Leaky Feeder at Punta el Cobre Chile
We have completed the installation of our first VDV Leaky Feeder Radio System in Chile, at Minera Punta el Cobre, located in the Copiapó region. The new system has provided the mine with an excellent management system, by allowing instantaneous communication within the 11 km of drives underground.
The system is composed of 28 amplifiers distributed along the main ramp and two main branches, allowing the communication to the upper and lower levels in the mine. Also, the system has two communication channels for control in production, performance and supervision of internal and external development of the mine.
Two antenna towers on the surface, at the Tunnel Ramp and Trinidad Exit, provide communication to all offices, and all routes into and out of the mine to the mill.
The underground communications system was designed to provide for the future development and advance of the the mine over the next 3 years. This will mean at least another 5 km of leaky coax will be added to the system. Also, the system uses our latest diagnostic system. This allows the performance of all amplifiers underground to be constantly monitored and, should a problem arise, the location and nature of the problem is immediately known.