About the users and their business
So who used these positioning systems? The main industries were offshore surveying in its various guises- Oceanography (charting of the oceans), hydrographic surveying and sea bed exploration for pipeline routes, offshore oil and gas exploration, to name but a few.The main user in the UK during the 70's and 80's was the oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, which resulted in permanent chains being set up on the East Coast.
Hi-Fix, however, was used around the world. The following photographs were sent to me by Roger Basford, G3VKM who worked for Decca.
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Hi-Fix in the Gulf
A Hi-Fix Slave Station on Zarqua Is., in the Persian Gulf in 1982. The Island previously had been an army training area and was littered with ordnance- plus 1000s of cormorants that stank very badly!
Dual Hi-Fix receivers with blower units at the above location- main and standby. Note also the Distribution Unit and the Pye SSB125 HF transceiver with ATU lurking behind the broadcast radio. This building was air-conditioned, but at a price- it needed a two-cylinder Honda generator just to run the air con.
Bell model 47 helicopter ZS-WCI being refuelled in Mozambique prior to flying the crated Hi-Fix units in the foreground out to their destination, secured to the helicopter's skids.
Crop Spraying in Java
These photographs were taken in Java in 1969 on one of Roger's first assignments abroad with Decca. The Hi-Fix was used to guide the crop spraying aircraft, the customer being CIBA Agrochemicals.
This photo shows the locally made "TGS" (Track Guidance System) trailer. Old army ammunition trailers were used with a hardwood cab, towed by Land Rover.
Temporary station, main and receive antennas are visible plus the vehicles.
The TGS site causes much excitement with the locals- Roger says many of the children had never seen a European before at that time. The TGS trailer can be seen in the background, and the mast in the right foreground.
Links to applications information..
Here's a document from the web to look at where Hi-Fix is specifically mentioned:
Story of HMS Protector's voyage to the antarctic for surveying purposes, used Hi-Fix as a precision positioning system for this.
Document published by the The Hydrograhic Survey of America. This document is a fascinating read in that it describes all of the types of sensor used in hydrographic surveying. It also shows a picture of a Seafix installation on board a ship; you can see the Hi-Fix receiver and track plotter. It also shows a temporary shore station setup. The article shows Omega and Loran receivers as well.
Please note: the photographs on this page are used by kind permission of Roger Basford and must not be used elsewhere without prior consent.
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Last update 8/5/05 AC