DPD Aerial experiment

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Day 5 and the DPD mounted temporarily indooors continues to perform well. 443 aircraft have been logged today at the upper end of my usual traffic amounts with the supplied aerial. The Polar diagram (attached file for info) has again stretched a little.
Whisper this, the DPD should be mounted outside by this weekend. I'll keep it running in it's present position until then.

John

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Day 6 and the DPD mounted temporarily indooors continues to perform well. 385 aircraft have been logged again towards the upper end of my usual traffic amounts with the supplied aerial. The Polar diagram (attached file for info) has again stretched a little further including south or "through my house".
I'll keep it running in it's present position until it goes outside which remains on course for this weekend.

John

[darkskies74]

Hi John,
I have a watson external aerial on the gable wall running about 20m of Westflex back to the RB.  Screen shot attached.

Thanks
Mark

Hi John,
I have a watson external aerial on the gable wall running about 20m of Westflex back to the RB.  Screen shot attached.

Thanks
Mark

Hi, Wow, that is quite a polar diagram.
As i've only just received my RBox today, and still using the supplied antenna, could you let me know (roughly, of course!) how much an external aerial, like the one you're using, is, and the spec/model no. of such equipment/cable.

Cheers :o)

Phil

[Falcon]

Hi, Wow, that is quite a polar diagram.
As i've only just received my RBox today, and still using the supplied antenna, could you let me know (roughly, of course!) how much an external aerial, like the one you're using, is, and the spec/model no. of such equipment/cable.

Cheers :o)

Phil

Hi Phil,

It's this antenna http://www.dpdproductions.com/page_vhf_air.html#adsbout

While it does appear to be a very good antenna and one I am most likely going to invest in, don't dismiss the one that comes with the Radarbox, it's very good. The only reason I am considering this one is because it is external and can be mast mounted. I assume one could configure the stock antenna on a mast, but it really wasn't designed for that.

The location of any antenna is going to be the biggest determining factor as to how your reception will be. There are also other factors as well like length of the cable which will affect you reception which makes it a bit of a balancing act.

Regards,
Falcon

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Phil

As Falcon says the DPD is an extension to the hobby mounting the aerial outside and higher in my case to hopefully extend my coverage South and East. The supplied aerial in less than an ideal location has proven to be excellent for me and a great introduction to this part of the hobby. The supplied aerial will be replaced by the DPD one when I am at home but will travel with me and a laptop when and wherever I can take it.

I hope you find you get a lot of enjoyment from the radarbox, i'd be very surprised if you don't, enjoy this forum where a lot of good advice from friendly users can be found.

Regards

John

[valerie]

Does common sense not tell you a aerial outdoor in free space, is better than one indoors with walls metals and TV,computers,electronics, and all sorts of gadgets.

[Canonjohns40D]

Yes!! But it's nice to communicate.

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Day 7 and the DPD mounted temporarily indooors continues to perform well. A quieter day today with only 316 aircraft logged. This towards the lower range of the traffic captured by the supplied aerial. The Polar diagram (attached file for info) has again stretched a little further. It also has an exceptional spike South or "through my house". It finishes South West of Plymouth in the English channel. I have had similar spikes before both in the region of this one and off the East coast of England. I have noted they always are over the sea never land and wonder if this is significant, say an AWACS or similar aircraft? I also wondered if they were maybe not in the air but on or in the sea? I realise the lower they would be the range would be affected but as the range is way outside my normal range I'm not sure if that would be a factor. It is possibly just an aircraft emitting the wrong position information. A quick check of my log has not revealed a possible source.

I'll keep the DPD running in it's present position until it goes outside which remains on course for this weekend. I added a closer detail shot of the spike end location.
John

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Day 8 and the DPD mounted temporarily indooors continues to perform well. A day with 400 aircraft logged. This towards the higher range of the traffic captured by the supplied aerial. The Polar diagram (attached file for info) remains the same as yesterday.

I'll keep the DPD running in it's present position until it goes outside which remains on course for this weekend.
John

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Day 9 and the end, well of the DPD mounted indoors. 451 aircraft today a really good figure for me with either this aerial or the supplied aerial in the temporary indoor position.

As I type this very strong winds are battering the house, if they subside hopefully the DPD will be  mounted outside on the chimney stack tomorrrow. I can't waitt to see how it performs then.

