Very interesting stuff. Lots of other defunct cold war stuff on that site. I just spent a couple of hours looking at the old Nike missile sites etc. I used to live near some of this stuff but never took the time to check it out. Thanks , Vince.
The Nike radar systems are among the best designed and manufactured tracking pedestals and X band monopulse comparators ever produced. The pedestal with its dual opposed motors in each axis still produce track tolerances that are hard to beat. The monopulse comparator is wonderfully compact and has a depth of null that is hard to achieve at any cost today. And it was all done using slip-sticks.
The Nike weapons systems are gone, but the components live on in the form of precision tracking radars around the world, at test ranges, research facilities, and training assets. The pedestals (MTR, TTR, and TRR) are still refurbished and reutilized on a regular basis, it often being less expensive to do that than to try and develop new pedestals with better performance.
T!