Hillside, AZ, Gap-Filler Radar Annex (M-93B)

Just a quick not regarding the Hillside AZ site.

My grandparents, Charles & Violet Weeks, owned the ranch that this site was built on. When the site was established the land was removed from their land lease so that the site could be built. After the site was decommissioned the land was auctioned off rather than being reverted back into the lease. They bought the site and it was incorporated back into their ranch. This was back in the 1970`s.

The I-Beam structures that are seen in the photos are from a point to point microwave system that was planned for the site, but the launch of communications satellites bankrupted the company and it was abandoned. There was much equipment left on the site that my grandparents either sold off or donated, I belive one of the generators was donated to a local church in Skull Valley AZ.

The site was also used by a local amateur astronomy club for their telescopes.

I spent many hours up on the site back in the 70`s as a kid, it was quite a walk or 4x4 drive up the hill from my grandparents ranch house. From the pictures, the road looks about the same as it did back then.

As you can see, there are not numerous communications systems up on the site with VHF/UHF repeaters used by many law enforcement agencies. The Yavapai County Sheriff`s Department referes to the site as `Weekes Peak` on their radio system when they are transmitting from that site.

Roy Schahrer - N7QYK