Project Diana - Camp Evans, Wall, NJ
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 40° 11.233 W 074° 03.597
18T E 580023 N 4448960
The TIROS Program (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) was the beginning of metereology as we know it today, with Project Diana at Camp Evans receiving the world's first weather satellite photos.
Waymark Code: WM65M5
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 04/07/2009
Views: 8
In 1914, Guglielmo Marconi constructed a wireless communications station here in Wall Township, New Jersey, for the purposes of commercial wireless communications. The first trans-oceanic wireless communication was received here. The American Marconi Wireless Company built a 45 room hotel to house its employees, and erected six 500 foot radio towers as part of the permanent commercial transmitting and receiving station. A part of the original tower is displayed on one of the original sites of the towers along Marconi Road.
The Navy took commission of the station during World War I, as a base for trans-Atlantic communication. The military data sent and received here played a vital role in the war effort. When World War I ended, the Navy returned the site to Marconi, whose company had changed its name to Radio Corporation of America (RCA). The need for the strategically placed wireless station was no longer a priority of Marconi's business, and by 1924 the site had been abandoned.
Just before the United States entered World War II, this research facility once again became a military installation for Signal Corps. In 1942, this installation was rebuilt and named Camp Evans after Lt. Col. Paul W. Evans, a pioneer in the growth of the Signal Corps.
The research done at Camp Evans during World War II developed the single most important technological advantage that turned the war towards the Allied - RADAR. Radar used to detect aircraft, submarines and ground units was developed, tested and perfected here.
But research on radar detection systems did not end with World War II. Again this site was "on the radar" when the Diana Tower Project successful sent radar signals to the moon and back on January 10, 1946. This proved, beyond a doubt, that radar waves could pierce the ionosphere. Within a year, messages to the moon was deemed unneccessary, and the dish was dismantled. However, only the dish was replaced, as this now became the base for the first weather satellite radar site.
The TIROS Program sent the first images of world cloud cover and clearly showed the curvature of the earth and trasmitter to the radar here at Camp Evans.
The TIROS I spacecraft was launched on April 1, 1960 and was operational for only 78 days. TIROS I had two television cameras, one low-resolution, one high-resolutions. This project proved that satellites could be for surveying global weather conditions from space.
The TIROS II spacecraft was launched on November, 23, 1960 and was operational for only 376 days. Like TIROS I, this craft also had two cameras, but had improved operational control. The satellite photos received at Project Diana showed global cloud cover and directional information.
The camp is no longer Federal, and has been transferred to the ownershp of InfoAge, the Information Age Science and History Learning Center. InfoAge has links to view the first satellite pictures and history of the program on their very informative website.
Is the radar operational?: No
Radar Operator: Signal Corp
Radar Type: TIROS
Radar Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Please provide a photograph of yourself and/or your GPS with the radar visible, and describe the area.