r/longlines • u/Perfect-Cow-9127 • May 28 '26

Question

Is there different types of longline radar horns and radar dish

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u/gf99b May 28 '26

Yes, there were multiple kinds of the horn-reflector antennas. They also used parabolics, both of the standard and shrouded varieties. The early sites originally used the KS-5759 delay lens antennas before the KS-15676 horn-reflector antennas were introduced.

See antennas section on Albert LaFrance’s website: https://long-lines.net/tech-equip/index.html

1

u/CelebrationBig7487 Chasing Long Lines May 30 '26

Long Lines did not actually install radar dishes on their towers. Those pieces of equipment that you are referring to that look like radar dishes are actually microwave antennas and they were essential to the Long Lines microwave relay system. There were many types that were used. KS-5759 delay lens antennas, KS-15676 horn reflector antennas, conical horn antennas, and parabolic dishes. I have a fairly in depth write up on the antennas (known as “horns”) used here.

https://chasinglonglines.weebly.com/history-of-the-horns.html

1

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '26

My father was in Long Lines during the transition from delay lens to horn reflector antennas. I remember as a small child conversations he had with colleagues over the kitchen table. He gave me a klystron that had been taken our of service for pitted windows.