What is this antenna on Pres. SUVs?

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 9:39 am

Those huge, thick, tall antennas on the SUVs?

va3wxm · Post by **va3wxm** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 11:35 am

Texas Bugcatchers, yee-haw!!

Actually I have no idea. Maybe they're not even antennas. Some sort of armament perhaps?

ESDA20 · Post by **ESDA20** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 12:17 pm

Do you know where the picture was taken?

fire-medic8104 · Post by **fire-medic8104** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 1:38 pm

More than likely overkill for the mobile repeaters secret service has.

Sam · Post by **Sam** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 2:36 pm

Is that vehicle carrying a repeater or portable trunking system maybe? From that picture they look a lot like the fiberglass tubes for 800/900 MHz, usually sky blue.

Post by Pj » Fri Aug 06, 2004 7:34 pm

If that's an undoctored pic, my guess would be for the miliatary secure comm system (earth/sat/air) system. Such examples would be GLOBAL, Mystic Star/SAMCOM, etc etc.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:16 am

My friend works in DC and says he was on the sidewalk when the President's motorcade when buy.. he says he saw those antennas on the SUVs. Guessed at 4inches diameter and about 6 ft high.

He found that pic on the internet for us to get an idea of what they looked like.

jcobb · Post by **jcobb** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:59 am

Pretzel killers?

Jack

c17loadsmasher · Post by **c17loadsmasher** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 11:12 am

Those are indeed antennas for something. I flew the P & VP's Secret Service around while I was still in the USAF, to include the vehicles. From what they told us that's the Comm vehicle...and they've more than one, because one usually went with us regardless of who we were supporting (Either Dick or George). Other than that, I dunno.

Sam · Post by **Sam** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 4:34 pm

No, wait, I got it!! 4" diameter, secret disguised vehicle: They're Ventennas!
http://www.ventenna.com/

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 8:00 pm

sweet.. awesome detective work

Jay G. · Post by **Jay G.** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 5:00 pm

As per a former member of the Secret Service team, this is called TSD - Technical services division. They are sweeping the area for anyone trying to lock onto the motorcade.

The satcom and everything else is in the vans behind the suburbans!

Z71-K9 · Post by **Z71-K9** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 5:37 pm

This is a better pic. I would love to get a peek inside.

http://www.freilich.com/visit/20040803A-101W.jpg

Mon Aug 09, 2004 11:30 pm

I'll bet there's one person who has an answer to this question. (Hint, the cow goes... "MOOO") He must be sleeping or something since he has'nt chimed in on this one yet.

carbineone · Post by **carbineone** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:07 am

This is an R.F. jamming vehicle so nobody can trigger any bombs while the motorcade is passing. If you are in the area of one of these your cell phone will not work.
Hope this answers your question.

carbineone · Post by **carbineone** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:23 am

Just as an F.Y.I. a similar vehicle saved the pakistan president when it delayed a roadside bomb going of for about 30 seconds after motorcade passed in Dec of 2003.

va3wxm · Post by **va3wxm** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:11 am

Cool. So what stops it from wiping out presidential comms?

carbineone · Post by **carbineone** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:46 am

I am pretty sure frequency windows can be set into the software to bypass
certain frequencies .

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:57 am

I am pretty sure frequency windows can be set into the software to bypass
certain frequencies .

If that was the case why wouldn't somebody just use a freq close to what the service is using?

carbineone · Post by **carbineone** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:07 pm

I don't know that answer just letting you know what the vehicles purpose is.

chipjumper · Post by **chipjumper** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 5:34 am

Absolute dream job to operate that Bitchn machine....where do I sign up?
Bet you have to have a doctorate to even get your foot in the door. I wonder who made that; Raytheon???

Nice GM Powered motorcade minus the Ford Exploders...

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:22 am

chipjumper wrote: Nice GM Powered motorcade minus the Ford Exploders...

I was thinking the same thing, only reverse.

hehe

the_muddy_mudskipper · Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:37 am

> http://www.freilich.com/visit/20040803A-101W.jpg

now THAT definitely qualifies as a hamsexy Suburban.

chipjumper · Post by **chipjumper** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 6:08 pm

Will this kill the local PD communications who participate in the security escort? Should put those jammers on all roadways to squash the nutty cell freaks. Came about 10ft head to head of a street sweeper today on the way to a call. I braked to a full stop in the opposite lane of traffic while this idiot continued at me at full speed. He was on his cellphone looking at something else and failed to notice he was about to impact a STOPPED rescue in his lane (was so close to throwing it into reverse)...

mr.syntrx · Post by **mr.syntrx** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:26 am

Just put your bombs on the same frequency as their XTS-3000's.

redbeard · Post by **redbeard** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 1:47 am

I saw one of those Tahoes with the antenna farm on the roof a month ago when CHeney came through Pittsburgh. I just came out of the tunnel outbound on the Parkway West and they were coming down the hill going into the tunnel. The truck i saw had a largish dome on it too, I guessed that it was a radar setup of some kind for tracking inbound flying objects.

KG6EAQ · Post by **KG6EAQ** » Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:00 pm

redbeard wrote:I saw one of those Tahoes with the antenna farm on the roof a month ago when CHeney came through Pittsburgh. I just came out of the tunnel outbound on the Parkway West and they were coming down the hill going into the tunnel. The truck i saw had a largish dome on it too, I guessed that it was a radar setup of some kind for tracking inbound flying objects.

Or let the agents watch CNN...