HT and try to make contact, or even stop into the antenna farm and say hello.

The antenna farm could easily be a remote base setup or a contest/weekend location.
HankEllis  [Member]
5/28/2012 3:58:07 PM
Originally Posted By Jax2Chl:
The Park County, Colorado Assessor's Office lists 181 Antelope Lane as a private residential lot owned by Charles Gerarden (Park County, Colorado Assessor's Office) who is listed in the FCC ULS as:

Charles Gerarden - WØDLE
Amateur Extra Class
PO BOX 271
Hartsel, CO 80449
Think we've found it.

Searched the DXCC list which is the list of all the ops who've earned DXCC. No joy. OK he's not a DXer. Maybe a contester. Searched the call and up pops the results of a recent ARRL contest. A 105th (not bad) place finish in the 2011 160m contest with the call going as the "Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado".
Jax2Chl  [Team Member]
5/28/2012 4:44:42 PM
Great Job HankEllis !!

Yep... I think the mystery has been solved
aa777888-2  [Member]
5/28/2012 9:15:15 PM
Awesome! Less than an hour after better location data! I found this at the Grand Mesa web site:

First Lic. 1971
Station is set up for 80 through 20 meters.
Ten-Tec Orion II Ten-Tec Omni 8 Ten-Tec hercules 2 amp;lifier and Alpha 78 powered by solar.

6-20 mtrs 3x3 Steppir yagis at 40 ft and 80 ft.

5x5 M2 for 20 metrs at 35 and 90 ft

2 el X M 240 at 60 ft for 40 mtrs

PSK and CW