Chazd's (Charles Dowdell's) News Burps

This is the online journal of Charles Dowdell.
www.theguysatwork.com
e-mail Charles

Saturday, January 13, 2007

My mission went well yesterday. We went to White Island and an area near Williams Cliff to check for decent radio paths for some of our problematic links. We had some promising results. I will be going to pole tomorrow. I still have to check the times and bag-drag. I will be getting on 20 meters on 14.243 at about 000 hrs UTC over the next week. I am hearing that they are getting a signal into the United States. Although I may have to climb a tower at Pole to fix the 6 element beam. We will see. My email and blogging will be out of schedule a bit. The South Pole has only 11 hours of satellite visibility for our Internet and phone connection. They have a great ham radio station and from what I hear it can be very different from McMurdo. It will be a great thrill to see the dome and the new station. I will be posting a time I will appear in front of the webcam after I get down there. The temps at pole are fairly warm at -20 or -30 F.


posted by Charles  # 12:29 PM (0) comments


Friday, January 12, 2007

I am flying this morning. We are getting off the beaten trail. We are going to Mt Heine on White Island and Williams Cliff on the side of Mt. Erebus. We are trying to determine if we have a found a better radio location at these two points. We are taking GPS, maps, a 900 Meg radio and ice axes. It will make the network simpler if I can prove these spots will work. Cravasses are common near Williams Cliff so we are on high-guard about where we will set the helo down. We may not set down at all. Cravasses are really problematic down here. They are hundreds of feet deep and they are very often covered with snow. Sometimes the snow may be 6 or 10 feet thick and may support equipment for a while. Then one day the equipment breaks through. Ice radar is normally used for traverses.


posted by Charles  # 12:27 PM (0) comments


Thursday, January 11, 2007

I am getting ready for my trip to pole. I will probably have to bag-drag sunday night. Bag-drag is a process where you get weighed and submit most of your luggage. You keep just enough stuff so when your flight is delayed you have it with you. I will be there for 7 days. I will start taking some diamox today to (hopefully) prevent altitude sickness. One part of me says don't take it since I haven't had a problem. The other side of me says I should take it.

I still can't really believe I am here. I have adjusted, thats for sure. But I can see differences in my senses and what I choose to sense. My sense of smell is heightened. Very little smells in Antarctica. When you smell something it is very noticable. I am in denial about the sun being up 24 hours. I sleep in a darkened room and pretend we have days and nights. If I am out late and go outside it is still a shocker.

You can't help but make friends here. Everyone has to work so closely.

Wintering over starts in early march this year. There will be no supply shipments or means to get on or off the continent for 8 months. It is dark for six of those months. I have noticed some peculiarities with folks who have wintered a few times.


posted by Charles  # 12:19 PM (0) comments


Wednesday, January 10, 2007

I am getting mentally prepared for re-integration when I return. I still have quite a bit to do before I head back, but it it won't be long now. The ships are in! I got aboard the Polar Sea last night and I was one of the fortunate few who was able to purchase a hat and a patch from the ship's store. If you look close at the picture you will see two UHF antennas I installed on the ships railing near the bridge a few days ago. The peir the ship is moored to is a huge block of ice covered with fine volcanic sand (fines). It is the ice pier of McMurdo. Town was really hopping last night with over 100 coast guard folks ashore to spoil and pillage.

I got approval for a couple of missions to recce some potential new radio sites to make our networks simpler. Simple is better. Complex is problematic. The skill is understanding why things are complicated without having to start over. There may be a reason for the complexity. There may not be a reason. When you learn why it was complicated (or not) you can then apply that to a new simpler model. This principle can be applied to organizations, radio systems, and anything else that is created by organizations of man.

I head to the pole in a few days. I will do a comprehensive experiment regarding the coreolis effect and report on it.


posted by Charles  # 12:22 PM (0) comments


Monday, January 08, 2007

There were quite a few penguins up in town in the last couple of days. They just come right up to people seemingly because they are just curious. They are definately strange. The antics you see the penguins do on TV are for real. The music and the anthropomorphic dialog are not. The statements regarding the penguin's moral and ethical constitution are also added in the editing phase of film production. (just so you know).

There are also Weddell seals everywhere. Someone said they are in fat city this time of year because they don't have to worry much about a couple of holes in the ice to fight over. There are cracks and plenty of holes near the pressure ridges.

Last night I was on the 20 meter amateur radio band working a very large pile up across the Pacific and I made contact with a expedition coordinator in Patriot Hills Antarctica. Patriot Hills is quite a ways from here certainly, and I knew that the Polar first helicopter team was to be moving through the camp at this location about now. I discovered through my contact on ham radio the news of the team actually making it to the pole. I had heard about it before the world. The news is out now. K2ARB at patriot hills (KC4/K2ARB) and I had quite a chit-chat about staying warm and the goings-on on continent. I was hoping I could have talked with the pilots on the team but they had already moved on. That was great ham radio. The folks listening had a great listen I am sure.

