[FedCom] National Radio Quiet Zone

[Kevin]

PBS' "Wired Science" had an interesting story about the National Radio 
Quiet Zone in the episode that aired last night.  For those who missed 
the program, the story can be viewed online at 
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/308-the_quiet_zone.html .

In the story, they follow a guy around whose job it is to listen for and 
locate offending RF emitters.  He's got some cool monitoring "toys" at 
his disposal, including EMITT (Electromagnetic Interference Tracking 
Truck).  He's been on the job there for the past 25 years.....I want 
this guy's job when he retires!!!

The Quiet Zone was created by the FCC and IRAC back in 1958 in order to 
provide a "buffer zone" for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in 
Green Bank, WV and the Naval Radio Observatory in Sugar Grove, WV. 
According to James Bamford (author of "The Puzzle Palace", etc.), the 
Sugar Grove facility's signal intercept capabilities support the mission 
of a particularly "hush hush" three-letter federal agency.

That there are also other areas of the country that the FCC has 
designated radio quiet zones - they are detailed in rule 1.924, which 
can be found at http://www.hallikainen.com/FccRules/2006/1/924/ .


Kevin