SATCOM Radome and Antenna Assembly Continued

open sesame
Here's the hatchway entrance to the radome... (CW)
chain it
...and here goes the second ring of panels. Note how they are chained to the antenna hub for support (SW).
There were about 14 bolts per edge, 4 were 1/4" and the rest were 3/8". And they had lock nuts...no easy spinning down, so the crew got a lot of arm exercise! Needless to say, the panel erection required good weather with light winds (SW).
stretch legs

At this point, the scaffolding got rather interesting. Normally, a radome like this would be erected from the top down, suspended by a crane...but there wasn't a crane available (SW).
stick together
Yes, there was some preassembly (CW).
isn't this how the South Pole dome was dismantled?
The top cap of the radome was constructed on the ground, with 5 more panels attached to it. This was lifted into place in one unit using the Skytrak forklift. The comment on station was that this resembled a giant egg hatching. Oh, the weather turned lousy and it was sleeting...but the top was safely set and bolted down before dinner (CW).
hang it up
Here's a view from the other side of the structure (SW).
isn't this how the South Pole dome was dismantled?
we are seeking closure here, folks
Above, two more views of the top section being lowered into place (CW).
the inside story


What things looked like from the inside as the radome top is lowered (SW).
just ribbing
The next step...assembling the 16-foot-diameter antenna. Here the antenna ribs are being attached to the hub (SW).
down down
After the dish was mostly completed, it was lowered to point at the horizon (SW).
the pointed thing
Then the subreflector and feed assembly was installed (SW).
Hi, Skip!
Here's Skip standing on the kingpost azimuth support (taken with a very wide-angle lens) (SW).
a little dab will do
Finishing touches...Skip caulking the radome (SW).
I've got some hangups
Yes, he was safely tied off (CW).
golf ball
A view from above the radome. Much of the aerial work was performed from the manlift basket attached to the forklift (SW).
getting in gear

Some of the satcom electronics inside the equipment shelter (SW).		 ET, phone home everybody!

The final test...then VOIP phones were hooked up temporarily in the biolab hallway, and folks were invited to make free phone calls, while other people surfed the web at the same time. Everything worked! (SW)
everybody

Here's a construction crew hero shot in front of the new SATCOM
facility (DC).

Credits...Skip Withrow (SW) provided many of the photos and descriptions of the antenna and equipment installation; Cherie Wilson (CW), the 2002 w/o assistant lab supervisor, took other photos and published them with descriptions on a public RPSC web site; Debbie Crawford (DC), one of the w/o electricians, took the final hero shot of the construction crew. Thanks!