The
electronic target system was delivered on 12 March, over
10 weeks late, giving us only 11 days to unpack and get
everything checked and set up. The task was not made easier
by the fact that several bits, and much of the software,
were missing. The crate arrived at Richard Scott's house,
where fortunately a friendly farmer with a fork-lift unloaded
the crate (which weighed nearly a ton) and placed it neatly
in the middle of Richard's drive. It took five of us most
of an afternoon to unpack the crate and stow everything
in the garage. Over the next days much time was spent talking
to the UK agents about the missing material and setting
up the monitors, radio link etc.
There were an anxious few hours when it looked as if we had spent a
large amount of money on targets which we could not manoeuvre into
the target frames without helicopter assistance. Eventually with great
difficulty, partial dismantling of the frame stays and much cursing,
four men could just get each target under the mantlet then back into
the modified frames. Any idea that we could easily exchange electronic
targets and conventional one is best forgotten. Three men can lift
a target, but it takes four to manoeuvre one with safety.
The system is now fully functional (except that we are still waiting
for the 400yard faces/heat shields) and has been used 3 times, without
problems. Power is supplied in the butts by a battery which is constantly
charged by a solar panel on the target shed, and on the firing point
by a petrol generator and transformer. Data transfer from the butts
to the firing point server is by radio link.
About 150 man-hours have been put in by a small group of people. Special
thanks are due to:
Richard Scott, for allowing his garden and garage to be taken over,
for numerous phone calls to the UK agents, for sourcing the additional
needs such as generator, solar panel etc, and above all for electronics
expertise without which the system would still be unuseable. Also to
Susan Scott for tolerating the unreasonable disturbance with patience
and good humour (at least when the rest of us were present).
James Bell, for metalwork, sourcing wood and metal, sourcing the huge
amount of extra counterweights needed, providing trailer transport
for some of the system and for keeping an eye on the ever-escalating
costs of getting the system going.
Peter Burbridge, for machining the new heavy duty uprights and for
the loan of a boat trailer to allow us to move half a tonne of targets
from Bridge of Cally to Jubilee Range in one trip.
WARC chairman, who watched with interest and gratuitous advice while
others worked, and selflessly drove into Blairgowrie to collect the
workers' sandwiches.
All the above provided muscle power, as did Gerry Hogston, Jim McCall
and Jackie MacLean
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