110903 - Summary of where the project is today.  We have two forty foot shipping containers that are welded together, opened up inside, and finished with 2x4's, 1/2 inch plywood and Roxul wool insulation.  There is an eight by eight foot porch, on the East side.  There is a six by eight foot washroom/coax transfer room (with a composting toilet).  There is also an eight by eight foot power room, which will eventually become a 'bedroom' once we stop storing tools there. 

There is a space set aside for a kitchen - eight x twelve foot at the West end of the C cans, which is now about 80% built.  The rest of the space is operating space - three workstations, a sitting area with a gas airtight heater and a work bench area.  The floor has been insulated in the coax transfer and power rooms.  The rest of the floors are now in - 1 inch high density insulation, and either laminate flooring or linoleum over 1/2 plywood and insulation.

We ran over 5,000 feet of core line (a strong plastic pipe) between the workstations and the coax transfer room, the power room and as many other places as we could imagine we would need to run future cables.  We have miles of 120 and 220 volt wiring home run back to the power room.  There are both 12 and 24 volt drops at each workstation.  There are several battery banks.  1000 amp hours at 24 volts supporting a Xantrex Pro-Sine 3KW inverter/charger (this provides pure sine wave, lab quality power to anything that needs 120 volt).  There is 900 amp hours of 12 volt liquid ni-cad batteries, and 2 x 160 amp hours of 12 volt Sealed Lead Acid batteries.

There is a 2.5KW propane generator - used to recharge the batteries.  This whole environment is off of the grid - not connected to mains power.  Futures include solar and wind turbines. 

Bill's workstation is a Flex 5000A software defined radio, with a SPE Expert 1.2KW solid state amplifier.  Jeff's workstation is composed of a number of Icom radios.  Visitors can either use our equipment, or bring their own.

Antennas - we are still working on this.  We currently have  an A3S up about 32 feet (40 - 20 - 15 - 10 Meters).  Above it is a 6 meter monobander.  We have three sixty foot telephone poles up in the field - about 45 metes apart.  We have an eighty, forty and 20 meter dipole at 52 feet.  There is a multi-band dipole 40-20-15-10 meters.  We have a small 32 foot tower ready to be put up, with a Cushcraft 5 band yagi to be installed on it (20-17-15-12-10 meters).  In addition, we will have a monster 20 meter monoband yagi - with a 40 foot boom.  We have two other Heavy Duty 48 foot towers ready to be installed, when the weather gets better and the field dries out.

The compound is fenced, and the base is dry and solid.  There is a locked gate at the edge of the compound.  There are a lot of locks on the C cans, with electronic security.  Futures include video cameras (remote controlled) and remote operation of the station.

110903 - We have been doing work down at the project - as well as playing radio.  We have been working on the three way fridge.  Ben was down there today, and he cut in the steel frame that is going to to up tight against the C cans - and seal the three way fridge so it doesn't leak any gasses into the C can.  I'm impressed - nice job Ben.

Ben - laying out the Air Vents for the 3 way fridge.

Here is 'insert' for the 3 way fridge.  Ben did an awesome job of cutting this in.  How does he do that (and the tradesmen don't have to answer that)!  The vents are going to be cut into this area - the holes are drilled so that Ben can see where the vents need to be cut in.

Once the vents are set in place, we will screw the 'box' in place, and then use high temperature silicone to seal it in place.

Cutting out the vents.