Wednesday 13th to Thursday 14th March 2013

I spent a lot of time on Tuesday trying to get OziExplorer onto my PC and working. This application is used to program all our GPS’s with all the “safe” waypoints and routes up on the plateau and in winter, out on the sea ice. It was the usual story with computers, three hours to find the software, three hours to find the license key, three hours to figure out how to work the bloody thing and to get it to talk to the GPS and then fifteen seconds to program each GPS.

As expeditioners advance their skills in the field and as new areas are opened up and declared safe to travel, I will progressively add more routes to the GPS’s so expeditioners can venture out further afield. Later I also programmed up a new iP phone for the doctor and helped him out trying to get his X-ray machine and heart rate monitor on line.

I also started work fitting out all the electronics on the new orange Hag. First job was to turn the radar around ninety degrees. (What were you thinking Chris?) It would have been a pain in the arse driving back from Rumdoodle in reverse during a blizzard. This equipment, radar, multi function display, GPS, flux gate compass, VHF radio and HF radio are all different brands and they all have to talk to each other, (What were you thinking Kingston?) so I have to interface a bowl of spaghetti of assorted cables, adaptors and converters, what I call Micro Sucks plug and pray. As long as the smoke stays where it should be all will be fine.

I also installed a six meter mast for the six meter antenna in a forty four gallon drum full of rocks(Antarctic style) and pulled three cables into the transmitter building. At first it was a bit wobbly, but after throwing in some smaller rocks and then some gravel and shook it around a bit it became quite stable. Understandably my back was not happy that night and the next day. Wednesday night a few of us pitched in and cleaned out the gym and the spa/sauna areas. If you want some old smelly gym shoes, sweat towels and bathers let me know as there was about eight years worth just left lying about. I can now say I have been to the gym :)