I decided not to go to the site today and this put the finishing touches on the polar plot done last night.

Virginia did some laundry and hung it out. [Virginia’s hip joint is almost, but not quite, back to before her recent injury.] I then took Virginia to the Swazi Candle Center to do some final souvenir shopping. On the way home, we were delayed at the Matsapha traffic circle by a long caravan of big trucks carrying what looked like food and other supplies. We suspect it was for the Reed Dance Celebration preparations.

This afternoon, I did some consolidating of items in preparation for packing all our baggage on Friday. Hopefully we can get by with one less piece. We are scheduled to depart for South Africa on Saturday morning at 9am.

This evening, it is expected to get down to 42F, so we decided to build one last fire and use up all the kindling and firewood stored at our house. Tomorrow, Virginia will probably be cleaning out the ashes and cleaning the hearth. There will likely be no need for the fireplace for at least nine months.

Tomorrow I plan to spend my last day at the transmitter site.

Monday 29 August 2022

Today’s forecast was to almost reach 90F, so no jacket required when I left this morning.

I finally had time to identify the unknown inductors for Selema to put into stock and also reiterated the convenience of having a HC100 part number (or family tree identification) linked to each part description. The location of a part number or family tree ID can make it so much easier to locate where a part is used in the transmitter (sometimes multiple places) or to find a part in stock when it is needed in the transmitter. There is a detailed bill of materials list that links all items and where they are in the family tree. In addition all the individual drawings have links to the assembly drawing where that part is used. When there are thousands of parts in a transmitter there needs to be a way to trace this information.

Tobi wanted to verify the nulls in the medium-wave AM antenna pattern. These nulls in the pattern toward the Indian Ocean help strengthen the signal in the opposite direction towards where listeners actually live. The previous measurements were done along the Panata Ranch road, but that road now has at least four remotely controlled gates that need to be opened (via cell phone) each time we pass through. I suggested using the new airport road a little further away to do the measurements.

We got out the new field strength meter on loan from the TWR West Africa station to learn how to operate it. It is a Potomac 4100 with built in GPS location capability and memory to store information for each reading taken including location coordinates, date and time, field strength in mV/m or Dbu, elevation, distance from antenna center, azimuth from antenna center and even the temperature. This meter is digitally tuned to the frequency and self calibrates.

We also we got out the 40 year old Potomac FIM-41 which only has an analogue meter for a read out and must be tuned and calibrated for each use. Each reading must be written down and each location accurately documented so it can be found for future measurements. At the end of our work day, we loaded both meters into the site vehicle for use in the morning.

Tuesday 30 August 2022

Today’s forecast is for about 30F cooler than yesterday. Definitely took and wore my jacket today.

When we turned onto the frontage road for accessing the freeway, there was a whole lot of traffic on the frontage road. First thing that popped into my mind was that there had been a big pileup going into town. When we got to the overpass to cross over the freeway, there were solders stationed on each end. When we got to the freeway ramp we were directed by police and soldiers to continue on the frontage road. The same thing happened at each access ramp that we approached. We saw a few lone vehicles travelling on the freeway. At one point, Tobi stopped the SUV and got out to see what was happening. I got out and climbed the ridge separating the frontage road we were on from the freeway. Cresting the ridge, I saw a convoy of about 40 vehicles bunched together traveling at a high rate of speed. There was also a helicopter flying of to the side. That confirmed my suspicion that there was some dignitary(ies) arriving from the airport. [Later we were told that King Mswati II had arrived back from a trip to Malaysia]. At the next ramp, we were allowed onto the freeway and quickly got to our destination, which was almost six kilometers north of the traffic circle for the airport.

We began taking field strength reading at that point and every ~500 meters for just over 20 kilometers. Tobi used the new meter and I used the old meter for comparison. After that we took readings at greater intervals, because we were outside the region of the two nulls.

Back on the Mafutseni road, we noticed lots of huge tents set up at Mpisi Farm (government run). Tobi mentioned it was for sheltering all the girls getting reeds from the White Ubulizi river for the Reed Dance Celebration coming up this weekend. I tried to get a photo as we went past.

We spent most of the afternoon analyzing all the data that was taken and in the evening I used my laptop at home to make a polar plot of our readings.

