Relay improves communication on icy southern continent

It’s a harsh world for both people and radio equipment in the Princess Elisabeth Antarctic (PEA) region in the Antarctic, but there are compensations. There are very few buildings to interfere with signals and much of the country is flat, giving excellent line-of-sight conditions for operators - although temperatures can range from -50 to -5°C.

The radio network, largely VHF systems, has to be reliable and give as full a coverage as possible.

Recently, a new relay antenna was installed on Romnoes nunatak*, which is on the way out to the coast. Much of the equipment was airlifted to the site, including four solar-charged batteries each weighing 75 kg. Fully charged batteries do not normally freeze, despite the extreme temperatures. The relay has extended communications to 160 km even on a 5 W handheld unit.

Now, a little background. Belgium is responsible for this first zero emissions station that accommodates between 25 and 40 people. The country was given the region by the International Polar Foundation in 2010. At an altitude of 1382 m and 220 km from the coast, scientists venture out to study microbiology and meteoritics, among other research projects, in this largely unexplored region.

While the station has been designed to last for 25 years, it operates only in the Austral summer from November to March.

The man overseeing updates and responsible for all the electrical and radio systems is Karel Moerman, who is also a keen amateur radio operator. With more than 12 years’ experience, he is called on to ensure that power from batteries and solar panels is always available for radio and other equipment. However, nearly 50% of electricity is generated by nine wind turbines that rely on the katabatic winds that can reach gusts of 250 km/h.

VHF is also used for communicating between ground and aircraft. Novolazarevskaya Station is some 450 km from PEA with an air journey time of around an hour and a half. Radio contact, though, can be made when the aircraft is some 220 km between the two sites.

High-frequency radio is used between the two centres to confirm aircraft movements.

Communication between teams in the field and base stations is essential if only for safety reasons. Team members have a 5 W handheld and 20 W units are installed in the Prinoth tractors. Mobile containers that scientists use as a temporary camp are fitted with radios.

In the future, it is intended to install a relay in the Brattnipone Peaks region to improve radio coverage in the area. A second relay is being considered for installation between the one at Romneos and the coast but because there are no nunataks out there, some creative thinking will be needed to find a firm foundation for the antenna.

Back at PEA, a satellite dish allows scientists to keep in touch with colleagues and send data back to their laboratories. It’s also used to monitor and control the station’s systems from Belgium - an essential part of the station’s design.

And between 10 pm and midnight, Moerman can be found using the HF antenna and working CW into Australia, Europe and Hawaii - when conditions are right of course.

*A nunatak is a word with its origins in Greenland. The word describes an exposed and usually rocky outcrop on the edge of a glacier or icefield. Although it is where a permanent ice sheet is present, it is not normally covered with ice or snow and remains a good landmark and a solid base on which to build structures such as antenna relay stations.