DECCA SPAIN

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Santiago Insua Fernandez provides some details on the siting of the stations for the two Spanish chains.

"The project to provide Decca Navigator coverage in Spain started in October 1951 when an engineer named Carlos Alcón Sanz started to work on the Northwest chain design. He worked for the Navigation Aids Department inside the Ministry of Public Works. During the initial design, the stations were to be located as follows:

Master: Puebla de Sanabria (Zamora - Castilla y Leon) - http://goo.gl/maps/7HZJ
Red: Cabo Silleiro (Pontevedra - Galicia) - http://goo.gl/maps/r2hz
Green: Ribadesella (Asturias) - http://goo.gl/maps/9oPF
Purple: Alba de Tormes (Salamanca - Castilla y Leon) - http://goo.gl/maps/uNqo

Between 1951 and 1953 the South chain was also proposed by Carlos Alcón Sanz, with the stations located at:

Master: Utrera (Sevilla - Andalucia) - http://goo.gl/maps/46tF
Red: Santa fe de Granada (Granada - Andalucia) - http://goo.gl/maps/GdRd
Green: Arcila (Morocco) - http://goo.gl/maps/P66Q
Purple: La Albuera (Badajoz - Extremadura) - http://goo.gl/maps/JgCx

As one can see. the initial locations are different from the final ones. I don't know the exact reason for this but for example, in the South chain, the independence of Morocco made impossible to maintain the location for the green slave.

Another chain, projected by Mr. Alcon Sanz was the Mediterranean chain. The initial project comprised four chains: North-West, South, Mediterranean and Canary Islands.

The locations chosen for the Mediterranean chain were to be:

Master: Sagunto (Valencia) - http://goo.gl/maps/j5co
Red: Caspe (Zaragoza - Aragon) - http://goo.gl/maps/1EfW
Green: Balazote (Albacete - Castilla la Mancha) - http://goo.gl/maps/8Oq4
Purple: Ibiza (Islas Baleares) - http://goo.gl/maps/eB49

Neither the Mediterranean of the Canary Islands chains were ever built. The project to build the North-west chain was approved on 28th July, 1956. The locations were changed and officially assigned as:

Master: Manzaneda (Ourense - Galicia) - http://goo.gl/maps/SwPU
Manzaneda is the name of the mountain where the station was located. The closest village is Trives.

Red: Noia (A Coruña - Galicia) - http://goo.gl/maps/N883
Moimenta is the name of the closest village, Lousame is the second one and Noia is the main one. Officially Noia (in Galician) or Noya (in Spanish) was used.

Green: Boal (Asturias) - http://goo.gl/maps/wQuJ

Purple: Vitigudino (Salamanca - Castilla y Leon) - http://goo.gl/maps/QUCd "

The proposed Mediterranean chain is shown within the red circle. Also shown is the total coverage area had the Med chain been built.

The location of the Canary Islands are shown in the colour map inset while the monochrome diagram indicates the anticipated coverage area for a chain which was proposed but never built.

Both images in this table via Decca Navigator News Spring , 1967

 

This map shows the location the location of the Northwest and Southern Chains in Spain. Listed are the regions where the master and slave stations were located.  (Graphic courtesy Santiago Insua Fernandez)

This was the coverage area of chain 4C. (From Decaa Navigator News, Sept 1958)

Below are photographs of the master station at San Xoan de Rio, GALICIA ( Northwestern Chain) taken in 1980. Click on any image to enlarge. Unless otherwise stated, all photos were provided by Santiago Insua <deccanavigator(at)mundo-r.com>  As of June 4, 2004. Santiago has developed a web page for Decca Spain. It is exclusively in Spanish but an English version may follow later. http://www.xente.mundo-r.com/decca
 

	The very leftmost antenna in the photo is the primary antenna, 110 meters in height. At the right are the three, 55 meter secondary antennas. If there was any problem with the primary antenna , any of the secondary antennas could be used.
	One of the secondary antennas photographed from the top of the primary antenna.
	Taken from atop the primary antenna, this photo gives a good view of the property. The small building was the Control Centre while the larger one was the living quarters for the station personnel and their families.
	Control Center building.
	Another view of the Control Center building
	Santiago's father, Victor Manuel Insua Suarez, at the original console in the Control Center. It was updated with newer equipment in 1985.
	The faceplate on this decometer bowl is labelled in Spanish. Decca equipment for the Spanish marketplace was made by Marconi Española under licence.  This specific bowl was salvaged from certain doom and held in safekeeping by a former Decca employee when the Northwest (4C) Master was upgraded in 1984. It was part the station's two monitoring receivers. This particular Spanish decometer also included an add-on modification. A box mounted on the bottom of the bowl contained a "Set Lane Indicator " pushbutton and a Sector Reference control. The purpose of these additional controls is not known at this time but it may be part of the special modification for the chain monitoring receivers.
	A close-up view of the nameplate on the Marconi Española decometer.

Select this link to see aerial views of the former Decca stations in Spain.

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Taken in 1979, this was the master station for chain 6A located at  Setenil de las Bodegas. The transmitters were the 1880. type. This view shows two receiver antennas mounted on the equipment room wall. These were Mkl2 type receiver, fiberglass antennas. Main transmitter antenna and coil house is shown behind. To the left is the receiving antenna for the microwave link from the remote station monitor. This site used a combination of remote receiver and local receiver for chain performance monitoring. (Photo by David Jones).

 

Setenil 6A master mast about 1979. (Photo by David Jones).

Setenil 6A master - The building was built in the form of a square with a main courtyard. The mast can be seen in the background. (Photo by David Jones).

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July 17/12