DECCA IN THE ARCTICThis story, which appeared in the December 1960 of Decca Navigator News, focuses on a Decca survey chain in Canada's Arctic but doesn't explain the reason as to why it was set up. The purpose of the survey chain is best explained in Doug Grainger's account which follows this story.
In the Polar Shelf Operation, Decca and CDC personnel ( Decca's rep in Canada) are operating a master and two slave stations sited along the northern limit of the Canadian Arctic coastline.
The chain provided coverage for the rectangle marked out to seaward of this coast which forms the exploration limits of the Canadian Polar Continental Shelf Expedition headed by Dr. Roots of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys. Navigation in these latitudes (80°N) is quite unlike that used in the UK. Here. the magnetic compass becomes quite useless. High frequency transmissions form beacons or R/T networks are sometimes swamped by magnetic storms. Visual navigation is often impeded by ice crystal fog and 40 to 50 mph wind hazards.
In consequence, Decca in any form is very much appreciated and has enabled the expedition to expand and accelerate the surveying program as compared to operation without Decca. Lightweight receivers are fitted in two Otter aircraft and one Sikorsky helicopter. two motor driven toboggans (aka snowmobiles) and of course the Decca monitor station at Isachen airstrip.
The transmitting equipment is a Lambda chain used in its hyperbolic form. Mobility and general ruggedness are essential for equipment to survive the trip from Ottawa which involves at least three aircraft changes with no storage or unloading facilities at temperatures well below zero. The Master station is situated on Ellef Ringes Island about 30 miles north of Isachsen while the two slaves are located on uninhabited two islands some 90 to 100 miles away. Radiotelephone contact is is very sporadic. As a result, the two operators at each site are very much on their own. During the summer season there is no darkness and the temperatures range from -50°F to perhaps 50°F in July.
Both extremes have their advantages and disadvantages The ground is essential frozen mud( permafrost) which in these latitudes reaches down to several hundred feet and is hard as rock. Gabion [1] holes for the transmitting masts took two men about one day per hole using an electric hammer drill. In the summer months the top 18 inches soften and everything floats in a sea of liquid mud. Summer also brings forth Arctic poppies, Snow Buntings, Lemmings and the occasional seal and if one is unlucky a grizzly bear. Every aircraft and site carries a rifle and at Decca Red they were forced to use it when a bear scavenging for food put its paws on top of the wooden hut's vestibule and shook it from side to side.
The chain has worked well so far after almost superhuman efforts installing the chain as indicated by at least one dose of frostbite. Operations continue on a 7 x 24 basis and due to changes in ground resistance, lane counts are taken about every two weeks.
In 1960, even without lane identification, the users are enthusiastic and look forward to the spring of 1961 when a new Lambda lane identification receiver will enable them to make full use of the chain.
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| The rectangle denotes the exploration limits of the Canadian Polar Continental Shelf Expedition. (Map courtesy Decca Navigator News) |
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| This map shows the placement of the two slave chain. The Master was at Isachsen on Ellef Ringnes Island with the green slave on Meighan Island and the Red Slave on Borden Island. (Map courtesy Decca Navigator News) |
A SURVEY IN THE ARCTIC
by Doug Grainger, VE7MAA"Following RN/RCN service, my first civvy job in 1959 was with Computing Devices in Ottawa. CDC was, at that time, the North America agent for Decca and I was attached to the airborne navigation side of the operation. Among the many interesting projects including using Decca for forest spraying in New Brunswick, ice patrol over the North Atlantic, cloud seeding for NRC and many others. Without doubt the biggest job was erecting a Decca chain in the high arctic.
Based on the weather station at Isachsen on Ellef Ringes Island, we were in support of the Polar Continental Shelf Project (PCSP). The idea was to establish exactly where the Polar Shelf was. My job was to fly out over the Arctic Ocean, in 75 mile steps to check the signal strength and phase stability of the two slaves and the master. The Master was set up on Ellef Ringes Island, one slave on Borden Island and I've forgotten where the other slave was. That snowmobile at the weather station must have been the first in the Arctic.
Having made about ten of these 24 hour monitor stops, it then became necessary to repeat these same locations. If you've ever tried to find the same spot in the frozen ocean you will know what I mean. It took us two years to accomplish the survey."
Some of the photos below will illustrate the conditions that we worked under.
All photos courtesy Doug Grainger.
Obviously, Doug has done a good deed in order to receive an award from his team. It's also evident that every backpack always has a little spare room for a bottle of rum to keep the Arctic chill away. No fancy fibreglass and accessories on this snowmobile - just the basics. It might have even been the first one ever built but it served us well at the weather station. Home can be anywhere in these parts. Here, we have set up camp in the middle of the Arctic Ocean! The DeHavilland Beaver was the workhorse of the Arctic. Graham Collins, VE3GTS, also worked with Decca survey equipment in Canada's north. "After I left the service, I worked for a small company in Ottawa called Marinav, later bought by US company Oceaneering and then
called Oceaneering Canada. I was laid off in 1984 and don't know what became of the company after that. In any case, Marinav was contracted to do work for Energy Mines and Resources, specifically the Polar Continental Shelf Project. One job was the set up, operation, and relocation of EMR's DECCA LAMDA system.My involvement was in the 1982 to '84 time frame as I helped set up and operate EMR's DECCA LAMDA system on Northern Ellesmere Island in support of Project CESAR for use in the winter of 1983. I helped set up
all three sites in the summer of 1982 and operated DECCA RED on Ward Hunt Is. in 1983. Still have the DECCA map around someplace.Interestingly this system was often referred to as a portable DECCA system if you can imagine how portable three 150 foot towers, three 15kw diesel generators, and all the other associated ancillary radio and support equipment is. I don't know if this system was ever used again after Project CESAR."
FOOTNOTES:
1: Two definitions for gabion:
a) a cylinder of wickerwork filled with earth, used as a military defense.
b) a metal cylinder filled with stones and sunk in water, used in laying the foundations of a dam or jetty.
Contributors and Credits:1) Doug Grainger <ve7maa(at)telus.net>
2) Walter Blanchard <wb(at)g3jkv.co.uk >
3) Graham Collins, VE3GTS, <planophore(at)aei.ca>
Oct8/129/18
