Maeshowe research project
1999/2000 Project Plan
The status of this project plan
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status: final
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date: Feb. 10, 2000
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version: 0.8
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Changes with regard to 0.67
finilaized the plan
Goal of the pilot
This project plan describes all the activities, timing,
and
organization involving the set up of investigations
at Maeshowe in 1999/2000. The main goals are derived from the results
of the project in 1997/1998 and 1998/1999.
The main goals for doing this pilot, which starts on Oct. 1st, 1999
and ends on Feb 8th, 2000, are many fold:
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Enhancing the present information/model of passage mounds/cairns.
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Videotaping (including time stamping) the sunsets in the chamber of Maes
Howe from end Nov. 1999 until beginning Feb. 2000, so as to record the
reappearing
sun around 20 and 44 days before and after winter solstice day.
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Make still pictures of the sunsets at Maeshowe (with digital camera).
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Broadcasting the sunset from Maeshowe chamber
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Have frequently updated pictures on The Internet
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Presenting the sunset inside Maeshowe at the visitor center in Tormiston
Mill
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Determine organizational aspects of the project
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Investigate, through Historic Scotland and Orkney Tourist Board, if this
project has increased the amount of visitors for Maeshowe and Orkney in
general in 1998/1999.
Activities and their timing
The following planning is made (the organisations/people that take part
can be found in the section Organization):
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Activity: Find sponsors for this project
Description: Finding sponsor for the equipment and travel needed in
this project. We have already SURFnet
bv, HEAnet Ltd and Orkney
Tourist Board/Orkney
Enterpises and you???
Action by: Victor Reijs and Charles Tait
Start date: June 1, 1999
End date: Jan. 1, 2000
Actual date: Dec. 14, 1999
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Activity: Investigate the way how to make use QuickTime
in this setup
Description: QuickTime live streaming could be tested in a dial-up
environment. Issues to be studied can be seen in the overview
of earlier investigated streaming tools. It is not yet know if a live
QuickTime broadcaster is available and what systems it will use.
Action by: Victor Reijs
Start date: Sept. 15, 1999
End Date: Nov. 1, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 1, 1999
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Activity: determine how the configuration of the setup
Description: A setup has to be finalised. A draft setup, with three
camera's, can be seen below:
Action by: Victor Reijs
Start date: Oct. 1, 1999
End date: Nov. 1, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 1, 1999
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Activity: Test the setup in a local environment
Description: All the components will be put together in a small environment
and tested on functionality (incl. year 2000 compliance!).
Action by: Victor Reijs
Start date: Oct. 1, 1999
End date: Nov. 26, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 16, 1999
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Activity: Investigate effect of Maeshowe 1998/1999 project
Description: Investigate if 1997/1999 projects have increased the amount
of visitors for Maeshowe and Orkney in general.
Action: Historic Scotland, Orkney Tourist Board
Start date: Oct. 1, 1999
End date: June 1, 2000
Actual date:
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Activity: Decide on PR and liability strategy around 1999/2000 broadcasts
Description: Decisions have to be taken and implemented with regard
to WWW pages, advertisements in internal Historic Scotland newsletter,
Orcadian newspapers, etc. Furthermore the liability in case of problems
need to be finalized.
Action by: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait, Historic Scotland
Start date: Oct. 1, 1999
End date: Dec. 1, 1999
Actual date: Dec. 1, 1999
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Milestone: Overview of promising technologies
ready
Action by: Victor Reijs
Planed date: Oct. 15, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 1 , 1999
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Activity: Installing cables inside Maeshowe
Description: Cables have to be ordered and installed through ducks
which are already available within Maeshowe
Action by: Victor Reijs, Historic Scotland
Start date: Oct. 15, 1999
End date: Nov. 21, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 9, 199
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Milestone: Test evaluation report
of promising applications ready
Action by: Victor Reijs
Planed date: Nov. 30, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 230, 1999
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Milestone: Outcome of SCRAN grant known
Action by: SCRAN
Planed date: Nov. 12, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 11, 1999
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Milestone: Final project plan ready
Action by: Victor Reijs
Planned date: Nov. 15, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 17, 1999
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Activity: Installing PC equipment
Description: PC Equipment will be installed at Tormiston Mill and/or
the mound
Action by: Victor Reijs and Historic Scotland
Start date: Nov. 28, 1999
End date: Nov. 29, 1999
Actual date: Nov. 25, 1999
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Actual date:Activity: Installing video equipment
Description: Video equipment quipment will be installed at Tormiston
Mill and/or the mound
Action by: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait and Historic Scotland
Start date: Nov. 28, 1999
End date: Nov. 29, 1999
Actual date: Dec. 1, 1999
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Milestone: Equipment installed
Action by: Charles Tait and Victor Reijs
Planed date: Nov. 30, 1999
Actual date: Dec. 1, 1999
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Milestone: Start of broadcast
Action by: Charles Tait and Victor Reijs
Planed date: Dec. 1, 1999
Actual date: Dec. 1, 1999
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Activity: Run the live broadcast
Description: The picturers will be broadcasted as three frequently
updated still pictures. The people that initiated the megalithic cam page
for Maeshowe will be present at Maeshowe, to see how things are working
and finilize the automatic working system.
