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It's not official but many say this is the reason for permanent closure. When the base was active strange things happened. There was multiple formal reports of random equipment malfunction, confidential reports being left open, constant static over the radios, and an eerie atmosphere. Multiple cases
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The first, most northernmost 60 degree sector of coverage was built as the OTH-B Experimental Radar System (ERS). At that time the operations were conducted at the receive site at
Columbia Falls AFS. The system was bi-static, with the transmitter being located at Moscow Air Force Station. System and
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Engineers were also baffled at the winged-creature infestation. They had a major problems with bats and owls at all three of the locations. Pesticides nor exterminators could keep them away, ultimately leading to permeant habibiation upon closure. Some say it's a coincidence these three bases are in
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Development of
Columbia Falls AFS can be traced to work undertaken by USAF engineers in the early 1970s who were developing an Over-the-horizon radar (OTH-B) system. But that's not quite how they sit today, old, forgotten and overgrown is a better description, and for good reason. Locals say these
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The east coast OTH-B system was tested in the late 1980s and went operational when it was handed over to USAF in 1990. It was the largest of the three OTH-B systems and was so powerful that it could even detect changes in
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The system was based on a frequency modulation/continuous wave (FM/CW) radar capable of detecting and tracking objects at over-the-horizon ranges. In concept it involved bouncing radar signals off the
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Initial
Operational testing was conducted from June 1980 to June 1981. Successful testing resulted in the decision to develop operational OTH-B systems for the east and west coasts and in Alaska.
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Additional HAER documentation, all filed under Over-the-Horizon
Backscatter Radar Network, Columbia Falls Radar Site, at the end of Shadagee Ridge Road, Columbia Falls, Washington County, ME:
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saw the OTH-B systems rendered obsolete for detecting intruding military aircraft, however, the east coast OTH-B continued operations until 1997 and its data saw use by the
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The facility was placed in "warm storage" in 1997 and in 2002 it was deactivated and placed in "cold storage" with equipment removed from the site.
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and the receiver at the newly constructed
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radar bases were built on top of ancient Indian burial grounds. The place where warrior spirits lay to rest.
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a triangle but many say other wise. We'll never really know who these bases were trying to contact.
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report night guards seeing figures looking in from gates, only not to be seen upon investigation.
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which was close to the geographic halfway point between the TX/RX facilities.
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and consisted of an AN/FPS-118 radar with the transmitter located at
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for tracking aircraft used by drug smugglers, as well as the
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Closed US Air Force radar station in
Washington County, Maine
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The east coast OTH-B system was designed and built by
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Installations of the United States Air Force in Maine
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Buildings and structures in
Washington County, Maine
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308:. Located 16.0 miles (25.7 km) northwest of
46:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
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397:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
1621:Radar stations of the United States Air Force
1611:Historic American Engineering Record in Maine
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479:Receive Sector One Communications Antennas
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991:Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation
77:Learn how and when to remove this message
996:Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation
521:Receive Sector Three Water Storage Tank
312:and 10.0 miles (16.1 km) north of
507:Receive Sector Three Receiver Building
1646:Military installations closed in 1997
500:Receive Sector Two Water Storage Tank
465:Receive Sector One Water Storage Tank
142:Location of Columbia Falls AFS, Maine
7:
486:Receive Sector Two Receiver Building
451:Receive Sector One Receiver Building
437:Historic American Engineering Record
421:Air Force Historical Research Agency
341:which allows radar to overcome the
572:Municipalities and communities of
514:Receive Sector Three Antenna Array
432:Information for Columbia Falls, ME
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364:. Data processing took place at
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493:Receive Sector Two Antenna Array
458:Receive Sector One Antenna Array
415: This article incorporates
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294:Columbia Falls Air Force Station
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92:Columbia Falls Air Force Station
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1631:1997 disestablishments in Maine
370:Bangor Air National Guard Base
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1636:1970s establishments in Maine
272:over-the-horizon backscatter
393:United States Border Patrol
106:Electronic Systems Division
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1558:Army National Guard Armory
1542:Air National Guard Station
231:cold storage / deactivated
110:Air Force Materiel Command
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534:Links to related articles
519:HAER No. ME-101-K, "
512:HAER No. ME-101-J, "
505:HAER No. ME-101-I, "
498:HAER No. ME-101-H, "
491:HAER No. ME-101-G, "
484:HAER No. ME-101-F, "
477:HAER No. ME-101-E, "
472:Receive Sector One Garage
470:HAER No. ME-101-D, "
463:HAER No. ME-101-C, "
456:HAER No. ME-101-B, "
449:HAER No. ME-101-A, "
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1289:Limestone Nike Site L-31
575:Washington County, Maine
439:(HAER) No. ME-98, "
366:Maine Air National Guard
32:This article includes a
888:East Central Washington
298:United States Air Force
222:United States Air Force
61:more precise citations.
