The PersonalTelco group hopes to shortly acquire a used satellite truck from KOIN (Channel 6). This page will serve as the coordination point for all issues pertaining to the vehicle.
Known Stats
- Econoline 350
- 217,000 miles
- Was in full-time use through mid-March, 2002
- Has large studded tires
- Needs new battery unless driven frequently
- Generator for on-board 110
- Possibly batteries?
- Pneumatic mast
- Unknown height, likely about 25 feet?
- Probably still has cable coil, maybe even cable
- Massive roof-rack with catwalk IIRC
- Rear storage space around mast and generator
- Significant gear space
- Entire back wall is equipment racks, maybe 4 across?
- Driver-side mid wall has another, deeper rack
KOIN is selling this van for $500. It'll be bought by my KOIN contact, photographer Dean Barron, and sold to the PTP group. NigelBallard has agreed to buy the van itself, and quite a few others have pledged $50 which will be used for all the refit work. (original plan was to get 10 people with $50 each, then Nigel offered to buy it outright)
Suggested Uses
There are any number of bizarre things we as a group can think of using such a van for:
- Internet access for meetings with no Internet access
- Park out front, find the nearest node, and relay into the meeting space
- Event webcasting, either audio, video, or both
- Site surveys
- Really long-shot testing, say from Mt. Hood
- Driving around in a really cool looking van with piles of gear
Refit Requirements
In order to make the van usable for our needs, a fair about of refitting must be done. Some stuff is required, some stuff is necessary for it to be of any use, and some is just plain blue-sky.
Required: Repaint the van to remove the KOIN logo
Required: Remove/convert the studded tires
Required: Install new main battery
Required: Clean up all the remaining cut cables and cruft from years as a TV truck
Necessary: Build some kind of antenna mount to at minimum manually position a directional antenna
Necessary: Find a way to either put the AP on top of the tower or use existing (if any) riser cable
Blue-sky: Install a pan/tilt-style aimer for the directional antenna
Blue-sky: Install a low-powered computer to link the AP, internal network, and 100Mbps umbilical, and "be" the van
Blue-sky: Paint OurLogo and other stuff on the side of the van
Refit Volunteers
JeffZurcher can help out on the mechanical end, I have the tools and I should be able to come up with a battery if needed.
DonPark I have some knowledge of engines from working on my VWAP. Id like to help evaluate the status of the engine. I can also help document and test the on-board AC eletrical systems.