Saturday
19th January
From
John Storey.....
 This
morning was the first really clear day we've had, with a perfect
blue sky over the vast, flat white ground. After several days
of cloud, blowing ice-crystals and high wind, it's sometimes
hard to remember that this is the best site on earth for astronomy.
Today it was obvious that a telescope pointed skyward would
be able to see forever.
Finally
we got the Stirling Engine installation completed. Duane did
all the wet bits, like the fuel lines and the cooling system,
and I did wires. We also got the plumber to make up a new
exhaust pipe, the one we got from Tuffy Mufflers being significantly
on the too short side. The new pipe is made of copper and
is very handsome. I have pointed the webcamera
at it so that the whole world can admire it. Everything is
ready to go, so tomorrow will be the big day.
We
could switch it all on tonight but I'd like to take it slowly.
There's something about wiring up 10 mm diameter welding cable
to a pair of 24 volt batteries that is strangely intimidating.
We have a 200 Amp fuse in the line so no-one should actually
die but, on the other hand, I've never seen a 200 Amp fuse
blow and I suspect it is a rather unsettling experience. Sitting
just outside the AASTO is 270 gallons (about 1,000 litres)
of JP-8 jet fuel, which we are hoping to burn through over
a period of a few months, rather than a few seconds...
At
10:30 was the weekly Science Meeting, which brings together
the key management people of the station and the scientists.
I took the opportunity to raise the question of getting some
magnesium perchlorate from McMurdo. Unfortunately the station
manager is well tutored in the ways of the world (which, of
course, include chemistry) and responded with "Perchlorate,
eh? Must be a bit explosive..." Nevertheless, I think
we'll have our jar of it soon.
Tony
has been locked in a life-and-death struggle all week with
the Supervisor computer, and at one stage had 6 candidates
lined up for the job. Finally at about 8 pm this evening he
arrived breathlessly at the AASTO lugging a computer that
can actually read our disk! It looks as if the battle is almost
over, and Tony will have truly earned his stripes as an Antarctic
Superhero, Grade 1. The new Supervisor computer even has a
CD drive in it, and is a joy to behold. It doesn't appear
to want to talk to our other computers (via telnet), but it
is probably just shy and will settle in after a few days.
Meanwhile
Tony's feet have started to decompose, which is unsettling
for Duane and me but probably worse for Tony.
A
few days before I arrived here a group of Russians appeared
at the South Pole in an Antonov 3, a small biplane which appears
to be only marginally more sophisticated than a Tiger Moth.
Apparently the group included some quite senior officials
who, once they got here, decided that they weren't getting
back into the Antonov for quids and promptly made an official
request to the US to be flown out in a Hercules. This was
duly done; the Antonov is sitting forlornly beside the ski-way
and the Russians have just received a bill for their Herc
flights for US$80,000. The Russians appear not to have been
expecting this. The Antonov is "off limits" to us,
presumably while some diplomat works out whether it's worth
$80k or not.
Tonight,
being Saturday, the station is in party mode and people keep
drifting through the computer room clutching beverages of
various kinds. There is apparently a very good band playing
in the Summer Lounge, so I might go check it out...
 
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