To ensure a successful and gratifying trip to the NSF arctic research facility in Sondrestrom, Greenland, proper planning and scheduling with SRI is a necessity. Arrangements must be made directly with the project leader, Mary McCready. It is important that we understand the purpose of your trip to the site. The following information is provided to help you plan your trip. A more detailed description of the local amenities is available at the site.




Travel
You must make your own travel arrangements to get to Sondrestrom. Air Greenland flies regularly between Copenhagen, Denmark, and Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. In the summer, there is a round-trip flight each day except Sunday. In the winter, they fly round-trip Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Their schedule can be found at www.airgreenland.com.

Please make sure the project leader has your exact travel plans. This will ensure that the site crew is aware of your travel plans and any special needs. Once your arrival and departure times are confirmed, a site crew member will provide transportation to and from the airport. Site accommodations will also be planned according to how populated the visiting quarters are during your visit.  BACK TO TOP


Freight
If you have equipment to send to the facility, it must be sent commercially. Please contact the project leader. Very roughly, the cost will be US $3 per pound each way, depending on where the shipment originates, total volume and weight, etc.  
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User-Supplied Instrumentation
Space and power requirements for your equipment should be discussed with the project leader prior to your trip. Also, any special assistance from the site crew should be scheduled. We will arrange for the site crew to take your equipment out to the facility before your arrival. If you plan to return your equipment from Sondrestrom, the site crew can help you with the paperwork. You can ship your equipment home collect. It is your responsibility to pack and label your shipment and take it to the airport, but the site crew can assist if necessary.

Power to the site is supplied by two Cummins diesel engines, each supplying approximately 185 kW of power at 120/208 V 60 Hz. Power for the incoherent scatter radar and the associated high-voltage demand is supplied through a 600 kW three-phase gen set.  BACK TO TOP


Visitor Expenses
Your stay at the facility will cost 225 Danish kroner (DKr) a night. The cost is about 15 DKr per minute for phone calls and faxes to the US. Upon payment, in Danish kroner only, you will be given receipts.  
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Currency
The local currency is Danish kroner. Money can be exchanged at the hotel reception desk. Please bring or exchange enough Danish kroner to cover your trip expenses. The general store, cafeteria, and restaurant will take major credit cards (Visa, American Express, MasterCard, Diners Club) for nontrivial purchases.  
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Computer Support
Site visitors have access to a Pentium PC running Windows 95 with e-mail, Telnet, and ftp capabilities. All other computers are for site crew use only. Due to our limited bandwidth to the Internet, web surfing is discouraged.  
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Communications
The telephone at the facility is directly dialable from the US (011-299-841260). The site fax number is 011-299-841120. A personal e-mail account can be set up on the guest PC, or Telnet can be used to access your usual e-mail server.  
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Accommodations
The site is 10 miles from what the locals call town, as shown on the map above. The town has about 300 inhabitants. It is the main airport of entry for Greenland, and the airport terminal has a tourist office, gift shop, cafeteria, and nice restaurant. The town also has a hotel, general store, gymnasium, night club, and bowling alley.


Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by a site crew member and taken to our facility. The transmitter building is a two story, steel building. The first floor contains the incoherent scatter radar (ISR) high-voltage area, the ISR console, staff offices and the living accommodations for site visitors. The second floor houses the optical instruments, a staff office, storage space, and a guest office with computer.

The site apartment has 5 rooms with 9 beds. Unless there are many visitors while you are there, you will have your own bedroom. The bathrooms, kitchen, and living area are shared with the site crew. Please help keep these areas clean. There are bulk food items on site for your use (i.e., meats, bread, frozen vegetables, rice). You can purchase other things (such as fresh foods, beverages, and snacks) from the Greenland general store (called the butik). Linens, soap, laundry soap, and other sundries are provided. There is a washer and dryer available on site.

Water is brought to the site by truck and waste removed from storage tanks as needed, so please conserve.

The weather in Sondrestrom can change drastically and rapidly. Take proper arctic precautions. There are some parkas and a very limited selection of boots available for use by visitors.  BACK TO TOP


Vehicles
There are site vehicles available with the approval of the site supervisor. They are to be driven on the main roads only.  
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Recreation
At the Sondrestrom facility there is a television with a satellite receiver, a VCR, a video collection, a stereo with cassette, and a couple of spare guitars. There is a site library with many books (mostly novels) for your reading enjoyment. Please feel free to leave any additional books. In addition, there are two pair of cross-country skis (but no boots) and two mountain bikes available for use by the visitors.

In town there is a gymnasium, night club, restaurant, and bowling alley. For a fee, you may use the gym and swimming pool, so you may want to bring a swim suit.  BACK TO TOP


Ancillary Instruments
Various sensors and antennas are sited in the area surrounding the radar facility, as detailed on the facility map. To request data from these instruments, please contact the specific principal investigator (see Instruments).  
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SRI Contacts:
BACK TO TOP Principal Investigator
Elizabeth Kendall
elizabeth.kendall@sri.com
Phone: 650-859-4906


Sondrestrom Site Supervisor
Eggert Gudmundsson
eggert@sondrestromradar.net
Phone: 299-841260
Fax: 299-841120

Sondrestrom Engineering Supervisor
John Jørgensen
john.joergensen@pc.dk

Project Secretary
Sandie Avlakeotes
sandie.avlakeotes@sri.com
Phone: 650-859-2437
Fax: 650-322-2318