This past few days has shown the supplied aerial to be as useful a piece of equipment as the DPD in the same internal location. They performed about the same on aircraft count and the polar diagram. I bought the DPD for outside though and so it's real test will start when it is on the roof, time will tell. Thanks for enduring these reports hope someone found or finds them useful.

John

[Falcon]

Thanks for enduring these reports hope someone found or finds them useful.

John

Hi John,

There is nothing to endure. Keep them coming. It will be interesting to see the difference once the antenna is on the roof.

Regards,
Falcon

[darkskies74]

Thanks for your advice on outdoor aerials. Having great fun with RBox. Here's a screen shot with supplied aerial just placed in the attic with all my clutter, lol.

[GlynH]

The fact that you are hooked up to 20 meters of cable is very promising. If I want to have some flexibility with my antenna installation and get it in the right spot I need to use close to 30 meters. I wonder how that will work out if I use something like LMR400 http://www.timesmicrowave.com/content/pdf/lmr/22-25.pdf.

There is also another cable in the US called BuryFlex from DavisRF www.davisrf.com that is recommended.

Regards,
Falcon

Hi Falcon,

The LMR cable you suggest looks very good...the range of connectors is comprehensive and the install tools would make an easy job of prepping the cable and fitting the plugs.

Not sure where you are based although you do mention US suppliers so I guess you are based somewhere in Obama-Land...

If you were in the UK I can personally vouch for WH Westlake and their Westflex 103 cable which carries similar specs to the LMR-400.

I have no association with the Company apart from being a satisfied customer.

They are fast & knowledgable and seem to carry lots of stock especially those hard-to-find adaptors you can't seem to find elsewhere.

Ordered an N Type Socket->BNC Socket adaptor Friday afternoon and it was on my doorstep  Saturday morning...excellent service.

I personally use 20m Westflex 103 with N Type connectors - one of which I had to fit myself as those muppets at Wally & Standoff fitted a PL259 to one end...OK for a lowly CB radio but never intended for 1090MHz...

WH Westlake also supply another cable - Andrews LDF-4-50a which seems to offer half the loss of the W103/LMR-400.

http://www.whwestlake.co.uk

There is also a very useful loss calculator at the bottom of the page which compares the different types.

I am considering moving to the Andrews cable myself and using my existing Westflex for Royal Discone/receiver duties...

Food for thought maybe?

BTW I feel your pain with regard to the freezing menu problem that you posted about - I never noticed the thread until after it had been locked...

I am probably one of the longest suffering users with regard to that and other related issues...

Kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi Guys finally the DPD aerial sits proudly on top of my roof. i think I'll let the attached polar diagram speak for itself!! It went up about 9.00pm and has been running for a little over three  hours when this was taken.

John

[Falcon]

The LMR cable you suggest looks very good...the range of connectors is comprehensive and the install tools would make an easy job of prepping the cable and fitting the plugs.

Hi Glyn,

The cable does look promising. I think I will be getting it with the plugs already installed as the cost of the tools, especially the Times Microwave are not inexpensive. Its not your regular cable TV tools, very similar, but you need a different size than the average coax around the house. Have you had experience installing plugs on this size of cable? Can you recommend a set of good quality tools that are little less pricey than the Times Microwave that would work? I would really like to do it myself. I am not entirely sure the exact tools I need to do a proper job on this type of cable. Strippers and Crimpers would be two but is there anything else?

Not sure where you are based although you do mention US suppliers so I guess you are based somewhere in Obama-Land...

No. Canada

There is also a very useful loss calculator at the bottom of the page which compares the different types.

The Times Microwave has this calculator here http://www.timesmicrowave.com/cgi-bin/calculate.pl I would consider the Westflex, but I can get the LMR400 locally and it's at least as good.

I am considering moving to the Andrews cable myself and using my existing Westflex for Royal Discone/receiver duties...

I hear the Andrews Cable is very good, but also very expensive. Isn't it quite a bit heavier as well?

BTW I feel your pain with regard to the freezing menu problem that you posted about - I never noticed the thread until after it had been locked...

I am probably one of the longest suffering users with regard to that and other related issues...

I won't go there for the time being :-). I have been in contact with AirNav and they are supposed to be working on it.

Regards,
Darryl