ANTARCTIC PENINSULA 0 1 0 0 k m 100 mis 1 Comandante Ferraz brazil 2 Henry Arctowski folano 3 Teniente Jubany Argentina 4 Artigas uruouav 5 Teniente Ftodolto Marsh chu Bellingshausen ussr Great Wall china 6 Capitan Arturo Prat chile 7 General Bernardo O'Kiggins chile 8 Esperanza argentine 9 Vice Comodoro Marambio Argentina 10 Palmer usa SOUTH 11 Faraday uk 12 Rothera uk 13 Teniente Carvajal one SHETLAND 14 General San Martin Argentina ISLANDS _100Km NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY MAP COPYRIGHT Vol. 12 No. 7 Antarctic Antarctic (successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin") Vol 12. No. 7 Issue No. 139 (April, 1992) Contents Polar New Zealand 210 221 ANTARCTIC is published quarterly Australia Finland, Norway, by tiie New Zealand Antarctic and Sweden 225 Society Inc., 1979 United Kingdom 228 ISSN 0003-5327 United States 232 Sub-antarctic Editor: Robin Ormerod Heard Island 236 Please address all editorial inquiries, contributions etc to the General Editor, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, New Zealand Antarctic protocol 239 Greenpeace 241 Telephone: (04) 4791.226 International: +64-4-4791.226 Books Fax: (04) 4791.185 Wild Ice 246 International: +64-4-4791-185 Society News AD administrative inquiries should go Conservation Trophy 240 to The Secretary, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, New Zealand Inquiries regarding back and missing issues should go to P.O. Box 404, Christchurch @ No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the Cover. A US C141 Starlifter being prior permission of the publishers. unloaded at McMurdo Sound. Photo: Chris Rudge, DSIR Antarctic Antarctic VoI.12No.7 NZARP New Satellite telecommunications link improves contact with Scott Base The inaugural telephone call on a new satellite link between DSIR Antarctic's Christchurch headquarters at the International Antarctic Centre and Scott Base was made at 3 p.m. on January 29 1992. Dialling the call, directly from Christchurch, the Minister of Science Denis Marshall spoke to DSIR Antarctic's acting manager Dave Geddes via a videoconferencing link connected forthe purpose. Thecallcameattheendof monthsof research undertaken byDSIRAntarctic and Telecom, and the construction this season of a Satellite Earth Station at the site of the First Crater near Arrival Heights. Antarctica's isolation creates special com videoconferencing, sound radio and com munication needs; these include difficulties in pressed video. Moreover the facilities as they sending and receiving information and data to are introduced can be used around the clock other parts of the world, operational and eliminating the restrictions of the old time support needs, emergencies or environmental schedule. concerns as well as contact for personnel Among the preliminary work undertaken for working at bases with families and friends in the project was a full review of existing other parts of the world. Telecom or the New equipment and projected requirements which Zealand Post Office, as it was until 1 April, was completed in 1989, an environmental 1987, was one of a number of (then) govern impact report, approved by the appropriate ment organisations invited to contribute their New Zealand authorities, a survey for the expertise to New Zealand's ongoing effort in satellite link and site selection. Only two sites Antarctica during the 1950's. Since then the were considered suitable for the satellite link, organisation has provided a team of up to five one at Nob Hill and the other at the FirstCrater technicians and operators each summer to at Arrival Heights; the latter was chosen as it handle communications both between Scott required less roading and other construction Base and New Zealand and to service field work. equipment as well as training personnel to Most of the equipment was flown to Scott handle it. One technician and one operator Base during the first three weeks of October, have also always wintered over. the remainder later in the season. Cargo was The new link replaces the radio telephone, prioritised to facilitate construction. The task used with minor improvements since 1957, involved a site survey, levelling, the laying of and offers Scott Base a full range of commu foundations and the construction of the base. nication products and services at a quality This was followed by assembly of the Radome, consistent with onshore services. They include installation of the satellite equipment, erection telephone, facsimile, digital data transfer, and and tuning of the antenna and commissioning. 210 Vol. 12 No. 7 Antarctic Three different groups of personnel, total phase. Robin McNeil, also from Telecom, ling 14 in all, were involved in the project in undertook an HF(High Frequency) Appraisal, Antarctica which was supported by a further work on the PABX and power distribution. 