Route Map   Weather Map   Daily Journal         Q & A   Special Reports   Education Section           The Game		"Black boxes" hold Snorri's communications center Text and photos by John Ingham Click on pictures below to view as enlargements Dean Plager gets ready to write a journal entry   If Captain Terry Moore were to invite you aboard the Viking ship Snorri for a quick tour, you probably wouldn't see anything that could be called "communications equipment." After all, the communications capabilities of the original Vikings extended no further than from bow to stern - they could talk to each other, and that was that. But if you know where to look, and pull up just the right three floorboards, you'll discover an impressive communications system, designed, assembled and installed by Lands' Ends' technical outfitter Randy Lagman. Whenever anyone in the crew wants to talk to the outside world, get weather info, send and receive e-mail, transmit journal entries and photos, or call for assistance, they flip the floorboards. A waterproof Pelican case has been mounted on the underside, and the whole unit fits into the space it came out of, but above the deckline instead of below it.   The modern Viking's "post office" What's in the black box? Here's a rundown: A. A PCMobile computer. This is a ruggedized unit originally designed for public service work - police, fire, rescue and similar applications. It is highly water-resistant, with a screen designed to work in extreme cold and to be viewable in bright outdoor conditions. The computer was designed as a 12V system, as is its docking station, which is hardwired to the 12V power source and peripherals. B. The Nera Worldphone marine satellite phone works with the INMARSAT communications satellite system, and sends and receives voice and data telephone transmissions. Digital photos and journal entries for the Viking web site are sent through this phone. C. A Garmin 12XL GPS Receiver, powered by the main batteries, can be used to confirm the ship's position, although in general, navigation will be done by traditional means. D. The SEA 235 HF Radiotelephone has a range of 1,000 miles and is the standard way to transmit distress messages. It's also used, in conjunction with the computer, to receive a wide variety of weather charts and verbal weather reports. Randy Lagman installs the communications equipment out of sight, but easy to get to.   Auxiliary black box holds supplemental equipment Nearby, there is a second black box, with additional equipment - starting with a second PCMobile computer, which can be plugged in and used simultaneously with the primary one. This box also contains a Magellan Worldphone - a land-based phone to supplement the marine-based phone in the main box. (Both of these items have AC adaptors for land use.) Finally, there are the digital cameras - an Olympus D500 digital zoom, and two Olympus D320Ls. Memory chips from these cameras plug directly into the computers for easy transmission of photos. Yet another black Pelican case - small, lightweight, floatable - contains the emergency radio kit, consisting of an Icom IC-A3 and and an Icom IC-M3A short-range VHF radio - one for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications, and one for air search and rescue channels. Another Garmin GPS unit is included with this kit. Randy Lagman "phones home." Satellite antenna in background Lagman makes a gunwale mount for the satellite antenna The on-board satellite antenna is a clever and compact unit. Hidden belowdecks until needed, it mounts on the gunwale in the rear of the ship, and scans the sky for all viewable satellites. It picks the strongest signal, locks in on it, and asks the operator if its choice is suitable. Servomotors automatically adjust the antenna in three dimensions, compensating for ship movement, to keep the signal locked in. In addition, Snorri uses an easily-erected 30-foot "backstay antenna" that runs from the masthead to the stern of the ship. This antenna serves the radiotelephone only, and has a coupler that allows it to work with multiple frequencies. There is also a Shakespeare marine HF whip antenna stowed belowdecks as a further backup. Power by the hour The main power storage is a pair of 8D marine gel cell batteries, each rated at 200 amps/hour. To recharge these, Snorri uses an AMPAIR 100 wind generator. For safety reasons, this model has short blades - 1 meter diameter - in a six-blade design, for greater efficiency. Because it is actually an alternator instead of a generator, it doesn't need a brake, and can operate in winds of any speed. Dean Plager examines the "power box"   All equipment and power units meet in yet another Pelican case, the "power box." This was custom-designed by Lagman as a power monitoring and management system for the entire ship. It allows the crew to monitor, charge and use the two main batteries independently, in any combination. Everything is protected by circuit breakers, not fuses. It all goes below All of the equipment mentioned, except for the gel cell batteries and the whip antenna, were provided and installed by Lands' End. Even when mounted and operating, Snorri's communications gear isn't particularly cumbersome or conspicuous. But when it's not needed - or when the press is taking pictures - it goes below in minutes, restoring the ship to its authentic, traditional demeanor. Top of Page