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The "Ham Shack" at camp on Pike Lake near Gwinn in
Michigan's Upper Peninsula
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 In July of 2006, I operated HF from Michigan for the first
time in 45 years. I was 11 years old and held the call WN8AQL the last time I had a QSO from
the Marquette county area. I have now returned to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and spend part of
the year operating from camp.
Camp is located 30 miles south of Marquette, MI (and Lake Superior) near Gwinn, and under a half mile
from one leg of an abandon Extremely Low Frequency communications antenna line that was associated
with Project ELF.
Project ELF became operational in 1989 and was designed to communicate with deeply-submerged
submarines. It consisted of two transmitter sites, one near Clam Lake in Northern Wisconsin,
and the other near Gwinn. The sites were separated by 145 miles.
In Michigan, three antenna lines were used, two about 14 miles long and one roughly 28 miles
long. These lines were laid out resembling the letter "F" with the longest line running
north-south, and the smaller lines running east-west.
Some research needs to be done to verify this, because the line by camp appears to run
north-northeast, north and then north-northwest from its termination point.
Satellite photos and aerial photography show the path to a limited extent. One can see clearing
in the woods, but then the line disappears. The only way to confirm the direction is to drive
and hike the line. That's another project at another time.
I haven't checked with the State of Michigan to see if right-of-way maps are available, but since
maps supplied to hunters don't appear to be updated, chances are very slim that the antenna line is
shown.
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The antenna line looked like a single power-line mounted on
40-foot wooden poles. It's been reported that the typical operating frequency was 76
Hz.
The project was closed down in 2004, but some hardware remains. Mostly just the poles are
standing today. (2008 Note: Poles have been removed, and I haven't found any other
evidence of the antenna system.)
You can find additional information on Project ELF throughout the WEB, but a lot of it from
anti-nuclear weapons activists involved in a long campaign against what they dubbed a "nuclear war
trigger." John LaForge of Nukewatch helped coordinate the Coalition to Stop Project ELF.*
Bonnie Urfer, co-director of Nukewatch said, "I feel relief for the people of the area and the local
environment, knowing that ELF's million-point-three watts of electricity will no longer be jolted
into the ground, shocking the aquatic life and increasing the threat of leukemia and other
cancers."*
So far, the fish I've caught seem to be healthy and not abnormally large or disfigured, and I haven't
seen any strange creatures roaming the backwoods, although Bigfoot (Sasquatch) has been reported in
the area. (My outhouse is unlocked in case he stops by some evening.)
When operating from camp, I use a 25+ year old Yaesu FT-757 GX. The antenna is a north-south 44
foot doublet at 35 feet and fed with 300 ohm TV twinlead. I use a modified MFJ tuner with 1:1
current balun. Band noise associated with modern living is practically nonexistent.
Joe ( AJ8MH )
aj8mh@arrl.net
*Information from The Nuclear Resister, Nr. 135, PROJECT ELF CLOSES dated October,
2004.
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The Camp...
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Fishing is Good... That's a modified
tennis-racket in picture!
Pike Lake holds Crappie, Pumpkinseed/Sunfish, Bluegill, Perch,
Smallmouth/Largemouth Bass(14" limit), Northern Pike(24" limit) and Walleye(15" limit).
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