Bonnie has hurt her ankle. That is not a good thing.


posted by Charles  # 11:25 PM (0) comments


Archives

08/27/2000 - 09/03/2000   09/03/2000 - 09/10/2000   09/10/2000 - 09/17/2000   09/17/2000 - 09/24/2000   09/24/2000 - 10/01/2000   10/01/2000 - 10/08/2000   10/08/2000 - 10/15/2000   10/15/2000 - 10/22/2000   10/22/2000 - 10/29/2000   10/29/2000 - 11/05/2000   11/05/2000 - 11/12/2000   11/12/2000 - 11/19/2000   11/19/2000 - 11/26/2000   11/24/2002 - 12/01/2002   12/01/2002 - 12/08/2002   12/08/2002 - 12/15/2002   12/15/2002 - 12/22/2002   12/22/2002 - 12/29/2002   12/29/2002 - 01/05/2003   01/05/2003 - 01/12/2003   01/12/2003 - 01/19/2003   01/19/2003 - 01/26/2003   01/26/2003 - 02/02/2003   02/02/2003 - 02/09/2003   02/09/2003 - 02/16/2003   02/16/2003 - 02/23/2003   02/23/2003 - 03/02/2003   03/02/2003 - 03/09/2003   03/09/2003 - 03/16/2003   03/16/2003 - 03/23/2003   03/23/2003 - 03/30/2003   03/30/2003 - 04/06/2003   04/06/2003 - 04/13/2003   04/13/2003 - 04/20/2003   04/20/2003 - 04/27/2003   04/27/2003 - 05/04/2003   05/04/2003 - 05/11/2003   05/11/2003 - 05/18/2003   05/18/2003 - 05/25/2003   05/25/2003 - 06/01/2003   06/01/2003 - 06/08/2003   06/08/2003 - 06/15/2003   07/20/2003 - 07/27/2003   08/03/2003 - 08/10/2003   08/10/2003 - 08/17/2003   08/17/2003 - 08/24/2003   08/31/2003 - 09/07/2003   09/07/2003 - 09/14/2003   09/14/2003 - 09/21/2003   09/21/2003 - 09/28/2003   09/28/2003 - 10/05/2003   10/05/2003 - 10/12/2003   10/12/2003 - 10/19/2003   10/19/2003 - 10/26/2003   10/26/2003 - 11/02/2003   11/02/2003 - 11/09/2003   11/09/2003 - 11/16/2003   11/16/2003 - 11/23/2003   11/23/2003 - 11/30/2003   11/30/2003 - 12/07/2003   12/07/2003 - 12/14/2003   12/14/2003 - 12/21/2003   12/21/2003 - 12/28/2003   12/28/2003 - 01/04/2004   01/04/2004 - 01/11/2004   01/11/2004 - 01/18/2004   01/18/2004 - 01/25/2004   01/25/2004 - 02/01/2004   02/01/2004 - 02/08/2004   02/08/2004 - 02/15/2004   02/15/2004 - 02/22/2004   02/22/2004 - 02/29/2004   02/29/2004 - 03/07/2004   03/07/2004 - 03/14/2004   03/14/2004 - 03/21/2004   03/21/2004 - 03/28/2004   03/28/2004 - 04/04/2004   04/04/2004 - 04/11/2004   04/11/2004 - 04/18/2004   04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004   04/25/2004 - 05/02/2004   05/02/2004 - 05/09/2004   05/09/2004 - 05/16/2004   05/16/2004 - 05/23/2004   05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004   05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004   06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004   06/13/2004 - 06/20/2004   06/20/2004 - 06/27/2004   07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004   07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004   07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004   07/25/2004 - 08/01/2004   08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004   08/08/2004 - 08/15/2004   08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004   08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004   08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004   09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004   09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004   09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004   10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004   10/17/2004 - 10/24/2004   10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004   11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004   11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004   11/21/2004 - 11/28/2004   12/05/2004 - 12/12/2004   12/12/2004 - 12/19/2004   12/19/2004 - 12/26/2004   12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005   01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005   01/09/2005 - 01/16/2005   01/16/2005 - 01/23/2005   01/23/2005 - 01/30/2005   01/30/2005 - 02/06/2005   02/06/2005 - 02/13/2005   02/13/2005 - 02/20/2005   02/20/2005 - 02/27/2005   02/27/2005 - 03/06/2005   03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005   03/13/2005 - 03/20/2005   03/27/2005 - 04/03/2005   04/03/2005 - 04/10/2005   04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005   04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005   04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005   05/01/2005 - 05/08/2005   05/08/2005 - 05/15/2005   05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005   05/22/2005 - 05/29/2005   05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005   06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005   06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005   06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005   06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005   07/03/2005 - 07/10/2005   07/10/2005 - 07/17/2005   07/17/2005 - 07/24/2005   07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005   07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005   08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005   08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005   08/28/2005 - 09/04/2005   09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005   09/25/2005 - 10/02/2005   10/30/2005 - 11/06/2005   11/13/2005 - 11/20/2005   11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005   12/04/2005 - 12/11/2005   12/11/2005 - 12/18/2005   12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005   12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006   01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006   01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006   01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006   01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006   01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006   02/05/2006 - 02/12/2006   02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006   02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006   03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006   03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006   03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006   04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006   04/16/2006 - 04/23/2006   04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006   04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006   05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006   05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006   05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006   05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006   06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006   06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006   06/18/2006 - 06/25/2006   06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006   07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006   07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006   07/16/2006 - 07/23/2006   07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006   07/30/2006 - 08/06/2006   08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006   08/13/2006 - 08/20/2006   08/20/2006 - 08/27/2006   08/27/2006 - 09/03/2006   09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006   09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006   09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006   09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006   10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006   10/08/2006 - 10/15/2006   10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006   10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006   10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006   11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006   11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006   11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006   11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006   12/03/2006 - 12/10/2006   12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006   12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006   12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006   12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007   01/07/2007 - 01/14/2007   01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007   01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007   01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007   02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007   02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007   02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007   02/25/2007 - 03/04/2007   03/04/2007 - 03/11/2007   03/11/2007 - 03/18/2007   03/18/2007 - 03/25/2007   03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007   04/01/2007 - 04/08/2007