Guys: Track me while (N65XX on APRS.FI) I am on the road again for the annual visitation ritual to see friends and family across the country. We left Reno last Thursday, 25 Jun, stopped for gas in Jean NV (0L7-$4.12) and spent the night in St Johns AZ ($3.25 + free loaner car for the night). This morning we left SJN for Skywest (7T7), just West of Midland, for fuel (mogas-$3.50), then on to Boerne Stage for the next couple of nights ($4.12 + $25/night for hangar). Sunday, wx permitting, we travel north to McKinney (TKI) for several more days with family in Plano. I am amazed how well the MT 8000 tracks, with external antenna, in the flat land. Dan.
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APRS on the road
- Thread starter guccidude1
- Start date
Sam Buchanan
been here awhile
That is one solid track, Dan! Your APRS rig is doing a fine job. What kind of external antenna are you using?
Have a great trip!
rvmills
Well Known Member
Sam,
Not sure when Dan will log back in, so on his behalf, it's a bent whip, trimmed appropriately. Not a Comant with the faired base, but the economy version with the white insulator at the base (Dan is a master at finding deals!)
Interestingly, it's one of four bent whips on the belly of his -9A...2 aviation comms, the radio we use for our Sheriff SAR squadron, and the APRS. They are arranged in a box pattern (2 just aft of the firewall, and 2 aft of the spar, as far apart side to side as space will allow. Dan has had great success with his radios, and is normally the high control bird for our SAR training missions, often talking on multiple radios while dropping "red BBs" the whole time. We call him the "ELINT" bird with that antenna farm...but it works!
We often compare his APRS to the SPOT tracks that a few of us put out during missions. It's been good coverage for both systems, even in the hinterlands of the northern parts of our county (north of Reno). Once I get set up with APRS, we'll also have the chance to compare his whip with my Ryan Howell j-pole (in hand, waiting to buy the rest until after I finish troubleshooting my EI).
His rig does appear to be very strong!
Looking good Dan...have fun!
Cheers,
Bob
Not sure when Dan will log back in, so on his behalf, it's a bent whip, trimmed appropriately. Not a Comant with the faired base, but the economy version with the white insulator at the base (Dan is a master at finding deals!)
Interestingly, it's one of four bent whips on the belly of his -9A...2 aviation comms, the radio we use for our Sheriff SAR squadron, and the APRS. They are arranged in a box pattern (2 just aft of the firewall, and 2 aft of the spar, as far apart side to side as space will allow. Dan has had great success with his radios, and is normally the high control bird for our SAR training missions, often talking on multiple radios while dropping "red BBs" the whole time. We call him the "ELINT" bird with that antenna farm...but it works!
We often compare his APRS to the SPOT tracks that a few of us put out during missions. It's been good coverage for both systems, even in the hinterlands of the northern parts of our county (north of Reno). Once I get set up with APRS, we'll also have the chance to compare his whip with my Ryan Howell j-pole (in hand, waiting to buy the rest until after I finish troubleshooting my EI).
His rig does appear to be very strong!
Looking good Dan...have fun!
Cheers,
Bob
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Guys: Finally taken the time to update my travels with the ARPS. We left Boerne Stage Airfield Sunday, 28 Jun for McKenny TX (TKI) with a fuel stop in Sherman TX (SWI $3.30 vs $5.19 at TKI). We departed TKI on Wednesday,1 Jul, for Lebanon TN with a fuel and lunch stop in Tunica MS
(UTA $3.85 and good hamburger in the terminal). The APRS did not track for about 30nm and when it locked on, the first cookie went somewhere well north of actual course. However, the subsequent cookies were right on the mark and tracked directly to UTA. We left UTA full of hamburgers and fuel for GPS direct Lebanon TN (M54) once clear of the Memphis Class B airspace. First time ever, at M54 I was "ramp checked" by the local FSDO dudes. All they wanted to see was license and medical, not sure what I expected but seemed like a non-event, I think I was prepared for something more, oh well. Another good lesson learned, don't go to Pigeon Forge TN (Wilderness Water Park) and Gatlinburg TN (Ripley's Museum, Haunted House and Aquarium) with #1 grandson on the 4th of July holiday weekend. We depart M54 for Richmond VA (FCI) 8 or 9 Jul, wx dependant. Dan.
(UTA $3.85 and good hamburger in the terminal). The APRS did not track for about 30nm and when it locked on, the first cookie went somewhere well north of actual course. However, the subsequent cookies were right on the mark and tracked directly to UTA. We left UTA full of hamburgers and fuel for GPS direct Lebanon TN (M54) once clear of the Memphis Class B airspace. First time ever, at M54 I was "ramp checked" by the local FSDO dudes. All they wanted to see was license and medical, not sure what I expected but seemed like a non-event, I think I was prepared for something more, oh well. Another good lesson learned, don't go to Pigeon Forge TN (Wilderness Water Park) and Gatlinburg TN (Ripley's Museum, Haunted House and Aquarium) with #1 grandson on the 4th of July holiday weekend. We depart M54 for Richmond VA (FCI) 8 or 9 Jul, wx dependant. Dan.
Randy Hooper
Well Known Member
Dan, sorry you got the check arriving M54. We have some of the Nashville FISDO folks living near the airport and hang out there from time to time.
I have a -8 and -4 based at M54 and with the exception of visitors like yourself, the only APRS on the field.
If there is anything you need while in Lebanon, give me a call. I'll try and help.
615-584-8540
I have a -8 and -4 based at M54 and with the exception of visitors like yourself, the only APRS on the field.
If there is anything you need while in Lebanon, give me a call. I'll try and help.
615-584-8540
Randy: Ramp check, no big thing. Thanks for the offer, but hopefully I won't need anything, maybe hook up and brag on each others machines. My cell is 775-843-6133. Dan.
APRS on the road, update #3
Guys: We left Lebanon TN (M54) this morning at 0730L for Chesterfield VA (FCI). I stopped at Farmville Muni (FVX) for fuel ($3.60 vs FCI at &4.97), you just got to love the Nav Monster flight planning program. Total distance GPS direct was 428 nm and a logged time of 2.8 hours and 24 gallons of fuel, like them RVs about as much as a healthy tailwind. Since we left 4SD, now RTS, we have logged 19.8 hours and have spent nights in St Johns AZ, Boerne Stage TX (SAT), Plano TX, and Lebanon TN. Two nights here in FCI and we start back westward towards RTS, I guess fun times can't last forever, oh well. Dan.
Guys: We left Lebanon TN (M54) this morning at 0730L for Chesterfield VA (FCI). I stopped at Farmville Muni (FVX) for fuel ($3.60 vs FCI at &4.97), you just got to love the Nav Monster flight planning program. Total distance GPS direct was 428 nm and a logged time of 2.8 hours and 24 gallons of fuel, like them RVs about as much as a healthy tailwind. Since we left 4SD, now RTS, we have logged 19.8 hours and have spent nights in St Johns AZ, Boerne Stage TX (SAT), Plano TX, and Lebanon TN. Two nights here in FCI and we start back westward towards RTS, I guess fun times can't last forever, oh well. Dan.
