This follow-up trip to re-install the repaired radar was rather uneventful. It was much sunnier and warmer than the previous trips, although it still managed to hit -27F one morning.
My first task was to wax the radar’s antenna with the hope that any ice or snow buildup would slough off before causing damage to the motor. It felt odd to be breaking out car wax in Barrow.
With the help of Keith Williams of BASC, I was able to get the radar hooked up later that afternoon and recording data once again. The most difficult part of the re-installation turned out to be feeding the power cable through the hole in the building.
The second day of the trip was spent testing de-icing techniques, primarily using this heat tape sort of stuff. Testing the interference with the radar proved difficult, and the lack of additional holes in the building prevented me from setting up anything permanent. Luckily its late enough in the winter that there probably isn’t much need for additional de-icing.
In true Alaska Air style, my flight out on the evening on the 19th was cancelled, so I spent an extra night at the NARL hotel and caught next morning’s flight back to Fairbanks. Thanks to clear skies I finally got a decent view of the Brooks Range, although I was stuck sitting above the wing.