Thursday 28th November 2013

I woke up and it was blowing 40 knots and I remembered I left my 6m antenna up over night but luckily it didn't get damaged. I had another moon bounce sked with Steve HA0DU in Hungry today and in the mean time I got the tide gauge equipment ready and tested. I had to replace the underwater light and then when I tested the communications system with the tide gauge it wasn't working. 

I replaced two of the DB9 connectors that had corrosion on them and it still didn't work. I then opened two joins in the cable and the wires were full of corrosion so I cut, cleaned and re-terminated these. When I tested it again it started working but only if I applied pressure on the cable where it joined the coil which tells me there must be corrosion or a break in there as well. This was bad news as the chances of fixing it would be very slim. 

By now it was time for my sked with Steve. Lucky my antenna had survived and within fifteen minutes I completed my eighth moon bounce contact and the first ever into Hungry from Antarctica. Later I went back to that bloody tide gauge coupling coil. I dug out all the silastic and glue from where it had been repaired before and it was all full of corrosion. 

I spent hours digging it out and cleaning it up before attaching a new cable but it was all in vain as it was too damaged and was causing too many errors on the computer to be used. Feeling very tired I knocked off and went back to my room to work on my blog and to read some emails.

If the weather is good tomorrow then some of the project people will fly back to Davis station and three people will fly out to Richardson Lake. Personally I think they would have more luck picking up pickup sticks with their butt cheeks. Lets wait and see.