Migration from analogue to Icom dPMR digital at Antarctic research station.

Situated on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, some 20 miles from the Spanish Antarctic base Gabriel de Castilla Antarctica, Base Antártica Española Juan Carlos Primero (BAE-JCI) is a seasonal scientific station operated by the Marine Technology Unit of the Spanish National Research Council to support scientific research projects coordinated by the National Program of Natural Resources.

BAE-JCI is a seasonal base offering accommodation and laboratory facilities to a community of researchers, scientists and support personnel between November and March each year.

Scientists from the ICTS Polar Spanish Antarctic Base Juan Carlos 1 (BAE-JCI) with their Icom radios pictured from left to right: Jordi Mateu, Joel Sans, Joaquim Rabadá, Jordi Vilaseca and Remy Rondeau.

Image courtesy of: www.utm.csic.es

Joel Sans, research support technician on oceanographic vessels and Polar facilities at BAE-JCI, describes the complexity of field operations in the extreme Antarctic conditions:

“BAE-JCI is located in a coastal area surrounded by glaciers and features a wide variety of fauna and sporadic permafrost. The average annual temperature is -1.2ºC while the maximum recorded wind speed is 180 km/h.

Given the harsh environment, researchers and scientists need to be accompanied at all times by mountain technicians and sea personnel depending on where a project is being carried out.

In addition, all staff members in the area, including mountain staff, boat staff, technical staff supervising technical installation and project equipment, kitchen staff, medical staff and personnel responsible for the Base are all equipped with a dPMR portable radio to ensure they are supported by Antarctic research station operation control. Migration from analogue to dPMR digital at Base Antártica Española Juan Carlos Primero (BAE-JCI) able to communicate 24/7 to give status updates, report on any situation, and if necessary to call for urgent/emergency help in the event of incidents."

dPMR Digital migration brings additional coverage and enhanced safety

BAE-JCI has worked with Icom equipment since its establishment in 1988 and is currently in the phased migration from analogue to digital radiocommunications. Joel Sans explains: “The BAE-JCI is undergoing important changes in terms of the demand for projects being developed which have led to an increase in field activity in locations out of the coverage range of the existing analogue radio system.”

In addition, he continues, the number of users of radio communication is increasing: “These circumstances have made it necessary to migrate to a digital system to expand the coverage area and to installing an additional self-sufficient radio site in a remote location”.

The new ICOM dPMR digital system will operate with IC-F1100DS hand-portable radios, FR5100 dPMR repeaters and an IC-F5400DP set-up as a base station radio.