Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF FEBRUARY 18, 2005 FBO #1180
MODIFICATION

66 -- High Power Radio Frequency (RF) Test Chamber System

Notice Date

2/16/2005
 

Notice Type

Modification
 

NAICS

334513 — Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables
 

Contracting Office

US Army Aviation and Missile Command (Missile), ATTN: AMSAM-AC, Building 5303, Martin Road, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898-5280
 

ZIP Code

35898-5280
 

Solicitation Number

W31P4Q-05-R-R009
 

Response Due

2/23/2005
 

Archive Date

4/24/2005
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

Answers to questions: QUESTION 3: I do not see any mention in the SOW for any type of finishes in the Reverberation chamber nor the control room. Am I to assume that the shielded walls in these will rooms will be finished wall material? ANSWER 3: Yes . The shielded wall itself will be fine. The government would actually prefer that this was the case, especially with the reverberation chamber because additional finishes could lower the performance of the chamber. QUESTION 4: In regard to the automation system scope for the reverberation chamber, it is our understanding that this would include the mechanisms and controls for operation of the paddle & drive assemblies only. All necessary test equipment, cabling, software, antenna, etc. will be by Redstone. Is this correct? ANSWER 4: (Yes). QUESTION 5: Is there a desire to have vendors provide integration services of existing Redstone test equipment to create an optimized system for testing? ANSWER 5: (No) the government wants the vendor to provide the soft ware and cabling to control the tuner paddles. The government will put in its own antennas and cabling for the equipment under test. As stated in the SOW: Testing will be to MIL-STD-461E, MIL-STD-464A, and ADS-37A test levels and procedures. MIL-STD-461E s pecifies how the tuner paddles will operate. QUESTION 6: I may have missed this somewhere in the RFP, but what is the frequency range of interest for the anechoic chamber? ANSWER 6: Per the SOW, the government will be testing to MIL-STD-461E, MIL-STD-464A, and ADS-37A-PRF, and those frequency ranges will be of interest. The composite range of all of them (radiated) is 10 kHz - 45 GHz. QUESTION 7: Would it be acceptable to offer RF absorber options that may be less than 12 inches deep or up to 18 inches dee p? The RFP states 12 inches deep RF absorber to be applied. ANSWER 7: 12 inch max would be the governments preference to give the largest testable area. Less than 12 inches will be perfectly fine if the performance is acceptable per the SOW. QUESTION 8: W hat is the target reflectivity values (-dB) for the anechoic chamber and/or RF absorber? Will the basis be minimum MIL-STD 461E reflectivity values or is it desired to have significantly better performance than minimum MIL-STD 461E values? ANSWER 8: MIL-ST D-461E at a minimum. More attenuation is highly desirable. QUESTION 9: Please clarify if the reverberation chamber will be classified as a mode tuned or mode stirred chamber. If mode stirred, is there a desired maximum RPM speed for the paddle assemblies? Is the intent to be able to create both a mode tuned or mode stirred environment? ANSWER 9: Mode Tuned at a minimum. Mode stirred is also desirable. QUESTION 10: Please define or clarify what the acceptance testing criteria will be for the reverberation ch amber. The MIL-STD specification does not address the performance verification (or acceptance testing) criteria. Is it the intent to have the vendor provide performance testing services in line with reasonable and normal practices or do you have specific c riteria you would like for us to follow? ANSWER 10: The basic intent is to provide verification of shielding and operability. The government will want to verify that the reverberation chamber works well (statistically), at several frequencies in its operat ional band. The government will be glad to provide the necessary signal generators, amps, and antennas to aid in the verification process. The government just wants to make sure it works properly before the vendor leaves. The tuners suggested in Annex A (a nd in the diagram for location) of the SOW should provide acceptable performance. The government suggestions in Annex A are always highly recommended based on our experience (but we will not turn down better ideas). QUESTION 11: The completion date for the project is defined in the RFP, is there a planned award date? This would be helpful to know in combination with the items listed above for resource planning so we can state with confidence that the facility will be complete and turned over to Redstone by the end of August 2005. ANSWER 11: It is in the best interest that the award date happens as soon as possible after closing, estimating around 30 MAR. QUESTION 12: Bulkheads - General - The contractor is supply blank bulkheads with no connectors or machining for GFE. Is this assumption correct? ANSWER 12: Yes QUESTION 13: Start Date - General - The start date is not specified, only a completion date of 31 Augu st. What is the anticipated on earliest allow on site start date? ANSWER 13: As soon as possible after award, on or around 30MAR2005. QUESTION 14: Electrical Filters - General - All 100 Amp filters are assumed to be a single conductor. All 30 amp filters (or less) are assumed to be a dual conductor. ANSWER 14: Yes on both. QUESTION 15: Vehicle Exhaust - 1.3.2.5 - Who is to supply the exhaust fan? If the contractor is expected to supply, is 225 cfm on a 3 inch hose sufficient? Who exhausts from building It is clear the contractor is to provide the waveguide to exhaust from the chamber and mode stir area. Are we to supply two, one for each? ANSWER 15: Exhaust vent just for reverberation chamber as shown in the diagram in the SOW. The government can sup ply an external