Any Navy Types Around?

A small group of us old farts were recently sipping a glass of red on my aft deck, offering various opinions on the small disk and cone shapes on the mast of a 60s vintage museum frigate berthed nearby.

My wild guess was whip antenna bases, but can any old navy types out there help so we can settle the (mild) argument?

May not be antennae bases as some point down?

I'm not a navy type, but my first guess would be lightening protection.

How about early radio direction finding antennas? Or perhaps some sort of early signals intercept gear. Not familiar with the specifics of that installation though it's interesting there appear to be three on a plane and one above.

MRRiley said:

How about early radio direction finding antennas? Or perhaps some sort of early signals intercept gear. Not familiar with the specifics of that installation though it's interesting there appear to be three on a plane and one above.

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Thanks MR,

Still no consensus here yet. My bet is still that an ''H'' shaped whip antennae array has been removed leaving these cone shaped 'bases' on the crosstrees, but who knows?

cheers,

Nope, I'm wrong.

I just found a (copyright) RAN image of the ship at sea, and those cones are there as is.

My little mystery remains.

Former USN, would guess ECM - electronic counter measures. Make a ship appear smaller or bigger on radar. Also closer or further away. Used to deflect homing missiles.
In the USN ECM could be used for making a small ship look bigger than a carrier. Good for the carrier but bad news for the destroyer.

Lepke said:

Former USN, would guess ECM - electronic counter measures. Make a ship appear smaller or bigger on radar. Also closer or further away. Used to deflect homing missiles.
In the USN ECM could be used for making a small ship look bigger than a carrier. Good for the carrier but bad news for the destroyer.

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Thanks Lepke!

I didn't win the bet, but I will get brownie points for passing on your info.

Cheers,

it is top secret. stop posting about this. comcrudeslant staff.

silentfaith said:

it is top secret. stop posting about this. comcrudeslant staff.

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More COMOLDFARTPAC.

My guess would be UHF antennas. From globalsecurity.org:

Since VHF and UHF antennas are line-of-sight systems, they require a clear area at an optimum height on the ship structure or mast. Unfortunately, this area is also needed for various radars and UHF direction- finding and navigational aid systems.
VHF and UHF antennas are usually installed on stub masts above the foremast and below the UHF direction finder. UHF antennas are often located on the outboard ends of the yardarms and on other structures that offer a clear area.