A year later: How's the radome doing?

Exactly one year ago, on February 27, 2020, the storm "Bianca" destroyed the radome in Raisting - a monument "of outstanding national importance".

Since then, the restoration is planned, which should take place this year.

Raisting

- On the anniversary of the destruction of the radome, René Jakob gives the “starting shot for the future”.

According to the managing director of “Radom Raisting GmbH” in the Weilheim-Schongau district, the planning has now almost been completed, so that the order for the reconstruction of the industrial monument can be given soon.

According to Jakob, an important task in the preparation was that the reason for the tearing of the shell in the storm had to be determined.

The result of the investigation was that the new air envelope required some structural changes compared to the previous model.

For example, not only vertical, but also diagonal forces must be taken into account in the seams.

The new case will not look much different from the old one.

You will also be almost opaque again.

With the new air envelope, not only should "Antenna 1" regain the necessary protection, but at the same time the basis for the further development of the system should also be created.

Jakob is thinking primarily of tourist use.

According to Jakob, the cost of restoring the radome will be covered by the insurance company.

So far, orders in the amount of around 800,000 euros have been awarded, whereby the envelope is not included in this amount.

Jakob expects a total of 2.4 million euros.

According to Jakob, the order to manufacture the new shell will be placed soon.

He doesn't want to publish any information about it beforehand.

According to Jakob, a feasibility study was carried out parallel to the planning of the new air envelope, which examined how the attractiveness of the monument could be further increased.

Jakob sees above all the possibility of using the radome for large multimedia projections, with which information about the facility and other areas such as nature and culture are presented in a contemporary way.

The large dome could serve as a canvas.

According to Jakob, the feasibility study will soon be discussed in the responsible project group and then presented to the decision-makers and funding agencies.

He then will inform the public about the content of the study.

Raisting's mayor Martin Höck regards the radome as an important facility for Raisting, although the community has "relatively little to do with it" because the monument is a district matter.

The fire brigade and the building yard, which contributed to the security, were only on duty after the storm damage.

As a unique facility, the radome has great historical significance.

“If we already have the monument,” says Höck, “then we should also preserve it for posterity.” In addition, the installed technology should be passed on to future generations.

With this in mind, he hopes that the new case can still be installed this year.

Höck is also thinking of the economy in Raisting and the surrounding communities.

If presented appropriately, the radome could stimulate tourism.

In addition to the district and the municipality, there is also an institution that is committed to preserving the monument.

It is the "Förderverein Industriedenkmal Radom Raisting".

The non-profit association attaches particular importance to the fact that the radome is not only the backdrop for an impressive show, but that the function of the technology is also conveyed.

According to chairwoman Sabine Vetter, a technology historian worked out a concept a good ten years ago with the help of the association that cost 20,000 euros.

In addition, between 2005 and 2010 the association itself developed visitor and usage concepts that should now be "in the drawers of the district office".

Unlike Jakob, according to Vetter, the association not only wanted to provide basic information on the history of the radome and the technology of satellite radio, but also to exhibit original equipment, set up experiment corners for children and enable practical experiments.

Alfred Schubert