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Marshall Field Testing Facility Communications

A wireless Ethernet connection has been installed from the UNAVCO Facility to the test site as one method of communicating with and downloading data from equipment at the Marshall test site. This was accomplished with the installation of a repeater radio and band pass filter on the South tower of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The repeater site uses two directional yagi antennas connected to the same radio; one is pointing towards the UNAVCO Facility, and the other one is pointing towards the test site out at Marshall. A band pass filter is being used to filter out the noise from other signals in the 900 MHz range which were causing interference.

Click on thumbnail for larger image

master yagi antenna on UNAVCO roof master yagi on roof of UNAVCO building repeater on South tower of NCAR repeater on South tower at NCAR
pelican case which houses equipment at NCAR hardware inside pelican case at NCAR front view of repeater at NCAR yagi antenna connected to slave radio at Marshall field

The test site is also using a HUGHES VSAT system which is providing internet to a mini-pc. Currently, the mini-pc is downloading four MicroZ receivers on a daily basis via RS232 serial. The VSAT internet connection will be used to test low power mini field computers for sites that require this functionality. Below are photographs showing the HUGHES VSAT dish at Marshall Field. A seperate power system (solar panels, batteries, charge controller) was installed for the HUGHES because of its larger power consumption of 22 Watts.

HUGHES VSAT at Marshall Field HUGHES modem and batteries in enclosure equipment enclosure for HUGHES system inside of main enclosure which houses all other equipment overview of enclosures and power

Last modified Thursday, 24-Apr-2008 17:57:51 UTC
 

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