Communications equipment in remote location

[Franco50]

I probably havn't worded the thread title very well but while on holiday in the Scottish Highlands a few weeks ago I came across this site on a hillside on a remote road. I'm assuming it is communications gear of some sort and that the wind turbine and solar panels are to provide power, perhaps for something inside the hut?
I just wondered if there were any of you guys out there who knows what all this stuff is for and could satisfy my idle curiosity.

[Jenn]

Could it be for weather monitoring?

[nheather]

Could it be for weather monitoring?

That was my immediate thought aswell.

Cheers,

Nigel

[rickinyorkshire]

I wonder what is in the shed.

[imightbewrong]

Originally Posted by rickinyorkshire

I wonder what is in the shed.

My guess is a tunnel to an underground complex...

[nvingo]

There is an antenna just like that near to Wisbech port. This was replaced in March this year, and a mast on a small trailer on the same site held a temporary antenna during the work. There also had been such an antenna installed on the new "The Boat House" built a few yards away which I had thought was going to be its replacement.

I've found this photo in which both masts can be seen, the freestanding one is behind the 2nd lamppost.

I was split on whether it was for marine communiation/navigation or a mobile phone mast - although most other mobile phone masts I've seen have different-looking antenna to that.

[Franco50]

Being a sad old git I've spent my lunch hour doing some Googling and I found this pic which is of the very same installation as in my photo, just from a different viewpoint.

Modern Communications Loch Quoich Renewable energy:: OS grid NH0401 :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!

I don't think the mast is related to mobile phones as I'm sure it would have been situated much higher up had that been the case (note the higher mountains in the background).

The blurb states it is to do with renewable energy which might suggest monitoring equipment to record wind speeds and sunlight with a view to possible future windfarms or solar technology in the area. Maybe the mast is to transmit data to a central computer somewhere.

Thanks for the responses so far. Any more experts out there?

[nvingo]

I'm still leaning towards navigation. The power for the beacon comes from wind/sun simply because of the remote area.

There is of course the dish, presumably for receiving data from a communications satellite (geostationary).

It is the three antenna that indicates a navigation beacon to me.
A receiver can use the phase of the signals from each antenna to determine its bearing. Or is that not possible?

[Hitby]

It's obvious isn't it? The dude that lives in that shed has got a massive AV system and he needs to power it He had to move there because everywhere else someone complained about his sub

[Franco50]

Originally Posted by Hitby

It's obvious isn't it? The dude that lives in that shed has got a massive AV system and he needs to power it He had to move there because everywhere else someone complained about his sub

That's it folks, no more replies necessary, this guy hitby is a genius!