Pailton Radio
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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.
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.
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We could tell you but then we'd have to shoot you 
It is a NATS facility exactly as it says on the sign. The pictures on the net show pretty standard VHF comm antennae on one tower. Not so standard on the other towers but as NATS offsets the costs of running its infrastructure by leasing space to other users of the radio spectrum it is not unusual to find that on NATS sites.
The fortification has more to do with the state of our society and the price of copper than anything else.
There's a cone of silence above communication facilities so you'll normally find them offset from airways rather than beneath them.
It is a NATS facility exactly as it says on the sign. The pictures on the net show pretty standard VHF comm antennae on one tower. Not so standard on the other towers but as NATS offsets the costs of running its infrastructure by leasing space to other users of the radio spectrum it is not unusual to find that on NATS sites.
The fortification has more to do with the state of our society and the price of copper than anything else.
There's a cone of silence above communication facilities so you'll normally find them offset from airways rather than beneath them.
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What I suspect is an ancient document on the WWW says:
<< All test equipment used within NATS is accepted, repaired and
calibrated at RMS at Pailton, near Rugby. Its responsibilities include monitoring
field strength and frequency of navigational aids and aircraft telecommunications, the standards for radio and electrical measurements, and the management of test equipment throughout the organisation in liaison with CTO (CSM), to whom RMS reports.>>
Whether that is still true I do not know. I do know that donkeys years ago it was listed in the COM section of the Air Pilot as "Pailton Radio Measuring Station" and a frequency was published for aircraft to use for radio testing. I'm not aware that it is either part of the multicarrier network, or houses any nav aid(s).
I accept what eglnyt says about the "cone of silence" but I think you'll find that the vast majority of radio nav-aids are centred under airways or under the holding patterns which they serve.
<< All test equipment used within NATS is accepted, repaired and
calibrated at RMS at Pailton, near Rugby. Its responsibilities include monitoring
field strength and frequency of navigational aids and aircraft telecommunications, the standards for radio and electrical measurements, and the management of test equipment throughout the organisation in liaison with CTO (CSM), to whom RMS reports.>>
Whether that is still true I do not know. I do know that donkeys years ago it was listed in the COM section of the Air Pilot as "Pailton Radio Measuring Station" and a frequency was published for aircraft to use for radio testing. I'm not aware that it is either part of the multicarrier network, or houses any nav aid(s).
I accept what eglnyt says about the "cone of silence" but I think you'll find that the vast majority of radio nav-aids are centred under airways or under the holding patterns which they serve.
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"Station calling, say again ? ... Station calling, if you read me, sqwak IDENT..." 
(Someone had to do it, and as French ATCO's are known to be World Champions for "Station calling" and also for "Say again ?"...)
(Someone had to do it, and as French ATCO's are known to be World Champions for "Station calling" and also for "Say again ?"...)
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Pailton faclity
When I was Radio Tec at Coventry Airport we use to take our test equiptment there for calibration and also got them to check the NDB for stablity and spectrum/Mod Depth etc, Also there tuck shop was the Bizz, quite cheap to!.
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Thanks to everyone who has replied.
From this, I gather that Pailton Radio:
I believe the aerials you suggest are VHF, may in fact be UHF - just a wee bit smaller than VHF, but with a different 'blob' on the bottom.
So far as 'cones of silence' are concerned, I have always understood that in 'practical' terms, VHF does not suffer from this effect, although some aids do (LF Radio Ranges) were notorious for it - in fact, relied upon it as an indication of station passage). Being the case, I'm not convinced of the need for 'offset aerial sites', and as I understand it, when sites are offset it has more to do with landspace, real estate prices or signal strength/attenuation issues, rather than diminished comms across perhaps a half-mile at altitude directly above the site.
I certainly take your point on the value of copper as being a valid reason for security of the site, however. Even the roads around here are forever 'losing' their drain covers (try hitting an uncovered drain-hole at 60mph) - a problem usually blamed on certain itinerants who allegedly sell them for scrap iron value.
"NATS offsets the costs of running its infrastructure by leasing space to other users of the radio spectrum" So far as the other uses are concerned, I appreciate the need for a modicum of secrecy, and don't need to know the whos or whysor frequencies involved, but can you throw any light on the bands and power output. As I suggested in my initial post, this could be relevant for long-term health considerations.
As a general rule, the govt seems to care little for dangers of citizens being exposed to EMF radiation etc from military and other 'essential' sources. Pailton Radio Station is (ostensibly) a civil facility and therefore must presumably comply with some sort of recognised safety standard. The ultimate question is: Is living within line-of-sight exposing my family (including young children) or myself to abnormally high levels of radiation (by which I mean more than if I lived in the centre of London, or Leicester etc)?
If anyone can answer this, I'd be most grateful.
From this, I gather that Pailton Radio:
- Repairs & calibrates test equipment used by NATS
- monitors field strength and frequency of nav aids and aircraft comms (including Coventry NDB for staiblity and spectrum/Mod Depth)
- sets/monitors/manages? standards for radio and electrical measurements
- manages test equipment throughout NATS in liaison with CTO (CSM), to whom RMS reports
- Has a terrific (and cheap) tuck shop (can outsiders use this I wonder?)
- May or may not still be used for radio signal strength checks from aircraft. As it is so easy to include a VHF check with an initial call to an ATS facility, I gather the Radio Check facility at Pailton may have been for HF rather than VHF? If so, was (is) Pailton transmitting HF at a normal ground station strength or at low power?
I believe the aerials you suggest are VHF, may in fact be UHF - just a wee bit smaller than VHF, but with a different 'blob' on the bottom.
