HAARP Visit!

What can I tell you about HAARP? It is the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, now owned and maintained by UAF. It is the target of conspiracy theories galore. Several of the "conspiracy theory" websites I have skimmed add to the dark implications by pointing out that HAARP is located in remote Alaska, in the middle of nowhere! Ironically, the site was specifically chosen because it is accessible by highway. It's also 100% open to visitors (although only by appointment), they allow you to wander around unsupervised, with no background check or even ID check, and you can photograph anything you please!

They have an annual open house, and it's extremely well-organized. A crew of some 20-30 staff and faculty members come down from Fairbanks and give tours, host lectures, and grill up hot dogs and burgers. I've also learned that they call their fleet of 5 diesel generators Angel 1 through Angel 5, poking fun at some of the conspiracy theorists.

Anyway, what HAARP does is beam concentrated radio waves into the ionosphere and see what happens. It does heat tiny portions of the ionosphere, but to such tiny portions it's analogous to blowing a torch at the Yukon. Or so I was told. WWWWOOOOoooooOOOOoooooOOOOoooo.

Here are photos.

There are 30 antennae, laid out in a 6x5 array. Under the array is an aluminum mesh, which matches the wavelength they beam and thus reflects skyward the part of the beam that would otherwise shoot at the ground. This protects people underneath, and also is located at a height such that the reflected waves constructively interfere with the original waves, effectively doubling the signal. When the array is operational, though, people aren't usually at the site, except for quick repairs or part swap-outs.


The control electronics were almost as meticulously laid out as DL would have done it.








Each antenna is controlled within one conex trailer, and each one is electrically floating on wooden blocks! Yet here we see a grounding mechanism...


And I followed it outside...


And aha! Each conex is grounded to a support pole!


DL looking both handsome and sketchy, a great photo for conspiracy theorists! (Who is this bearded dude??)


And that is my HAARP report!