Action by: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait, Historic Scotland
Start date: Dec. 1, 1999
End date: Dec. 23, 1999
Actual date: Dec. 23, 1999
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Activity: Making still pictures
Description: Still pictures will be made. Objects will be sunsets at
Maeshowe.
Action by: Charles Tait
Start date: Nov. 30, 1999
End date: March 20, 2000
Actual date: Feb 8, 2000
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Milestone: Project visit by Historic Scotland
Action: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait, Historic Scotland
Planned date: Dec. 21, 1999
Actual date: Dec. 21, 1999
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Milestone: Decision if automated running web-cam is possible
Action: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait
Planned date: Dec. 22, 1999
Actual date: Dec. 22, 1999
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Activity: Automated running web-cam
Description: The equipment is able to run without any attendance (beside
perhaps change videotapes/film). Three frequently updated pictues will
be seen on the Internet.
Action: Equipment;-), Victor Reijs and Charles Tait
Start date: Dec. 23, 1999
End date: Feb. 10, 2000
Actual date: Feb. 8, 2000
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Activity: Report on results
Description: Provide an overview of the findings in this years project
Action: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait
Start date: Dec. 1, 1999
End date: Feb. 10, 2000
Actual date: Feb. 8, 2000
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Milestone: Completed pilot
Planned date: March 1, 2000
Actual date: Feb. 8, 2000
Risk analyses and possible alternatives
The following issues can arise as a risk to the project:
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No sunshine at the correct moments (+/- 20 days and winter solstice
itself)
The chances per day of a good sunset in
the last two years is around 10% for the period of plus and minus 30
days around winter solstice. We are not able to change nature.
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Quick Time live encoding not possible
It seems that the Quick Time live encoding
will probably only work with Mac's. We don't have Mac's at this moment.
But there is an alternative: IP/TV of Cisco.
We could also do the streaming again with NetShow or RealProducer or
frequently updated pictures. The minimum scenario is that we use three
frequently updated pictures instead of streaming.
Organization aspects of project
The project will be run with the following people as initiators: Victor
Reijs (project leader), Charles Tait and Historic Scotland.
Responsibilities of people/organizations within the project
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Historic Scotland
They will provide cables (UTP act5) and the support to install the
equipment inside Maeshowe, they will also provide supervised access to
the building.
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Charles Tait
As a professional photographer he will be doing the work on making
the still pictures using a digital camera (Nikon 950). He provides/installs
equipment and supervises the automated running web-cam. Furthermore he
is looking after local sponsors and, in liaison with Historic Scotland’s
Press Office, the local press.
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Victor Reijs
As project leader and professional network engineer, he will supervise
the progress of the project, finding sponsors, testing the new tools and
features for running the live broadcast, providing/setting up the equipment
at Maeshowe, supervising the live Internet broadcast and taping on S-VHS.
In liaison with Historic Scotland’s Press Office, he co-ordinates the external
Public Relations.
Communication channels
The communication within the project will be done with several methods:
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Between Historic Scotland and Victor Reijs/Charles Tait
Telephone and e-mail
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Between Victor Reijs and Charles Tait
Telephone, WWW and e-mail
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Within Historic Scotland
The responsible person of Historic Scotland, to be decided by Historic
Scotland, will have to communicate within his/her own organization (thus
including head office, regional office and Maeshowe wardens)
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To rest of world
WWW pages and e-mail distribution
list of people doing comparable work on broadcasting megalithic cam
pages.
Disclaimer and Copyright
Last content related changes: Feb. 8th, 2000