So far as 'cones of silence' are concerned, I have always understood that in 'practical' terms, VHF does not suffer from this effect, although some aids do (LF Radio Ranges) were notorious for it - in fact, relied upon it as an indication of station passage). Being the case, I'm not convinced of the need for 'offset aerial sites', and as I understand it, when sites are offset it has more to do with landspace, real estate prices or signal strength/attenuation issues, rather than diminished comms across perhaps a half-mile at altitude directly above the site.
I certainly take your point on the value of copper as being a valid reason for security of the site, however. Even the roads around here are forever 'losing' their drain covers (try hitting an uncovered drain-hole at 60mph) - a problem usually blamed on certain itinerants who allegedly sell them for scrap iron value.
"NATS offsets the costs of running its infrastructure by leasing space to other users of the radio spectrum" So far as the other uses are concerned, I appreciate the need for a modicum of secrecy, and don't need to know the whos or whysor frequencies involved, but can you throw any light on the bands and power output. As I suggested in my initial post, this could be relevant for long-term health considerations.
As a general rule, the govt seems to care little for dangers of citizens being exposed to EMF radiation etc from military and other 'essential' sources. Pailton Radio Station is (ostensibly) a civil facility and therefore must presumably comply with some sort of recognised safety standard. The ultimate question is: Is living within line-of-sight exposing my family (including young children) or myself to abnormally high levels of radiation (by which I mean more than if I lived in the centre of London, or Leicester etc)?
If anyone can answer this, I'd be most grateful.
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As a general rule, the govt seems to care little for dangers of citizens being exposed to EMF radiation etc from military and other 'essential' sources. Pailton Radio Station is (ostensibly) a civil facility and therefore must presumably comply with some sort of recognised safety standard. The ultimate question is: Is living within line-of-sight exposing my family (including young children) or myself to abnormally high levels of radiation (by which I mean more than if I lived in the centre of London, or Leicester etc)?
Most of the "standards" you speak of are worked on \ set by ICNIRP, Google that & you'll find them online. These outline the safe levels of non ionising radiation for humans to be exposed to. Much of their work focuses around safe levels on the actual site for working teams - these levels are safe close to \ directly under the antenna for limited exposure. Take into account that most of these teams are working with & in contact with RF at close quarters day after day & you'll see, they're not that dangerous, despite the silly media hype.
As someone who now works installing & maintaining broadcast transmission sites across the UK, I can safely say that after several years working around RF from a few watts up to hundreds of kilowatts, I haven't gown 2 heads or fried alive yet!
In todays society you are surrounded by RF everywhere you go, radio & TV signals (often in hundreds of kilowatts for TV & national radio networks!), mobile phones, wifi (usually low power), point-to-point microwave links, ATC comms, civi two-way comms etc - tons of stuff basically. Every day you absorb more RF than I think you would imagine, yes these levels will be slightly higher if you live within close quarters of a transmitting station, but what you must remember is that, in free space, RF is safe. Real dangers (even then, we dont fully understand what those are...!) are only present if you are sleeping with an antenna under your pillow & a 500 watt exciter under your bed at night to keep you warm. If you're doing that, probably best get your head checked anyway & I'm not talking for tumors (more the presence of sanity!!)
As ever, Media driven RF hype seems to be scaring people into believing that the RF bogey-man is out to "get" them
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Maddogz
Either the site already conforms to all legal requirements, and that is enough to ensure your safety because they are based on best scientific evidence, and it makes you happy - or you believe in Government conspiricies, that military or other Government agences would not care about your safety, or that they are irisponsible in the matters of public safety.
In the former case you have no need to ask questions. In the latter case there is no point in your question as nothing you read here will convince you otherwise.
The mere fact that you asked suggests to me that you are in the latter camp.
My advice is ..... sell up. Move out. And research the area before buying next time to make sure that you can live in peace, and sleep easy at night.
Good luck.
Either the site already conforms to all legal requirements, and that is enough to ensure your safety because they are based on best scientific evidence, and it makes you happy - or you believe in Government conspiricies, that military or other Government agences would not care about your safety, or that they are irisponsible in the matters of public safety.
In the former case you have no need to ask questions. In the latter case there is no point in your question as nothing you read here will convince you otherwise.
The mere fact that you asked suggests to me that you are in the latter camp.
My advice is ..... sell up. Move out. And research the area before buying next time to make sure that you can live in peace, and sleep easy at night.
Good luck.
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Pailton Radio Station is a civil facility owned and run by a UK PLC which enjoys no special treatment as far as Health and Safety legislation goes. In addition it's a place of employment for a number of people which brings in extra responsibilities. I think you can be fairly sure that it complies with all legislative requirements especially as the people who work there are rather well placed to understand all about RF radiation and how to measure it and would be unlikley to put themselves at risk. Of course if you are a member of "they would say that wouldn't they" club you can always commission your own survey.
Both VHF and UHF are used in UK Air Traffic Control and I'd expect to find aerials for both on the mast but the majority will be VHF and personally I could never tell the difference without looking at the label.
I can't tell you who the site sharers are because I don't know. There are some obvious suspects looking at the aerials in the photos and the Ofcom site finder site will probably give you both frequency and signal strength if they are using the site.
Both VHF and UHF are used in UK Air Traffic Control and I'd expect to find aerials for both on the mast but the majority will be VHF and personally I could never tell the difference without looking at the label.
I can't tell you who the site sharers are because I don't know. There are some obvious suspects looking at the aerials in the photos and the Ofcom site finder site will probably give you both frequency and signal strength if they are using the site.