30 who remained in New Zealand. The team David Basile, a consultant was involved in the comprised Theresa Boyce, a project design antenna installation and alignment. engineer from Telecom in Wellington who, The team erecting the main structure were during October, undertook site testing while often hampered by abysmal conditions, work the excavation and drilling was underway and ing in winds up to 125 km and temperatures returned later in the season for the satellite down to -30c. Frostnip was not an uncommon station commissioning phase. Murray Mitchell occurrence. from Works Consultancy Services in Telecom's new station foundation structure Christchurch, provided quality assurance for was designed by Works Consultancy Services the construction team comprising Jim Ltd., in Christchurch, who oversaw the con McGregor, John Henderson and Dean Flintoff, struction in conjunction with Telecom and riggers from Telecom Services Ltd in DSIR Antarctic. The structure has been built to Christchurch. Garth Varcoe and Con Faber of withstand temperatures in excess of minus 50 DSIR Antarctic, and John Nelson from Macra deg C and winds up to 200 kilometres per Drillers who went south as a driller but later hour. Overall it comprises a ten metre wooden assisted with the construction. Also south on platform supported by 15 stilts giving it a the project were electrical technicians Phil height of approximately a metre above ground. McLintock, John Mock, and Gerard Kenniwell It is bolted to a total of 17 concrete blocks which from Telecom in Christchurch and Ross Mackie in turn are anchored into the permafrost with who coordinated the network commissioning a total of 34 six metre long rods. SCOTT M BASE \ METERS TO »j3 J CHRISTCHURCH 3832 ™ CANBERRA 4807 ' BUENOS AIRES T Dave Geddis, DSIR Antarctic's acting manager at Scott j TO K Y O \ Z Base takes the inaugural call from the Science Minister, Denis Marshall - Photo. Yuoinne Martin. wmiW Antarctic Vol.l2No.7 On the platform Telecom staff have assem The new earth satellite station at Arrival bled a Radome which is 15 metres in diameter Heights with Mt. Discovery in the and fastened to the base by a ring beam. The background. Radome has been assembled from 270 trian gular panels made of Kevlar, a type of carbon lite Earth Station. Although initially the material developed for the Space Program system is linked to Scott Base only, it will be (and used in KZ7, one of New Zealand'syachts available to other prospective users working for the Americas Cup) set on individual frames in the Ross Sea region. which have been bolted together. This new system replaces the High Fre quency radio link with New Zealand which Inside the station provided only two simultaneous voice channels into Wellington and connected to the Telecom Inside the Radome is a nine metre C-band national and international network. The link earth station antenna plus high power radio was often distorted by solar flare and iono frequency equipment. The antenna is pro spheric disturbances making access to avail grammed to trackthe INTELSAT V-A satellite able voice circuits unreliable, sometimes for up operating on 174 deg E and primarily serving to several days. the Pacific Ocean Region. This satellite will be Calls had to be placed through a local further upgraded in 1993. operator who connected them to the national Links from the station to Scott Base (which or international toD network. Direct dialing is has been completely rewired with state of the now available throughout the base. Whereas art local switching including a Systemax local previously calls were restricted to ten minutes cabling system and plug for voice and data or less and sometimes rationed over peak transfer) are via a high frequency fibre optic months to one a week now they can be made transmission system and power cable which at anytime. A limited slow speed type of telex have been run along existing routes as much facility was operated on the system but it had as possible. no data transfer capabilities consistent with For simplicity of operation in the remote modern requirements. Now, personnel at the location and to keep the power demand to a base have the same facilities as in any modern minimum Single Thread Electronics have been office. used and spare parts are being kept at Scott Base for replacement by the Telecom Techni Further improvements cian should a fault occur. An equipment shelter (to house the high frequency equip Improvements to operational communica ment) has also been constructed at the site of tions including links to shipping and aircraft in the Satellite Earth Station within the Radome. the region, and field parties, are now being The configuration, as established, com examined and may be implemented in future. prises a 512k bit carrier which is expandable In tiie meantime personnel spending the win as required but for the moment provides 15 ter at the base , who include staff involved in continuous high quality channels for voice the day to day running and technicians over and data communication. Transmission from seeing scientific programmes, have access to Scott Base can be made direct to the Interna world-class communications facilities in terms tional Antarctic Centre in Christchurch or of voice and data transmission.