Archaeology Notes

Event ID 793819

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/793819

NO00SE 38 centred 09425 02865

See also Balado Airfield (NO00SE 26).

SATCOM II Satellite Ground Listening Station is situated on the S side of the World War II airfield ( ) and B918 public road and set within a high double fenced compound. The Station stands on the former taxiway of the airfield.

Known locally as the 'Golf Ball' on account of the radome covered in fibre glass panels. The radome is linked by corridor to the equipment building and mess and recreation/office building. Within the 'golf ball' is a large dish antenna on a servo assisted rotating base, the mechanism allowing the dish to move up and down as well as around. The other buildings are connected by a main corridor which have NBC doors at each end. There is an emergency power generator room, containing two 180KW output diesel engines.

A MoD Police Post was built at a slightly later date near the main gate to guard and control the first fence line.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE), September and October 2006