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Steve Ranson/LVN photo
Electronic Technician 3rd Class Roger Metcalf clicks the mouse on Monday to shut down the signal at the U.S. Coast Guard's LORAN station 10 miles west of Fallon.
Most Fallon residents don't realize there has been a U.S. Coast Guard Long Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN) station less than 10 miles outside of town since Jan. 17, 1977, or that there is a 625 foot radio tower less than a mile away from county residences.
Chief Petty Officer Dale C. Piersol said people don't always notice it when it's right in front of their eyes.
“Surprisingly enough, people will miss this place all together,” Piersol said. “They don't even see that tower out there (now).”
Likewise, the LORAN-C signal that was shut down with the click of a mouse Monday, along with the station in Searchlight, 90 miles South of Las Vegas, will probably disappear without anyone in Fallon knowing the difference.
Public Affairs Officer Zip Upham with Naval Air Station Fallon said the Navy hasn't used the technology in some time and doesn't expect any impact. Piersol said the only thing that will change locally is the small presence of the Coast Guard.
The LORAN-C program started May 16, 1942, to provide radionavigation service to U.S. coastal waters and eventually 48 states and most of Alaska. It ultimately became a tool for civilian vehicle, airplane and especially maritime navigation according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Web site.
Piersol added cell phone companies used the signal for awhile because of the reliable time base it provided.
“They're going to have to start using Global Positioning System (GPS),” Piersol said of anyone still using the signal. “There are a number of people who have deliberately not gone over to GPS (due to expense) ... There are fisherman, that's how they drop their lobster pots, that's how they track their fishing lines. Somebody, somewhere will be affected.”
Although a small portion of the public still uses LORAN-C, GPS has generally replaced the technology, and President Barack Obama pledged to eliminate unnecessary programs. Once the Coast Guard and DHS determined it was no longer needed for navigation or as a GPS backup.
All 24 U.S. stations, and eventually Canadian and Russian stations connected to the U.S. program, have been authorized to decommission, according to the Web site. The Coast Guard has actively informed those still using the signal of its decommissioning.
Nevertheless, it is uncertain how many people still rely on LORAN-C, so the Coast Guard will wait until Feb. 16 to begin completely decommissioning each station, Piersol said.
“If need be, if we get the call, in an hour or two we can be back up,” he said.
However, Piersol said, if the signal isn't missed, LORAN-C stations will be completely disassembled. Some of the towers will come down, but Piersol said most will remain up, including Fallon's.
Lights on the towers will be maintained; however, everything else will be removed, and the buildings bolted shut.
“After the 16th we're going to start removing equipment that's going to seriously hinder any regeneration of the signal,” Piersol said.
Even if the LORAN-C signal is never transmitted again and most forget it was ever here, those who worked in the program said they will remember.
“I don't want to see it go,” Piersol said. “I've spent 14 years (in LORAN-C).”
Those with less time dedicated to the program are also sad the mission is ending.
“These jobs are fun,” said Electronic Technician 1st Class Chris Machuliak. “It's a good job, and I like it. I like Fallon.”
Electronic Technician 2nd Class Sean Thibodaux, who used to work at the Fallon station, traveled from California to watch the signal decommissioning.
“I had a pretty good time here,” Thibodaux said. “It was a lot of fun. I kind of wanted to come back here. I like the small town feel.”
After watching the green lit numbers of online stations descend from 24 down, LORAN-C technicians said it was odd to see red lights triggered from the shutdown because so much effort was made to ensure the LORAN signal was always transmitting to the extent of having three backup systems.
“You always want to come in and see green,” Piersol said. “You never want to see that red light. It's going to be strange and disconcerting coming in and seeing this.”
Technicians at the LORAN-C stations will continue working to remove equipment, historical items and furniture from the buildings. They will transfer to new stations between June and July.
Chief Petty Officer Dale C. Piersol said people don't always notice it when it's right in front of their eyes.
“Surprisingly enough, people will miss this place all together,” Piersol said. “They don't even see that tower out there (now).”
Likewise, the LORAN-C signal that was shut down with the click of a mouse Monday, along with the station in Searchlight, 90 miles South of Las Vegas, will probably disappear without anyone in Fallon knowing the difference.
Public Affairs Officer Zip Upham with Naval Air Station Fallon said the Navy hasn't used the technology in some time and doesn't expect any impact. Piersol said the only thing that will change locally is the small presence of the Coast Guard.
The LORAN-C program started May 16, 1942, to provide radionavigation service to U.S. coastal waters and eventually 48 states and most of Alaska. It ultimately became a tool for civilian vehicle, airplane and especially maritime navigation according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Web site.
Piersol added cell phone companies used the signal for awhile because of the reliable time base it provided.
“They're going to have to start using Global Positioning System (GPS),” Piersol said of anyone still using the signal. “There are a number of people who have deliberately not gone over to GPS (due to expense) ... There are fisherman, that's how they drop their lobster pots, that's how they track their fishing lines. Somebody, somewhere will be affected.”
Although a small portion of the public still uses LORAN-C, GPS has generally replaced the technology, and President Barack Obama pledged to eliminate unnecessary programs. Once the Coast Guard and DHS determined it was no longer needed for navigation or as a GPS backup.
All 24 U.S. stations, and eventually Canadian and Russian stations connected to the U.S. program, have been authorized to decommission, according to the Web site. The Coast Guard has actively informed those still using the signal of its decommissioning.
Nevertheless, it is uncertain how many people still rely on LORAN-C, so the Coast Guard will wait until Feb. 16 to begin completely decommissioning each station, Piersol said.
“If need be, if we get the call, in an hour or two we can be back up,” he said.
However, Piersol said, if the signal isn't missed, LORAN-C stations will be completely disassembled. Some of the towers will come down, but Piersol said most will remain up, including Fallon's.
Lights on the towers will be maintained; however, everything else will be removed, and the buildings bolted shut.
“After the 16th we're going to start removing equipment that's going to seriously hinder any regeneration of the signal,” Piersol said.
Even if the LORAN-C signal is never transmitted again and most forget it was ever here, those who worked in the program said they will remember.
“I don't want to see it go,” Piersol said. “I've spent 14 years (in LORAN-C).”
Those with less time dedicated to the program are also sad the mission is ending.
“These jobs are fun,” said Electronic Technician 1st Class Chris Machuliak. “It's a good job, and I like it. I like Fallon.”
Electronic Technician 2nd Class Sean Thibodaux, who used to work at the Fallon station, traveled from California to watch the signal decommissioning.
“I had a pretty good time here,” Thibodaux said. “It was a lot of fun. I kind of wanted to come back here. I like the small town feel.”
After watching the green lit numbers of online stations descend from 24 down, LORAN-C technicians said it was odd to see red lights triggered from the shutdown because so much effort was made to ensure the LORAN signal was always transmitting to the extent of having three backup systems.
“You always want to come in and see green,” Piersol said. “You never want to see that red light. It's going to be strange and disconcerting coming in and seeing this.”
Technicians at the LORAN-C stations will continue working to remove equipment, historical items and furniture from the buildings. They will transfer to new stations between June and July.
