120121 - 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 90% 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 maybe, 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 continue 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 55 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  put
up, and we added a 15 and a 10 meter monoband yagi.   In addition, we will have a monster 20 meter monoband yagi - with
a 40 foot boom, ready to be installed.  We have two other Heavy Duty 48 foot towers ready to be installed, when the weather
gets better and the field dries out, I have the money and my buddies have the time.    An A4S with the 40 meter option was
also purchased and is waiting for the right time to install.

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.

120121 - We had an excellent work party at the project today.  Jeff was there first - opened the place up - heat was on.  Bill
got there next - after his usual Saturday a.m. breakie with his buddies.  Gary was next, followed by Al.  Ben arrived later. 
Jordon showed up to write his exam, with his dad Doug.  Dave E. was there and John M. showed up late in the afternoon for
an hour - after work.

We got the Cushcraft 5 bander off of the tower.  We tuned up the 10 meter antenna, and got it up on top of the tower.  The
new 15 meter antenna was built, and put up on the tower  as well.  Al 'McGuyvered' a mast - out of 21 feet of 1.5 inch
galvanized steel pipe.  He then put a piece of 2.0 inch pipe on the outside of it, with a flange attached to 10 inches of the
2.0 inch pipe.  A flange at the top of the pipe, with a swivel pulley, and we have a fantastic way to assemble and test
antennas.  The full plan is to bury another pipe in concrete, and have this pipe fit into it.  For now, we have it attached to a
fence post.  This really speeded up our ability to safely test antennas - and in most cases one person could do it alone.  In
addition, it gives us a safe place to store antennas before they find their final mounting point. 

The following are pictures - I've done them in reverse chronological order - so the newest are on the top.  Awesome day. 
Also remember that they are thumbnails - you can click on them to see the full size pictures.

Al's plan - and boy did this work out well as a prototype for testing Antennas and
temporarily storing them - one person was able to raise and lower the antenna by them self
and the antenna was at a comfortable height to work on it

The inside of the 32 foot container I just purchased for the project.  It came with floor to ceiling
steel shelving in it.  Will be an excellent addition to the project

Coax transfer station - More antennas!

The following are Gary's pictures of the day's events

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