BANGKOK TRIP REPORT FOR 17-21 OCTOBER 1981

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85-00024R000300570001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 18, 2007
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 19, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

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FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
UNITED STATES FORCES, JAPAN
OKINAWA BUREAU
APO SAN FRANCISCO 96239
MOK- 201.6
19 February 1982
MEMORANDUM FOR: '/Chief, Engineering Division
Chief, Okinawa Bureau
Chief, Bangkok Bureau
Far East Regional Engineer
Bangkok Trip Report for 17-21 October 1981
This memorandum is a report on the engineering activities
of the Bangkok Bureau. The purpose of this TDY was to become
knowledgeable in the Bureau's technical operations and projected
requirements.
A. Facilities
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a. The operations area is spacious and the
equipment is efficiently laid out in a long "U" shaped con-
figuration. The Bureau uses the additional space for storage
of furniture, paper and other administrative and logistical
supplies. This area has been open; however, as the consequence
of a recent safety inspection, a project is underway to build
a partitioning wall around the storage area(s). This requires
moving the microwave system a few feet.
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b. An inspection of the antenna field was not
made because the field was not accessible at this time and the
"swamp buggy" was inoperative. The project to change RF cable
runs from underground to overhead feeds was almost complete.
The completed protion was done in a professional manner.
c. It appears that buildin maintenance will become
a problem over the next few years. appears to be STAT
phasing down their building support. Their equipment is antiquated
and is only used for second and third level backup.
a. This two-floor arrangement has been
efficiently laid out. Wherever one is, he gets the feeling of
being in a modern office environment with complete solitude,
and yet it is only a few steps to any other part of the Bureau.
The lower floor is the operational area and the top floor is
the office and cafeteria area.
B. Personnel (Technical)
1. The Bureau's technical personnel consist of a
Bureau Engineer (staff electronics specialist), an indigenous
electronics engineer ancindigenous employees classified as
radio engineers (boardmen) and technicians.
2. The Bureau Engineer, is
responsible for the Bureau's engineering activities, including
first and second line supervision of the ember technical
staff, 1 contract teletype repairman and contract drivers/
custodial personnel. He is also response e for liaison with
the Embassy for the communications circuits and most administrative
and logistical support functions for the Bureau and the housing
units. This function accounts for about 75 percent of his time.
3. The assistant engineer, supervises STAT
then member technical staff and provides technical assistance
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and guidance when required. He is also responsible for technical
liaison with some customer circuits and commercial representatives.
4. The technical staff is well qualified in its
maintenance capabilities and procedures required to support the
Bureau. The only difficulties encountered are the ever-present
language problem (minimal because of and little
familiarization with American standards.
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C. Technical Inspection
1. An inspection was conducted to evaluate the present
system in terms of installation practices, system configuration
and technical quality (i.e., workmanship).
2. All of the basic installation practices have been
implemented. However, the system could be upgraded to present
installation practices with minimal investment. (See the
conclusion section for additional information.)
3. A system ground has been established and distributed
throughout the equipment. The ground buss is a non-insulated
no. 12 AWG solid copper wire. This should be replaced with an
insulated no. 2 AWG stranded copper cable. This project could
be done over a period of time as the rest of the system is
upgraded.
The AC and emergency generator power is supplied
by theBuilding contract and is satisfactory for our
requirements. Power distribution within the Bureau has been
accomplished in a professional manner. The receiver site power
is provided by the facilities and is satisfactory
except as noted in section -F~ A2c.
5. The patch panel configuration could be improved
by using miniature, low level-type patch panels. Patch panels
in a communications facility should provide signal ground patching.
6. As is the case when telephone terminal blocks are
used, all connections have to be soldered. This means that when
circuit condigurations change, wires have to be unsoldered,
unwrapped and left hanging loose or replaced. All of these
contribute to a non-professional looking installation. This
is the case throughout the Far East bureaus. Bangkok's installa-
tion, in some cases, does provide a 2-block terminal where all
changes are made via jumpers. This still provides a messy
installation because of the size of wire used and the solder
connections. The patch panels, terminal blocks and connections
to outside lines should be done with a 2-block wire wrap con-
figuration which would eliminate all of the above shortcomings
and provide a permanent cable plant.
