[Milsurplus] Hawaii "Stairway to Heaven" to be dismantled

[Hubert Miller]

Read this morning in the New York Times, 23 September 2021 this article, "Hawaii 'Stairway to Heaven'

Is Deemed Too Dangerous and Will Be Dismantled".  Okay, Hawaii subject is interesting to me anyway,

but reading it, I learned this "3922 step ascent crosses mountains and attracts hikers" was built by

the Navy in 1943 for access to a radio station. Altho not specified, I think probably more likely, access

to the antenna. Wiki has this article,        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku_Stairs



The relevant part of the Wiki article is,



"In 1942, contractors for the U.S. Navy began construction of the Haʻikū Radio Station, a top secret facility

that was to be used to transmit radio signals to Navy ships that were then operating throughout the Pacific.[3]

In order to obtain the necessary height for the antennae, the Navy stretched them across Haʻikū Valley, a natural

amphitheater. Some remnant parts of the wooden ladder may still be seen beside the metal steps.



The radio station was commissioned in 1943. To transmit such a powerful signal, the Navy needed a transmitter

of greater capability than possible with vacuum tube technology at the time. They therefore decided upon an

Alexanderson alternator, a huge device capable of generating powerful low-frequency radio signals, and requiring

a large antenna.[3]



When the Naval base was decommissioned in the 1950s, the U.S. Coast Guard used the site for an Omega Navigation

System station. In the mid-1950s, the wooden stairs were replaced by sections of metal steps and ramps — by one

count, 3,922 steps. The Coast Guard allowed access in the 1970s but stopped after an appearance on Magnum P.I.

show increased visitation.[4] The station and trail were closed to the public in 1987.[5]"



Reference [ 3 ] is:  "History of the haiku stairs". haikustairs.org. Retrieved January 8, 2015.



[A picture containing outdoor, mountain, nature, hillside  Description automatically generated]



The antenna and Alexanderson generator says to me, VLF. Altho I would have thought the Navy already had

capable Pacific VLF in place already, before the war. I'd like to know more about this. The antenna reminds

me of the similar mountain – valley VLF antenna at Navy radio NLK at Jim Creek, near Oso, Washington.



In my high school years, many decades ago, I had a QSL from Navy Radio NPM, Hawaii, 19.8 kHz, 500 kW.

The QSL signer thanked me for my "valuable report". Single tube receiver, built from a QST article, "An

NAA Receiver". Very good for CW practice, in those days. "VVV VVV VVV NPG/NLK"  is ingrained in my

memory forever, and without that, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know the Morse for symbol " / ".



The stated reasons for removing the stairway are liability and safety concerns, and that there is no actual

public access; people access it crossing private property. You can imagine the aggravation that causes.

-Hue Miller
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