Radio Silence: The Searchlight LORAN Station

How this radio navigation station in the heart of the Mojave desert was run the the Coast Guard, why is was shuttered and abandoned, and how the site may rise again with an updated form of it's WWII-era technology.

[@user-bd5nh5eb4b]

More people should be talking about this,I had wondered if GPS was not vulnerable ❤.Thanks forr bringing attention to this.

[@R2KBADefender]

The decision to dismantle the LORAN system without having a replacement to use as a backup for GPS was short-sighted. The LORAN system was designed for navigation use, but LORAN signals are a highly accurate time-base, so they are useful for lots of other purposes. 2 examples of this are that NASA used them for timing and as backup navigation during space shuttle missions, and cellular comms systems also used LORAN signals for their timing needs. It will be interesting to see if/how E-LORAN is implemented on any large scale.

[@pixoariz]

Excellent reporting. Thanks.