Extreme[ly nice] cabinet filming day
Ventech Systems & Dave Rangi check out Wellington Regional Council enclosure
What an exciting day out of the workshop. Dave Rangi from Tait is taking us back out to our extreme enclosure installed at the Orongorongos five years back. How will the cabinet look like after all those years out in the open under extreme conditions? Does it still suit its purpose?
Dave and his crew need to do some upgrades and maintenance work on the critical communication equipment that it is housing out in the middle of nowhere and Ventech Systems is bringing along a film crew. The weather couldn’t be any better and after work and safety instructions we take the track through security gates and stunning New Zealand bush. Even Kiwi roam free in this rugged and wild terrain. Moss is covering tree branches and trunks; the forest is filled with bird song and massive old Rimus. Nobody is allowed out here besides a few hunters, rangers, and the maintenance professionals from Tait. And that is exactly the remote location where our extreme enclosure was installed for Wellington Regional Council years back – off the grid, without any electricity, on top of the highest peak.
That’s a typical location for our extreme cabinets that need to last to ensure critical communication is even secured after extreme weather conditions, earthquakes, or any other catastrophe. After the last steep section, we arrive on site. Solar panels, one wind turbine, a huge radio mast and our cabinet fill the small space of the clearing. Together with the film crew Dennis Hill from Ventech Systems curiously inspects his custom-made cabinet. Besides some airborne moss on the exterior, the cabinets look like new. Well-known Dave Rangi is the expert on communications equipment and is more than satisfied with the cabinet and its features. No rodents are being able to invade. And due to the engineered venting system, the temperature inside the enclosure is maintained at a constant range of 15 to 20° C. Batteries secure the natural energy created by wind and sun and an Efoy fuel cell is used for critical back up when there is not enough renewable energy to run the technical equipment. The insulation, the handles and the interior racks and cables still look brand-new. While the film crew gathers some footage of the site and the maintenance work, Dennis chats with Dave Rangi about the advantages of his cabinets and their perfect use in extreme conditions, off the grit like in the Orongorongos. This is just one of many cabinets in extreme locations all over New Zealand, like in Homer Tunnel in Fiordland, in Otago’s Catlins or at the Rock & Pillar Ranges. A lot of them need to stand minus zero temperatures and have to be helicoptered in.
After giving some interviews Dennis and Dave pack up and finish their work on site. With two 4WD Service Vehicles they maneuver down the rugged, washed-out track through dense forest – back into civilisation.
“We like to edit some footage and statements out of the material we filmed today and even want to create a proper image video”, explains Dennis Hill and looks forward to the outcome. So, stay tuned and watch this space for further updates and our little adventures at Ventech Systems.
Interested in securing your equipment in extreme conditions? Talk to us and profit from our 20 years’ experience and free advice!
