July 23, 2019 - Trip to the old VE7RIP site for antenna removal and the VE7EGO site for internet connectivity re-establishment work
Summary:
Technical team members went to the old VE7RIP repeater site to remove a UHF yagi antenna and plan for the Sinclair 210C4 removal later in the week. Then, over to the VE7EGO site to troubleshoot the internet connection, pull out the existing buried ethernet cable and replace it with new.
Attendees:
Terry VE7TRZ
Brad VE7WBM
Mike VE7KPZ
Access:
The usual route was taken to access the old VE7RIP site. The gate was open as the BC Hydro guys were already on site. The DOD guys had been informed of our attendance and were very friendly. All in attendance drove to the site in Jane VE7WWJ's trusty Jeep.
The usual route was taken to access the VE7EGO Commonage site. All in attendance drove to the site in Jane VE7WWJ's trusty Jeep.
Just before heading up to the VE7EGO site, Mike telephoned Kevin at 250-744-0732 who is in charge of exploding/disposing of WW2 munitions still in the hillsides. Upon departure from the site, Mike texted Kevin to notify him of our departure. Kevin likes to know both the ins and outs of our visits to the VE7EGO site.
Tasks Undertaken:
On the way to our first site visit for the day, Mike stopped at Fern and Karl VE7ZDL's QTH to pick up a roll-end of CAT-5 direct burial ethernet cable that Lorne VE7LWK had donated to the club. Let us say how much we appreciate donations of much needed (new) communications materials. The cable will be put to very good use up at the VE7EGO site.
Next, at the old VE7RIP site, Terry pulled the UHF yagi off the old antenna tower. Mike discussed with Mike from BC Hydro the plan for the Sinclair 210C4 removal in the following days.
Then, over to the VE7EGO site where Terry worked on the telephone with ispeed Communications (who graciously provide the club with free internet connectivity) and Omega Communications (who host ispeed's networking equipment at the site) to determine where the cabling issue was. Shortly thereafter, Brad and Mike dug up the old cable and replaced it with the new CAT-5 cable. Terry sorted out the new CAT-5 cable terminations at the NORAC shack end while Mike and Brad sorted out the CAT-5 cable terminations at the Omega Communications shack end.
As we did not have access to the inside of the Omega Communications shack, we will have to wait for their next real-customer-related work visit to the site, where they will quickly install a new patch cable between our CAT-5 cable run (terminating in a female RJ-45) and the ispeed Communications network switch. We installed a junction box on the outside of their shack so that in the future we can easily troubleshoot our own cable separate from the cable inside their shack.
Next Steps:
Mike will return to the old VE7RIP site later in the week to pick up the Sinclair 210C4 antenna and take it to the club's storage trailer (to await re-deployment).
Terry, Mike and others will return to the VE7EGO site once Omega Communications has completed the internet re-hook-up. We will put IRLP node 1050 back on the air, allow for remote access to PiEGO (plus allow PiEGO email notification sends) and move forward with the APRS RX-only iGate project.
FYI,
Mike VE7KPZ
NORAC Vice-President (2017-2019) and technical committee member