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.

[CategoryHardware]