7. Signal distribution is accomplished via a loop-
current configuration. This system is outdated and is not a
convenient system to work with. It requires too much rack
space and special attention has to be made on every patch
and system reconfiguration. It also limits the purchase of
new equipment to the interfacing of antiquated methods vice
modern signalling techniques. The Bureau has plans to upgrade
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the signal distribution system to MIL-188c (low level). This
plan is based on the system used in Hong Kong which is not
acceptable because it requires specially modified boards on
operational equipment which interferes with present repair and
return maintenance procedures. Okinawa Bureau is developing a
plan for this conversion which will not require equipment modifica-
tion.
8. The Harris (QEI) FDM multiplexer shelf has been
rewired for their specific applications which makes this system
unique to a bureau. Additional shelves should be made available
so that standard units could be used vice unique ones.
9. The RF cables for the Bureau's antenna are badly
weathered and are.running all over the roof. These-cables have
been dressed up to the extent possible and should be replaced on a
long-term basis.
10. The system documentation is very good. However,
it is not up-to-date, not organized efficiently, and the drawings
need to be condensed. The Bureau was tasked to present all system
documentation in a notebook form, the first edition of which
should be available about 1 March 1982. Daily and preventive
maintenance records are complete, kept up-to-date, well
designed and properly administered.
A. New Embassy Proposal
1. The Embassy had requested the Bureau to identify
its floor space requirements in the event that plans were approved
for a new Embassy building. The plans at that time called for
the new building to house all components who required a secure
area and the present building would house the other components
which include the Bureau.
2. The Bureau Engineer and I met with the Embassy
communications component to get a briefing on their facilities
and their plans if the new building became a reality. We also
made a site survey of the TCU area in the event that the Bureau
moved to the present building. The present building could
accommodate a monitoring system. The terminal
equipment should be located on the top floor (i.e., the present
TCU area). The antenna could be placed on the roof but there
appears to be some building profile concerns that need to be
resolved.
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3. A mast on the roof provides a 70-foot (from ground
level) tower that could be used for the receiver site communica-
tions antenna. Due to extensive construction in Bangkok, con-
sideration should be given to establishing a microwave relay
from the beginning. This relay could be located in the present
Shell House location or possibly on a U.S. Government owned
(alleged) tower nearby.
1. The receiver site can readily accommodate a
The operations building has ample space
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quipment and even though the antenna field SIHI
is a swamp area, a raised mound near the access road could be I
used for the antenna.
2. Audio signals could be sent to the Bureau via the
existing microwave system but TV and/or other video signals will
have to be manually carried or an extensive microwave system
upgrade would have to be implemented.
A. This Bureau is the best structured (technically) in the
Far East Region. All basic installation practices have been
considered and implemented to some degree. However, these
facilities should be upgraded to present installation standards
to prepare for automated data processing STAT
equipment and modern communications facilities. Good installa-
tion practices are required for these systems to function properly.
A combined project should be established to upgrade the Bureau
MIL-188c signal distribution, install miniature tip/ring/sleeve
patch panels using wire wrap terminal blocks and to add Harris
FDM shelves to provide standard wired chassis.
B. The (project should continue as
planned. If the move o t~esent Embassy building becomes
a reality, it should not affect the present plans. The terminal
could be moved at a later date and/or a second terminal could be
installed at the new site. A study of the communications,
antennas and signal processing problems associated with locating
a ystem at Bang Ping and/or the Embassy should be
made in the near future.
C. The technical staff is well qualified and capable
of supporting the Bureau. On-site briefings/training should be
provided on new equipment by experienced FBIS technicians or
factory representatives when new equipment is installed.
D. System documentation and records are more than
satisfactory. However, the documentation must be recompiled
to establish a Bureau notebook.
STAT
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E. A replacement "swamp buggy" to be used for antenna field
maintenance should be added to the budget program cycle. The
present device is aging and has been down for repairs recently
and it has limited carrying capacity which should include 2
persons and their tools.
F. An RF cable replacement program for the Bureau antennas
should be established on a long-term basis (i.e., year-end funds).
cc: C/Ops
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