What is this?

[K0JEG]

A few hints: It's on a golf course. It has a partner a few feet away that is a vertical (possibly a collinear) with a white radome. Both antennas (assuming this is an antenna) are connected black box with RG8 or similar coax.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8dALljET_kMdWIzczJaOVluRmc

My guess is that it's a differential GPS receiver/transmitter, but I've never seen one that looks like that.

Edit: corrected permissions on the link. Should work now.

[K1CJS]

Google docs will not open your account to outsiders.  You'll have to find another venue to let us see the picture.

[K0EKL]

It's a lightning detector. Such devices are pretty common at golf courses.

Further snooping around the Interwebs shows that it is made by a company called Thor Guard:

http://www.thorguard.com/

[K3GM]

I think that's a differential GPS antenna. The metallic "upside down" mixing bowls are deflectors which absorb multi-path interference from surrounding buildings and structures.  Just guessing though.

[TANAKASAN]

My money is on the lightning detector idea.

Tanakasan

[VE3FMC]

I think that's a differential GPS antenna. The metallic "upside down" mixing bowls are deflectors which absorb multi-path interference from surrounding buildings and structures.  Just guessing though.

My guess, some sort of lightning detector. I doubt it is a GPS. I have a hand held GPS unit that I use for golf, made by SkyCaddie. It gets its signal from satellites. There are other GPS units made by other companies.

I simply turn mine on, go to the course listings, select my course and it does the rest. Tells me the yardages to the front, middle and back of the greens. Tells me the yardages to the hazards, bunkers etc and what the yardage is to carry them.

I have an older model, pretty basic. The new models show the fairways etc in a fly by mode. Pretty neat toys, very helpful. It is like having a caddie!

We have a lightning detector at my course. but I have never see the antenna. I don't think there is an outside antenna on that unit.

Hey maybe that thing is a high tech bug zapper! 

[N2MG]

Looks a lot like this:

http://blogs.nbcuni.com/weatherpulse/blog/2007/05/detecting_lightning.html

but I have not been able to find the manufacturer.

Mike N2MG

[KE3WD]

It's a lightning detector. Such devices are pretty common at golf courses.

Further snooping around the Interwebs shows that it is made by a company called Thor Guard:

http://www.thorguard.com/

This is what it is. 

You guys can stop now...


73

[K0JEG]

Thanks, all.