SCR-615B Radar Antenae - MIT - Cambridge, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 21.708 W 071° 05.486
19T E 327773 N 4692066
This artifact, on display in the circular hallway of MIT's Stata Center, has a plaque that explains this former Army surveillance radar antenna was turned into one of the earliest weather radar stations in the country.
Waymark Code: WM6BJV
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 05/09/2009
Views: 4
Inside a somewhat dark, twisting hallway in MIT's modern Stata Center, is a display of a radar antenna propped on top of a wooden box. A plaque on a wall nearby identifies it as an early version of a weather radar used by MIT's meteorology department. The plaque reads:
"SCR-615B radar antenna
"Manufactured by Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company c. 1944.
"IN-1844, MIT Museum Science and Technology Collection
"Restoration work by MIT Lincoln Laboratory
"Of all the radar systems developed by the Radiation Laboratory, the SCR-615, a ground control of interception set (GCI) developed for the Army, was not considered among the best - at least not for tracking airplanes. One set, however, was given to the Sixth Weather Region Storm Warning Service base in Panama because the system could so deftly detect rain clouds. In 1946, the U.S. Army Signal Corps gave MIT a complete SCR-615B radar set (of which this antenna was a part). Begun at this time, the Weather Radar Research Project of the Meteorology Department was housed in Building 20 and 26 and would pioneer the use of radar technology in weather research for more than fifty years. This artifact is a fitting symbol of Building 20's long history as a home for innovative - and unpredictable - research.
The Stata Center is strikingly different than the rest of the buildings around. It is full of angular and organic projections. There are two entrances to the building on Vassar Street. The building is generally open during the day and evening. There is metered parking in the area.
Note: This waymark has been allowed due to its historical significance. There is no radar station presently at this location.
Is the radar operational?: No
Radar Operator: MIT Meteorology Department
Radar Type: SCR-615B
Radar Website: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
Please provide a photograph of yourself and/or your GPS with the radar visible, and describe the area.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|