Kurt <ksav...@sbcglobal.net> writes: > I thought Keith was using a VX-8GR and then went with an FT1DR for > APRS tracking. The -6R doesn't do APRS but could be used for FM RDF. > Loop antenna might not be as sensitive at range than a yagi.
Bdale lost his VX7 in the fire, and so I sold him mine and replaced it with an FT1DR, mostly because I wanted to be able to test APRS on a regular basis with a 'real' receiver, and not a rigged up radio + cable + android device setup. Both the VX7 and FT1D have fixed (20dB?) RF attenuators built-in, which means not needing anything external, unless you've got 8' corn to try and find an airframe in. A couple of weeks ago, I got the chance to go find a rocket that went over a hill, with the last reported GPS position about a thousand feet up. Went to the top of the hill, got an RDF beacon and headed that direction. Once the RDF beacon pegged the receiver, I plugged in my TeleBT/Android pair, got a solid GPS position and walked right to the rocket. Given the position from 1000 feet up, I probably could have just driven there and gotten another location packet, but I've been fooled in the past, and having a nice hill to get that first 'I'm alive' beep from the airframe makes the whole process deterministic. > If you can get close enough with a Yagi/attenuator, you should be able to > find it. That's always been enough for me too; I've only had to walk through one corn field though, and I suspect that'd be a whole different adventure... -- -keith
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