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| utility:bpa [2026-07-06 19:42] – J. B. Crawford | utility:bpa [2026-07-06 19:46] (current) – J. B. Crawford |
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| ====== Bonneville Power Administration Microwave Network ====== | ====== Bonneville Power Administration Microwave Network ====== |
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| The BPA's historic microwave communications network is well documented in a [[https://www.bpa.gov/-/media/Aep/environmental-initiatives/cultural-resources/transmission-projects/microwave-radio-stations-report.pdf|historical inventory]], and was [[https://computer.rip/2026-07-04-microwave-and-power.html|covered in Computers Are Bad]]. | The BPA's historic microwave communications network is well documented in a [[https://www.bpa.gov/-/media/Aep/environmental-initiatives/cultural-resources/transmission-projects/microwave-radio-stations-report.pdf|historical inventory]], and was [[https://computer.rip/2026-07-04-microwave-and-power.html|covered in Computers Are Bad]]. The first form of the network, built in the very late 1940s and early 1950s, used 23/24 channel ~2 GHz equipment from Federal Telecommunication Laboratories/ITT. During the 1960s many links were upgraded to 600-channel equipment (in 72-channel banks) over 8 GHz radios, all from Lenkurt. Another round of upgrades occurred in the 1970s around the Dittmer control center and computer control project, mostly to Lenkurt equipment with some Motorola used. |
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| ===== Map ===== | ===== Map ===== |
| Some site locations are speculative, especially for sites that have been demolished. Some paths have segments not described in the historical documentation that have been filled in based on inferences. See the original KML file for descriptions that, for sites that are not confirmed, explain if the location is speculative, scaled from maps, or some combination thereof. | Some site locations are speculative, especially for sites that have been demolished. Some paths have segments not described in the historical documentation that have been filled in based on inferences. See the original KML file for descriptions that, for sites that are not confirmed, explain if the location is speculative, scaled from maps, or some combination thereof. |
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| This map (mostly) only covers the components of the network that were owned and operated by BPA. The microwave network extended into Canada (ownership not definitely known but probably BC Hydro) and to southern California (ownership varies but mostly PG&E), but since these segments were operated by other organizations I have excluded them, at least for now. | This map (mostly) only covers the components of the network that were owned and operated by BPA. The microwave network extended into Canada (ownership not definitely known but probably BC Hydro) and to southern California (ownership varies but mostly PG&E), but since these segments were operated by other organizations I have excluded them, at least for now. That said, a few sites did make it to this map that are owned by others, often electric coops or rural utilities where the BPA opted to lease space in an existing utility-owned site rather than building a new one. As you would expect, these are usually later sites in the history. |
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| <olmap id="bigMap" width="100%" height="500px" lat="38.5" lon="-104" zoom="9" controls="1" baselyr="OpenStreetMap" kmlfile="utility:bpa:bpa_map.kml"> | <olmap id="bigMap" width="100%" height="500px" lat="38.5" lon="-104" zoom="9" controls="1" baselyr="OpenStreetMap" kmlfile="utility:bpa:bpa_map.kml"> |
| </olmap> | </olmap> |
| (you can {{ :utility:bpa:bpa_map.kml |download this KML file}}) | (you can {{ :utility:bpa:bpa_map.kml |download this KML file}}) |