Lights, CAMERA and action! We are not making a movie but the yesterday ended with a close circuit TV camera going on the blink. As I said yesterday Murphy was dancing all around the ship and the camera used for small boat launch and recover as well as CTD casts was the one that went out. I found spare cables in forward stores and looking at it, you would think it was a one hour job. In this business you should never be too confident and tell your counterparts, “Yeah it will be an easy one.”
I have done this too long to know better. I am certainly glad I did not set a short deadline to get this done. I had no difficulties in dismounting the camera and bringing it into the shop. I discovered yesterday that water got into the splice and caused difficulties in reception. After reading the manual (yes, I read the manual and I do not mind asking for directions at a gas station when I know I am lost), the cable need replacing. I found about six spares in stores and I was on my way. Well, I thought I was on my way. I disassembled the unit, took the camera and the enclosure to the shop to further disassemble it on the bench. I got to the connector and then…, it would not loosen to come off. Somehow the connector was jammed most likely from corrosion or epoxy. I took the back box (where the camera sits on a connector to a circuit board) to engineering. After a few tries with channel locks, the engineer took a sand disk and made a slit to where it could spread out. It was successful and the connector saved! The cameras worked on the bench, reassemble the mount and installed it back at its original location for tonight’s operations.
What was enjoyable about today’s work was most of it was outside. Back on the mainland it is probably hard to fathom working outside in T-shirts and shorts. Also the view was the same as yesterday but we were more to the north on the west side of Tutuila. There were fewer waterfalls were seen but smaller villages with a few structures on the mountainsides and the core of the village on the shore. It was like working in a cubicle in some office and having a tropical island poster on the artificial wall, except this tropical island poster is 360 degrees!
I am tired tonight and as usual now, I am starting to feel my age. Lower back pains, sleepiness, and concerns over health as I watch my counterparts in the same age bracket encounter physical health issues. I am still having fun so I will not let a few aches and pains get in the way of that. Tonight I went outside to the boat deck and saw half moon light up the ocean. I hope I see the full moon over the South Pacific later on. I heard the ship’s band have a jam session in the grated deck.
Another day tomorrow and hit the rack to meet it. Manuia-po from American Samoa.
I have done this too long to know better. I am certainly glad I did not set a short deadline to get this done. I had no difficulties in dismounting the camera and bringing it into the shop. I discovered yesterday that water got into the splice and caused difficulties in reception. After reading the manual (yes, I read the manual and I do not mind asking for directions at a gas station when I know I am lost), the cable need replacing. I found about six spares in stores and I was on my way. Well, I thought I was on my way. I disassembled the unit, took the camera and the enclosure to the shop to further disassemble it on the bench. I got to the connector and then…, it would not loosen to come off. Somehow the connector was jammed most likely from corrosion or epoxy. I took the back box (where the camera sits on a connector to a circuit board) to engineering. After a few tries with channel locks, the engineer took a sand disk and made a slit to where it could spread out. It was successful and the connector saved! The cameras worked on the bench, reassemble the mount and installed it back at its original location for tonight’s operations.
What was enjoyable about today’s work was most of it was outside. Back on the mainland it is probably hard to fathom working outside in T-shirts and shorts. Also the view was the same as yesterday but we were more to the north on the west side of Tutuila. There were fewer waterfalls were seen but smaller villages with a few structures on the mountainsides and the core of the village on the shore. It was like working in a cubicle in some office and having a tropical island poster on the artificial wall, except this tropical island poster is 360 degrees!
I am tired tonight and as usual now, I am starting to feel my age. Lower back pains, sleepiness, and concerns over health as I watch my counterparts in the same age bracket encounter physical health issues. I am still having fun so I will not let a few aches and pains get in the way of that. Tonight I went outside to the boat deck and saw half moon light up the ocean. I hope I see the full moon over the South Pacific later on. I heard the ship’s band have a jam session in the grated deck.
Another day tomorrow and hit the rack to meet it. Manuia-po from American Samoa.
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