Give and take

At times it might seem that the whole LOFAR installation process at Chilbolton is nothing more than moving dirt about. Either putting some in, or taking some out. Of course, there is a *lot* more to it than that. Still...

Take it out! Here Ian Northrop (left) and Harry Smith excavate the area around a pair of HBA signal cables that need checking.


Put it back! Before a tile can go onto the ground, the area must be cleared and any last-minute levelling done with a fine layer of sand. Here, Eric Petrusma (left) and Zabet Ahmadi (right) add and smooth some more sand. In the background, Ian Northrop does some final work on the previously installed tile.