MK4 Sniffer Saves The Day!

[RADIOMAN015]

Ran the test today.  It does exist.  It has a lot of potential.  It works at least as well as the L-Per. Impressive range.  I still need to do some tabulation and number crunching and will post the results in a day or so.

Well I think this all gets down to cost.  I don't see CAP going out and spending the approx $5K per ground unit, when the ELT missions overall have decreased.  UNLESS other electronic type DF missions come about, I'd venture to say that what equipment we have (likely LTronics L'Pers) will be what we use.  Those that want to personally buy the MK4 sniffer, and can use that equip for ham radio type DF fun will do so.
RM   

[4x4junky]

Hi everyone.

I have been a member (of the forum) for a while reading the postings in the forum and I have a question about hunting EL T's & EPRB's.

My son and I have been thinking of joining but he has been a bit young.  Now that he is old enough I am wondering about the radios you need to use the repeaters and the equipment to hunt ELT's.

I can see that CAP is mostly talking about using the EL-per. Is this the only allowed device to hunt ELT's?
In this thread I see that other equipment is being talked about. Can any of this other gear be used within the CAP. Is the other gear authorized;  would be another way of putting it.

Does CAP supply all the gear a person needs to do the tracking?

If this is the wrong thread to talk about this, please let me know and go ill find the correct one.

Thanks

[davidsinn]

Hi everyone.

I have been a member (of the forum) for a while reading the postings in the forum and I have a question about hunting EL T's & EPRB's.

My son and I have been thinking of joining but he has been a bit young.  Now that he is old enough I am wondering about the radios you need to use the repeaters and the equipment to hunt ELT's.

I can see that CAP is mostly talking about using the EL-per. Is this the only allowed device to hunt ELT's?
In this thread I see that other equipment is being talked about. Can any of this other gear be used within the CAP. Is the other gear authorized;  would be another way of putting it.

Does CAP supply all the gear a person needs to do the tracking?

If this is the wrong thread to talk about this, please let me know and go ill find the correct one.

Thanks

Any direction finder that will track 121.5 Mhz is allowed. Some is issued to ground teams. The best advice would be to locate your nearest unit and ask them because things work a little differently in every part of this organization.

[Al Sayre]

OK, so as not to sidetrack this discussion even more, I have posted the test data and results in a new topic called Tiger Strike Test Results.  Get out your calculators, rulers and maps, and let the arguments begin! 

[4x4junky]

Ok, that is good news any equipment can be used for tracking.
SQ68 is my closest wing.

So, CAP is not standardized across the US.

Ok, thanks.

Any direction finder that will track 121.5 Mhz is allowed. Some is issued to ground teams. The best advice would be to locate your nearest unit and ask them because things work a little differently in every part of this organization.

[Mustang]

No wonder more of the CAP wing people don't want to join into your conversations. You would just tear them apart by picking on wording so you can keep showing others how big of a man you are.

Major Lord's inability to behave like an adult online is well-documented and has already gotten him banned from one CAP-oriented forum (Cadetstuff.org).   

Don't feed the trolls.

[Major Lord]

No wonder more of the CAP wing people don't want to join into your conversations. You would just tear them apart by picking on wording so you can keep showing others how big of a man you are.

Major Lord's inability to behave like an adult online is well-documented and has already gotten him banned from one CAP-oriented forum (Cadetstuff.org).   

Don't feed the trolls.

Ouch, to be called a "troll" by an anonymous ex-cap member about a board that he is not supposed to even acknowledge exists! Mustang, you just don't understand the situation with the Tigerstrike, Murray, and the "Firestorm" People. Keep an open mind, and I am sure that you will see what I mean about them in fairly short order.

Major Lord

[cap235629]

is there a way to mount one of these in an airplane? It might solve the no DF in the retrofit issues we now have in our planes...

[Major Lord]

There are only a few DF units approved for installation in certified aircraft, and the MK4 ( and I am confident the Tigerstrike) are not  approved or approvable. Also, since both use directional antenna, installing DF antenna would be quite a problem, even if the FAA would let you hardwire the receiver. Approved tracking receivers naturally cost a gazillion dollars, so the ham gear would be too cheap and easy!  You can still use your VHF radio as a direction finding receiver, but DF'ing using your Com antenna is a special skill ( I think you have to be able to hold your tongue the right way while flying inverted and still listening to your radio and other sophisticated techniques like that) You could also hand-hold a DF receiver like the MK4 running off internal batteries, which would be a lot easier.

Major Lord

[ECHO35]

We are working on a air craft solution I will post updates as soon as I can. More info about the tigerstrike can be found on the thread titled Tigerstrike test.

[JoeTomasone]

There are only a few DF units approved for installation in certified aircraft, and the MK4 ( and I am confident the Tigerstrike) are not  approved or approvable. Also, since both use directional antenna, installing DF antenna

MK4 doesn't require a directional antenna.   I use an omni on my vehicle to get AOS and narrow down the search area.   Works great.

You could absolutely use an airband antenna on the aircraft with the MK4, other considerations notwithstanding (such as needing it for the radio!).

[Major Lord]

Joe,

I agree completely, but using the omni antenna will require more skill that the Yagi for accurate direction finding. ( The Lper also does not require a directional antenna) Also, a permanent installation of the MK4 (in anything other than an experimental aircraft) would be a non-starter. Even with a rubber duck on the MK4, I would expect long distance AOS of an ELT on the ground to be astounding at altitude! Have you found a "maximum range" with this technique?

FYI, A lot of the people that buy the APRS trackers I manufacture have a Com antenna with a BNC mounted on the panel  ( which as far as the FAA is concerned, is for connecting  in your hand-held aviation receiver)

Major Lord

[ECHO35]

That's a good question what is the max range with that setup? Also what kind of range / accuracy do you guys with your aircraft DF systems?

[JoeTomasone]

Only tried once while airborne, and it was with the directional antenna.   Bad mistake.   Not a lot of room!

I wish I had the time (and funding, and aircrew ratings) to try it on a more regular basis.

[4x4junky]

Major Lord,
I have read about the APRS and I was / am thinking about installing them in my cars. (daughters) lol
What antenna do you make? were can I find it?  I would rather support others than a big corp.

Thank you

Joe,

FYI, A lot of the people that buy the APRS trackers I manufacture have a Com antenna with a BNC mounted on the panel  ( which as far as the FAA is concerned, is for connecting  in your hand-held aviation receiver)

Major Lord