National Isolated Radio Array

The National Isolated Radio Array (NIRA) is a location in the Savage Divide region of Appalachia in 2102.

Background
Situated at the heart of the National Radio Quiet Zone, this massive radio installation was set up as a two-way transmitter, rather than merely a listening device to monitor space. The use of NIRA for this purpose was well underway in August 2076, constantly running into problems with local radio interference. To counter that and establish a clear connection for at least an hour, the crew of the site logged a request to divert power from the main Appalachian grid and use the NIRA to generate an electromagnetic radio-canceling field.

The project was successful, with the September 3, 2076, transmission at 2 p.m. coming in clear as day - and NIRA successfully sending out a reply. The problem was that the intensity of the field had a deleterious effect on humans, as the electromagnetic radiation produced a dielectric heating effect in the brain of all people in the range - as far as Clarksburg - resulting in intense migraines, nausea, and other nasty side-effects. When local media picked up on the unusual phenomena, the transmission and the generator were immediately shut down.

However, the project was not mothballed. Instead, the team at NIRA focused on trying to come up with alternative solutions for the problem while still experimenting with radio frequency cancellation. Dr. Constance Nichols, an ionospheric physics Ph.D., was hired to help with filtering background noise to that end. The problem was that the electromagnetic radiation at the site had a consistently adverse effect on the workers on-site, with pain medication and various shielded hoods being offered as a solution to the problem, due to the necessity of the cancellation equipment. The employees were not thrilled, but they continued the job.

Layout
The centerpiece of this location is the large radio telescope, some small service/control rooms are found just next to and north of the telescope. To the south is an office/administration building, and to the west is a warehouse building. A weapons workbench can be found at the warehouse.

Notable loot

 * Fred's uncertain future - Note, inside the office building, upstairs, on a desk in the corner opposite of the working terminal.
 * NIRA site doctor's report - Holotape, inside the office building, upstairs, on the desk in the central office.
 * Four potential Vault-Tec bobbleheads:
 * By the suicidal skeleton slumped on the northern edge of the roof of the office building; access it via the roof of the crashed red big rig trailer.
 * On or near the metal shelving, in the northwest corner of the mezzanine upstairs balcony inside the maintenance warehouse (with the two flagpoles outside).
 * In the small service building right next to the radio telescope.
 * On top of, or on the floor near the small central mainframe computer island, inside the dish array control hut at the foot of the dish (with the flagpole outside).
 * Three potential magazines:
 * On the metal desk with the bottlecap sunglasses and teal rounded vase, in the northwest upper office with the red trailer protruding through the outer wall, in the office building.
 * On the ornate bureau, in the southwest corner of the upstairs office, with the dead potted tree outside the door, on the west side of the office building.
 * On the metal desk by the destroyed terminal, eastern corner (left of the red machinery), inside the dish array control hut at the foot of the dish (with the flagpole outside).
 * Power armor chassis - Behind the locked door at the warehouse building. Use the loading dock storage key (see below) to unlock the door or pick the level 2 lock.
 * Fusion core - In the basement of the office building.
 * Loading dock storage key - Can be found behind the chained door in the office building. The key opens a locked door at the back of the warehouse building.

Appearances
The National Isolated Radio Array appears only in Fallout 76.

Behind the scenes
The location is based on the real location of Green Bank Telescope and the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ).