Pailton Radio
Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum, although I have spent many years in (and around) the aviation industry on 4 continents. I hope I have chosen the most appropriate forum on which to raise this query.
I recently moved to the Midlands - not too far from a fortified facility described (on the sign out front) as NATS Pailton Radio Station. I have had a look on the internet, and other than a few photos taken from the public road, there seems to be very little information about this facility.
Although the sign says NATS, none of the aerials appear to be common civil aviation-grade com or nav antennae - with the exception of the microwave link. Even this looks like it is a 'one-way' setup, suggesting that Pailton is NOT part of a nationwide com link array.
Further, the facility is not on any obvious airways or approaches, so it appears to have nothing to with civil nav.
The place is moderately well fortified - is it normal that a civil facility is fortified to this extent? Combined with the very unimaginative colour choices for the decor, it makes me wonder if it is really a military facility. That would certainly explain some of the unidentifiable radio antennae the place fairly bristles with.
To my knowledge, there are no guards patrolling the place, however in my experience that does not discount it being a military (or joint) facility.
Can anyone here throw any light on the actual purposes of the facility - in particular the frequency bands and power ratings it transmits. We are within line-of-sight of some of these aerials, and to be honest I am not at all comfortable with the thought of high-power transmissions buzzing through the lower atmosphere in which I intend spending much of my time.