1442:Auxiliary Air Facility
1294:Caribou Nike Site L-58
1284:Caswell Nike Site L-13
1194:Great Chebeague Island
1061:military installations
634:
417:public domain material
343:curvature of the Earth
1299:Connor Nike Site L-85
633:Washington County map
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173:44.79500°N 67.81139°W
1017:United States portal
502:", 3 data pages
488:", 3 data pages
467:", 2 data pages
443:", 9 data pages
362:776th Radar Squadron
279:Garrison information
178:44.79500; -67.81139
168: /
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287:776 Radar Squadron
210:Controlled by
184:Columbia Falls AFS
136:Columbia Falls AFS
34:list of references
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1470:Otter Cliffs
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1374:Bucks Harbor
1348:Presque Isle
1252:Presque Isle
1209:Peaks Island
1010:Maine portal
983:reservations
971:Lambert Lake
840:Whitneyville
800:Roque Bluffs
725:East Machias
594:
409:
401:
385:Soviet Union
382:
374:
354:GE Aerospace
351:
347:
331:
327:
323:
296:is a closed
293:
292:
253:GE Aerospace
236:Site history
73:
64:
53:Please help
45:
1505:Coast Guard
1204:Long Island
1172:Reservation
966:Forest City
875:territories
873:Unorganized
850:Plantations
755:Machiasport
720:Dennysville
680:Cherryfield
660:Baileyville
590:County seat
274:radar array
262:1970s-1990s
259:In use
176: /
163:067°48′41″W
151:Coordinates
59:introducing
1605:Categories
1491:Portsmouth
1389:Charleston
1277:Nike Sites
795:Robbinston
775:Northfield
765:Meddybemps
760:Marshfield
730:Harrington
670:Beddington
406:References
358:Moscow AFS
339:ionosphere
182: (
160:44°47′42″N
1565:Fort Kent
1449:Casco Bay
1433:Brunswick
1369:Brunswick
1322:Air Force
1241:Limestone
1218:Airfields
931:Vanceboro
926:Milbridge
916:Jonesport
883:Codyville
820:Vanceboro
815:Topsfield
790:Princeton
770:Milbridge
740:Jonesport
735:Jonesboro
675:Charlotte
655:Alexander
267:Materials
228:Condition
1580:Portland
1570:Gardiner
1454:Lewiston
1261:Barracks
1243:(Loring)
1163:Williams
1153:Sullivan
1148:Scammell
1133:McKinley
1098:Edgecomb
961:Brookton
948:villages
936:Woodland
911:Danforth
810:Talmadge
780:Pembroke
710:Danforth
700:Crawford
690:Columbia
620:Eastport
389:Cold War
284:Garrison
104:Part of
1575:Houlton
1520:Caribou
1513:Station
1404:Topsham
1384:Caswell
1379:Caribou
1364:Ashland
1357:Station
1268:Hancock
1247:Milford
1236:Houlton
1230:Godfrey
1225:Deblois
1128:McClary
1103:O'Brien
1093:Baldwin
1059:Former
921:Machias
835:Whiting
805:Steuben
750:Machias
715:Deblois
650:Addison
597:Machias
320:History
55:improve
1484:Prison
1399:Moscow
1343:Loring
1158:Sumner
1143:Preble
1138:Popham
1118:Levett
1108:Gorges
981:Indian
858:Baring
830:Wesley
705:Cutler
695:Cooper
615:Calais
607:Cities
219:
112:(AFMC)
1232:(Dow)
1088:Allen
1065:Maine
956:Bingo
946:Other
825:Waite
785:Perry
745:Lubec
665:Beals
642:Towns
306:Maine
244:1980s
241:Built
40:, or
1418:Navy
1330:Base
1123:Lyon
1113:Knox
1081:Fort
1073:Army
903:CDPs
197:Type
1337:Dow
1063:in
368:'s
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345:.
304:,
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1045:t
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565:e
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