Since we leave for South Africa (then the U.S.) in six days, today was our last Sunday to attend Evangelical Bible Church. Pastor Deon Phillips, who is away on vacation, had asked us to share a few words with the church before we returned to Elkhart. During the time for testimonies this morning, I expressed our appreciation to the church for being our church (now our ‘church away from home’) for the past 49 years. We started attending shortly after our arrival in Swaziland when Allan was still a baby.

A few weeks ago I mentioned a Pakistani Christian that recently received his doctorate in apologetics. Pastor Sheman (sp?) spoke this morning on Ephesians 1:3 and titled his message, “heaven” bringing hope to the believer and a warning to the unbelieving. Two of his points were “battling your sin” and “encouraging holiness.” EBC has several men who can fill in and bring a good message when Pastor Deon is not available.

Last week, Thelma Pierce had invited us to join her family for Sunday dinner again this week. But with Virginia’s pain we had already decided to decline the invitation. It was probably a good thing anyway since one of her daughters was sick this morning and another was away helping her own daughter and grandchild.

Virginia has been doing better today. She did use one forearm crutch this morning at church, but not much in the house in the afternoon.

Today was the day Corrie Van Kampen invited us to join them at Hua Hong Chinese Restaurant at 1:00. It is located on the second floor of the Manzini Lifestyle Mall next to SuperSpar. Virginia’s hip joint was a little better this morning, so she felt like she could go, as long as I would provide an arm to assist.

We left a little early to pick up some prescription medicine (without a prescription) and while there, we picked up some antibiotics to use after my need for the stronger antibiotic is over.

We got to the restaurant a little early and was able to use the lift [elevator] to get to the first floor. The bottom floor in southern Africa is called the ground floor. The next floor up is called the first floor, so the lift has buttons labeled ‘G’, ‘1’, ‘2’, etc. We waited outside on the balcony/hallway at the restaurant where there are padded benches and tables. These must be for outside dining as a waitress came out and wanted to take our order.

When Van Kampens arrived, we were lead to a private small air-conditioned room inside which had a round table that could seat at least eight. In the middle of the table was a large lazy susan which was used to distribute bowls, plates, silverware and food dishes. We started with Seaweed Egg Soup. Virginia and Hans ordered Chicken Chow Mein, Corrie ordered Stir-Fried Vegetable and I ordered Sauteed Diced Chicken and Cashew Nuts. We also had a huge bowl of Fried Rice to share. The meal was quite good and the price was very reasonable.

The Van Kampens had heard of Virginia’s painful hip joint and brought a walker and forearm crutches that Corrie had used after a car accident. Virginia decided that the forearm crutches would work best for her. Most of the time today, she only used one, if she remembered at all.

Virginia slept well last night after I gave her one of my strong pain pills, which I bring on trips. This morning she is still in pain and moving about the house using a chair on a small rug (as a makeshift walker). I decided it would be best for me to stay with Virginia today and do some work from home.

Virginia wanted to do two loads of laundry today, so she showed me how to use the washer. When it was time to hang the clothes out, the skeleton key for the back door broke off in the lock. After having lived here for 18 years and never breaking a key, this is the second key to break in one week!

Anyway, I exited the laundry room via the garage door to hang out the two loads of wash. Then went to town to buy a new key. This one was cheaper—only $0.55. It was incredibly busy downtown. Even the side streets were bumper-to-bumper traffic, then I remembered it was the last Friday of the month—payday! It took over twice as long to get through town, even though it was before noon. Stopped by the pharmacy to stock up on some more antibiotics. Again, no prescription, no problem!

When I got home, the new key gratefully worked, even though the piece that is broken off is still in the lock somewhere. I was sure that the door hinge pins and door would have to be removed to get that broken piece out!

For lunch we had toasted cheese sandwiches and chips (salt and vinegar flavored, of course). Virginia decided she wanted another one of my strong pain pills which she took with lunch. A few hours later, she became very nauseous and sick. We don’t know it it was from the pain or from the pain pill. This afternoon, she was a little more mobile—walking with a slow shuttle and without her makeshift walker.

Please continue to pray for her healing as we begin our travels back to Elkhart a week from tomorrow.