EN, OK, just about any modern hand-held GPS receiver will give you the heading between two points (as others have described today on the BAWUG list), just like you want.
A word of caution: a compass is usually useless on top of a building. The steel in buildings throws compass readings way off! Do your best to find some sort of map so that you can identify a landmark in the general direction that you want to point, and aim your antenna in that direction to start (alternatively, identify a landmark in any direction, measure the angle on the map between that landmark and your desired link, and then use a compass solely for measuring the relative angle between the landmark and the direction you need to point your antenna--but not for determining the absolute heading). This is the procedure I use for longer links with high-gain narrow-beam antennas, where it's hard to find the signal from the other end unless the antennas are fairly close to proper alignment, so it might be a bit of overkill for your one-mile link, but it never hurts to be prepared just in case! 78^) Also, you'll make the job much easier if you have a pair of VHF radios, or cell phones with hands-free microphone/earphone sets to allow you to talk to the person who is pointing the antenna on the other end of the link. Other approaches to finding the correct heading include (1) using a mirror to reflect sunlight to the folks at the other end of the link, and (2) using a large, colorful balloon to make the ends of the link more visible. Good luck! Greg DesBrisay On Mon, 2003-01-20 at 08:21, Xparent wrote: > Thanks Greg, > I only have a one mile link. Clear line of sight, > but my tech tells me that they have problems seeing > where the other location is exactly. I thought I could > go to the main location, set the coordinates, then go > to the other location and do the same. Then I want the > gps to point (even roughly) in the direction of the > other location so I can aim the antenna. It does not > have to be perfect, as I can then fine tune it from > there, but this location is not in the US, so I have > no topo maps for the gps. And local maps are not that > great. There are no buildings or big trees between the > two points, it is just that when you drive from one to > the other, you are going around and around until you > get there, and by that time, you have lost your sense > of direction. I have not visited the site yet, but I > want to be prepared when I get there. > > Thanks' > > En > --- Greg DesBrisay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Sure, I do this all the time. > > GPS units work great (as long as you're outdoors and > > you're not > > surrounded by too many tall buildings). > > Just about any brand works fine. > > Most of my experience has been with Garmin gear, and > > older Trimble gear. > > > > What exactly are you trying to accomplish? > > > > If all you want to do is determine if your link is > > unobstructed, then > > eyeballing your link may be the most effective > > thing, given that your > > potential link is only two miles long. > > > > For longer links, for links with obstructions, or > > for links that you > > want to document, you can use the lat/lon > > measurements you get along > > with a topographic map (or topo-map software like > > Topo-USA from > > Delorme--cheap and good in my experience) to figure > > out if you've got > > enough clearance over hills, etc.. (It takes a bit > > more work to account > > for the height of buildings or trees along the > > path.) > > > > Regards, > > > > Greg DesBrisay > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > On Sun, 2003-01-19 at 21:51, Xparent wrote: > > > I have a 2 mile link to connect, and I was > > considering > > > using a GPS to mark my location, then go to the > > other > > > location and have the GPS point and tell me where > > I > > > have been. > > > > > > Anyone tried this? > > > Recommend GPS > > > > > > Thx > > > EN > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > > Do you Yahoo!? > > > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up > > now. > > > http://mailplus.yahoo.com > > > -- > > > general wireless list, a bawug thing > > <http://www.bawug.org/> > > > [un]subscribe: > > http://lists.bawug.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. > http://mailplus.yahoo.com -- general wireless list, a bawug thing <http://www.bawug.org/> [un]subscribe: http://lists.bawug.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless
