[IGSSTATION-6558] TIDB, TID1, TIDV GNSS station antenna, upcoming changes

[Stowers, David A (3350)]

Author: Dave Stowers

Dear Colleagues,

With on-site assistance from Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking station staff, a long term tracking 
issue which often occurs during roughly daylight hours at Tidbinbilla has been traced to the antenna assembly.

To prepare for the antenna change, we plan to remove the uncalibrated acrylic radome just after UT 0:00 on March 24 and operate the existing 
antenna as-is for approximately three months. After this period, an antenna which has been calibrated by GA, will replace the suspect unit.

As there is no particular security, weather, or detritus issue regarding the choke ring, no replacement radome is planned, such that the
site may continue to contribute to the IGS.

Sitelogs and RINEX headers will be modified accordingly and subsequent announcements will confirm the dates of change.

Best regards,

-dave