Report - Parabola – Cité des Télécom – Côtes-D’Armor (FR) – August 2018

[Nathan.R]

Good morning / evening, everyone,
This is my first report, on an exploration done last summer. It is a former telecommunications centre.

The Parabola, from outside. Note: The fences you see are 3 meters high (approx.)
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=================================================== A bit of History =====================================================

In the middle of the countryside, there are the remains of a major telecommunications research centre. Commissioned in the early 1960s, the site played a key role in the development of satellite communications and television. During its lifetime, the site will host a total of 15 antennas, including 11 satellite dishes spread over a large wooded park, and will employ 200 people at its peak. The site closed in 1999 and most of the antennas will be dismantled in the 2000s. Today only 4 antennas and the remains of the control buildings remain. Most of the buildings are closed, but it is possible to access the most important parabola of the site still standing, culminating at 34m high and 30m wide, its presence is impressive even from a distance. This antenna was a backup antenna, it was intended to take over in the event of a submarine cable failure, today it is pointed towards the sky to limit its catch in the wind.

The Antenna, tops 34m high​

==================================================== The Exploration ========================================================

The access to this site is obviously not easy, and it is after several hours of walking that we found an access. Once there, apart from being careful not to fall, there is not much danger. Be careful though, there's a little security. The site is very photogenic, we did not have a wide angle lens that day, I strongly advise you not to make this mistake haha. And the weather was cleary not with us that day, unlucky.

===================================================== The Photos ! ==========================================================

Now you see why we would have liked a wide angle lens...

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Thank you very much for reading my first report all the way to the end, don't hesitate to tell me what you thought, it matters to me This is certainly not our best release in terms of photos, you will see, it will get better....
See you soon!

 

[Yorrick]

I like this. Any more photos or internal photos?

 

[Nathan.R]

I like this. Any more photos or internal photos?

Thank you! I sadly don't have many internal photos since it was pretty dark in there. Though here are some more photos of the parabola :

You don't learn much about it here, but you can see abandonned buildings in the background.

This is an engine, used to make the lift working. Of course it doesn't work anymore

You can here see the mechanism of the lift.

It was really dark inside... (not a good photo at all, but you can see the lack of light)

One more photo at the top of the parabola

A similar shot than the last one on the report, different colors though

One last outside shot

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