teeks

As the comms manager at Halley, it’s my responsibility to look after everything radio related. We have 3 radio systems on base.

For short range communications we use VHF stations and hand-helds (most people know them as ‘walkie-talkies)’. The base stations are powerful units attached to fixed antennas on the roof of each building and the portables/mobiles/walkie-talkies are carried by everyone on base when outside, regardless of the weather.

The range of VHF is totally dependant on line of sight, so if you can see who you’re calling (weather notwithstanding) then you should be able to reach them via VHF. Increasing the height of your antenna increases your range, and that’s exactly what we do with vehicles and cabooses (caboosii?) – we attach longer antennas to increase the range. Typically, you should be able to reach another base station from a base station within 20 miles, and calling a hand-held should work within 10 miles. Calling a hand-held from a hand-held should work within 5 miles … of course this is all in theory, and it never works like this.

Another VHF system is aero-VHF, which I use to contact aircraft within 30 miles. The aero-VHF uses a different frequency range than the short range system, 110-130mhz, with the base-stuff using 156-162mhz – there’s enough of a gap to prevent any overlapping or interferences.

A typical hand-held radio

In my office – On the left, my VHF base station and on the right my aero-VHF

Our main radio systems on base are two Skanti HF sets. I have two 750w transceivers attached to a switching box, which enables me to choose up to three different antennas, two directionals – one East-West and one North-South – and one omni-directional Inverted V. These radios have the capability to broadcast and receive world-wide, and I regularly chat with Rothera with perfectly clear comms (800 miles away). I use these radios to chat with our aircraft, and with each field party based out from Halley (daily scheduled checks and updates).

Our other HF sets consists of portable HF radios, or PRM units. These small military-style radios are lightweight and yet heavy duty enough to take out into the field, and all field parties carry a PRM set.

The main radios, two identical HF sets listening to two different frequencies

The transceivers of the above radios with my map of Antarctica with flight routes, distances and times

The field or ‘PRM’ radio box.

Inside the box

The radio deployed field fashion (the antenna is usually spread out to 6m or so)

The radio display itself. Nice and simple

Nice and easy.

Filed by admin at 6:38 pm under antarctica
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