where available, because experience at IVY indicated that blueboxes
were not always reliable. Hcwever, toward the end of this operation
bluebox signals were used where feasible, because cf the satisfactory
performance of the modified blueboxese
At the raft stations, the IFC
timing signal came from the Project 25a nondirectional, photoelectric,
trigger mechanism.
204
MOUNTINGS
At the Bikini land stations, the IFC and its batteries were
usually mounted in concrete foundations (Fig. 2.9). At the Bikini
lagoon stations, the equipment was mounted on wooden platforms bolted
to 60-man Navy life floats (Fig. 2.10).
These floats were moored to
floats identical to those used by Project 2.5b.
The Project 2.5a
floats in turn were tied to mooring buoys furnished by Holmes and
Narver, Inc,
At the Eniwetok land stations, the IFC and the wooden
battery boxes were dug into the ground flush with the surface (Fig.
Zell
2-5
®
PROJECT PARTICI PATION
This project participated in Shots 1, 2, 3, and 4 at Bikini
Atoll and in Shot 6 at Eniwetok Atoll. It had been originally intended to participate in Shot 5. However, water wave damage to the
stations from Shot 4 made participation in Shot 5 impractical.
Generally, IFC's were placed in groups of two at Bikini loca~
tions, and singly at the Bikiri
IFC's were on an island or raft
hr at 30-min intervals and the
min at lemin intervals or for 2
raft and Eniwetok stationse Where two
station, one was set to sample for 12
other was set to sample for either 24
hr at 5-min intervals. The l-min
samples were collected for Project 2.6b to deterrtine the degree which
the base surgs was contributing to the residual contamination pattern.
The 5-min interval instruments documented the early fallout and the
30=min interval instruments documented the fallout for the mximum
length of time possible with this instrument.
Where one IFC was
located at a station or raft, it was set to sample at 30—min intervals
for
12 hr.
The station locations and timing intervals are listed in Tables
2ely 202, and 2.3
and shown in Figse 2.12 and 2.16.
2.6 OPERATIONS
Operations were extremely difficult following Shot 1. Immediately following this event, the project's main base of operations at
Tare was razed by fire and most spare parts, auxiliary equipment, and
operational supplies were lost. Th? long delay before Shots 2, 4, and
6 imposed additional difficulties because the batteries readily dis-
charged in the hot waather,requiring frequent trips to the stations
with battery replacements.
Heavy seas in the Bikini Lagoon caused the cancellation of the
Bikini raft station program. The rafts broke away from their moor~
ings with distressing frequency. Locating and mooring the rafts in
19