fan. QUESTION 16: Non US Citizens - Will non US citizens be permitted on the base? These citizens will be from Singapore and their name passport will be pre-submitted for a background check, if requested. ANSWER 16: This office would need Foreign Disclosure Office clearance for each individual. It would be very difficult in that they will have to be escorted at all times. End User management has stated that they do not have the funds to provide a full-time escort from the time they come in the Redstone Arsenal gate until they leave. QUESTION 17: Bidding - General - Will partial bid be accepted with exclusions? ANSWER 17: No, partial offers would be non-responsive to the requirement. QUESTION 18: Mode Stir Chamber length - 1.3.2 - Can the mo de stir chamber be increased in length to 44 feet to insure the appropriate test volume, or should we reduce the test volume due to the decrease in the length of the chamber? ANSWER 18: The government prefers to keep the length down to 42 feet so that we will have enough space in our existing building. What test volume are you trying to obtain and why? QUESTION 19: Construction - General - Will 3 inch x 3 inch angle structure be allowed inside the control room? ANSWER 19: Yes, as long as it does not inte rfere with bulkheads, doors, etc. QUESTION 20: Bidding - General What will be the estimated (actual may vary) award date following the bid date? ANSWER 20: It is in the governments interest to award the contract as soon as possible, estimate around 30MAR 2005. QUESTION 21: Could we bid on the Shielded Control Room (and all its requirements) only? ANSWER 21: No, partial offers would be non-responsive to the requirement. Question 22: The shielding effectiveness specifications provided are for all chambers. Is the Shielded Control Room considered a chamber and thus required to meet the same shielding effectiveness specs? Or is there a different shielding effectiveness requirement for this room? Answer 22: Same requirement as the other rooms. QUESTION 23: Sec tion 1.3.3.5 - Anechoic Treatment - RTTC has requested 1 foot absorber for the walls and ceiling on top of ferrite tile. The vendor does not have an absorber material that fits the dimensional criteria and reflective performance in MIL-STD 461E; therefore we would propose our FS-600 hybrid ferrite/anechoic absorber. The overall height of this material is 24 inches. Will this be acceptable? ANSWER 23: As stated in the SOW Section 1.3.3.5, absorber AND Ferrite tile should be used to get the proper performanc e. What this means is that ferrite tile would be on the wall (for the lower frequency attenuation), and RF absorber (pyramidal cones for the higher frequencies ) on top of the ferrite tile. The combined performance should meet the performance requirements. If the vendor does not have this capability (or has a better idea), then they can propose what they have. The government wanted to limit it to 12 inches to m aximize chamber space. QUESTION 24: Section 1.3.3.5 - Anechoic Treatment - The field strength is listed as 1250 v/m, can you provide the power density required? Also please confirm whether the field strength is for pulse not continuous wave for MIL-STD 46 1 testing. ANSWER 24: It would typically be pulse. But since the government calibrates with a CW field and then turns on the pulse, the absorber behind the EUT (back wall) should be able to withstand a 1250V/m CW field. Power Density =(E^2)/377 = 4144 W/( m^2)= 414 mW/cm^2. QUESTION 25: There seems to be a discrepancy in the specification concerning the absorber treatment, in section 1.3.3.5 it states that ferrite is to be used on all walls and ceiling then on page 7 the drawing states ferrite on the doors only. Will we need to provide ferrite tile on all walls and ceiling of the anechoic chamber? ANSWER 25: Per the SOW, everything is lined with the ferrite tile except the floor. Also, everything is lined with the cones (on top of the tile)except the floor a nd door. The government did not want the cones on the door because they would be easily damaged opening and closing. QUESTION 26: On page 7 the drawing indicates that the chambers are to share common walls, the vendor would prefer to have the chambers sepa rated with shielded tunnels between the chambers, the separation between the chambers will be approximately 6 inches. Will this be acceptable? ANSWER 26: If that is the only way the vendor can do it in a cost effective manner, then the vendor can propose it that way. The government preference in order to maximize space would be to share walls. QUESTION 27: Section 1.3 - Fire Protection/Detection - Will the chamber vendor be responsible for the sprinkles and penetrations only or are we required to provide p iping to the valve provided by RTTC. ANSWER 27: The government will take care of bringing water to the chamber. The vendor should do the rest. QUESTION 28: It is not clear whether the chamber vendor is required to provide the heat sensors for the detectio n system as these are to be located inside ductwork provided by RTTC, can you clarify who should supply these sensors? ANSWER 28: The vendor should supply the sensors, even though they will be directly outside the chamber in GFE supplied ductwork. QUESTION 29: Reverberation chamber asks for MIL-STD 461E, which requires field uniformity testing, will this be a requirement for RTTC? ANSWER 29: MIL-STD-461E, RS103 does lay out details concern reverberation chambers in Section 5.19.4 (although the government pl ans on going below 200 MHz) and in the Appendix Section 50.19.
 

Place of Performance

Address: US Army Aviation and Missile Command (Missile) ATTN: AMSAM-AC-OS-RB, Building 5400, Martin Road Redstone Arsenal AL

Zip Code: 35898-5280

Country: US
 

Record

SN00753051-W 20050218/050217080411 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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