TIGERSTRIKE DF Unit

[JoeTomasone]

For the $2000 TigerStrike price, you could have 6 Sniffer setups with a nice beam antenna and a rooftop magmount for getting AOS.    I haven't used the TigerStrike, but it would almost have to go out at 3am without me and find the ELT all by itself given those economics.

That being said, I'd be more than happy to test it and report back on how it fares compared to the other systems I've tested, if they would arrange for an evaluation.



BTW, the new L-Per (LL-16) is the "cheese block" - think Cheddar and look at it:




The Seimac?  I call it the "NoFind", personally.  Worst performer I've tried thus far.

[a2capt]

Also, in looking at that site, it would appear that you need a separate item for 243 vs. 121.5 ..

Does that mean two units, put one down, pick up another one rather than just push a button or turn a knob?

Surely if they are "" this close, you would think they could post anything besides a Computer Generated image of the product. Come on, show us a currently working prototype, you would think after this much time something more than the original black one that looked like a square gun that we saw some years back, would exist.


..and their flash/animated demo. Pure marketing. If you take the whizbang $2K device and do your triangulation from the base of a mountain, it's not going to hear the signal either. Don't they teach us to use high points? Why does not the demo portray that? After all, they say they have a collective 65 years of experience or such.

But of course, later on - they are depicted on top of the terrain.

I can see why it's $2000 vs. $750 .. if it has a GPS and whatever it does to link it self to the Topo! series map .. but since it's all flash animation and marketing glitz, thats all we heard 3+ years ago, too.

Oh, and yes- I meant the new L-Per for my reference to Cheese Block.
The Seimac? Sounds like baby milk.

[Major Lord]

In a double bind test, conducted at the University of Cool SAR stuff, the Seimac tested marginally effective, just behind dowsing rods and ELT-sniffing pigs....

It looks like the Tigerstrike is a basic receiver with a 2 element Yagi and a lot of bells and whistles. As an electronics designer, I have to hold myself back all the time from designing Unix run, nuclear powered light switches. I think their idea is very cool, and a brilliant solution to a nonexistent problem.

FYI, I will be dumping a bunch of single channel DF units using this technology on E-bay soon, with an anticipated price point of less than $200.00......Maybe I need to add a couple of USB ports, and bluetooth enable them.

Major Lord

[a2capt]

Oh, and if the Fresno Squadron is actually that close to taking delivery, from the sound of the message, then surely there should be actual product images, tests, etc. Instead, the web site content is all flash animation with pictures that are several years old mixed in.

Not that I pay that close attention, but I have not gotten any reference from the water cooler about any southern California missions where this is actually been used/tested, etc. Other than that of several years back.

[JoeTomasone]

Also, in looking at that site, it would appear that you need a separate item for 243 vs. 121.5 ..

Does that mean two units, put one down, pick up another one rather than just push a button or turn a knob?

No, you order a separate antenna assembly; when you switch antennas, the unit determines what frequency it should be working on.    Each antenna is $300.00.

[a2capt]

Hmmm.. doesn't say that on the site either. It surely implies the unit you buy does what it does and thats it.

OTOH, from  a technical standpoint, that is what I would expect it to be, an antenna swap for down to detail readings.

..and for the price of two more antennas, 243 and 406 .. you can outfit yet another ground team with a cheese block or one, maybe two older L'Per's from an eBay fire sale.

[JoeTomasone]

It looks like the Tigerstrike is a basic receiver with a 2 element Yagi and a lot of bells and whistles. As an electronics designer, I have to hold myself back all the time from designing Unix run, nuclear powered light switches. I think their idea is very cool, and a brilliant solution to a nonexistent problem.

Precisely my take on it, but expressed much better.   I do think that the horizontally polarized antenna is gonna hurt them, however.    Incidentally, it's not a Yagi, it's an HB9CV (http://www.mydarc.de/dk7zb/HB9CV/Details-HB9CV.htm).

[JoeTomasone]

Hmmm.. doesn't say that on the site either. It surely implies the unit you buy does what it does and thats it.

OTOH, from  a technical standpoint, that is what I would expect it to be, an antenna swap for down to detail readings.

I spoke to the president of the company who gave me the details, including the pricing.   

[a2capt]

I spoke to the president of the company who gave me the details, including the pricing.  

See, exactly the kind of things that should be on a web site. not a bunch of flash animation and frivolously thought out sequences.

"Need more capability? Your investment is expandable, for only $300 you can add 243 capability."

I still say that if they are implying they are this close to shipping, there ought to be real information on the site. L-tronics had real information for quite some time before.

Especially when they have to know their price point is 2.5 times that of the well known competitor.

[lordmonar]

It looks like the Tigerstrike is a basic receiver with a 2 element Yagi and a lot of bells and whistles. As an electronics designer, I have to hold myself back all the time from designing Unix run, nuclear powered light switches. I think their idea is very cool, and a brilliant solution to a nonexistent problem.

Precisely my take on it, but expressed much better.   I do think that the horizontally polarized antenna is gonna hurt them, however.    Incidentally, it's not a Yagi, it's an HB9CV (http://www.mydarc.de/dk7zb/HB9CV/Details-HB9CV.htm).

[wispers]Joe....read the site your posted....the HB9CV is a

The HB9CV-Beam is a 2-Element-Yagi with two driven elements and was introduced  by Rudolf Baumgartner, HB9CV in the 1950ies

Emphasis mine.

[JoeTomasone]

I would call it "Yagi-like", but whatever. 

[Major Carrales]

A hand held scanner from Radioshack and "body block" is all we really need, and use.  It works (and has in over 100 South Texas ELT Missions), when we have people spread out over a huge area, having an abumdance of $700-2000 equipment is a bit impractical.

[Flying Pig]

Im sorry, been off line for a couple days.  The unit cost us about $2500.

[es_g0d]

$2500 for vaporware or $750 for a proven solid performer...  Still, I have an open mind!

[Mustang]

Does anybody know the names(s) of the guys behind this?  If it's who I think it is (the guys from Sq 68, I believe), I'm pretty sure I saw an early version of this several years ago, as well as a car-mounted version of the computerized auto-triangulation thing--which struck me at the time as being the coolest thing ever.

Imagine being able to circumnavigate an area of interest in a a vehicle, triangulating the signal source with amazing accuracy, without ever having to stop and take a DF bearing?  Come to think of it, that may have been a rooftop-mounted doppler DF setup like the Becker, I'm not sure.  Like I said, it's been several years.   But I do remember distinctly seeing a self-contained pistol-grip DF unit. 

[Flying Pig]

Bob Miller and Murray Craig.

[es_g0d]

Mustang --
The setup you are describing with the auto-triangulation is a doppler setup.  Its typically constructed and used by "T-Hunters" (transmitter hunters).  T-hunters are amateur radio operators who track down a hidden transmitter using a various host of equipment.  Its similarities to hunting ELTs are obviously very strong.

To my knowledge, no doppler setups that include auto-triangulation are available for purchase.  You CAN buy and construct kits of various versions.  While it doesn't auto-TRIANGULATE, the Becker SAR-DF 517 that we have in about half of our CAP aircraft operates on a doppler principle.  That said, some experts say that a doppler setup is inappropriate for ELT searches.  I don't have the knowledge to comment on that.

There is an excellent reference about amateur radio T-Hunting.  The book is: http://www.amazon.com/Transmitter-Hunting-Direction-Finding-Simplified/dp/0830627014/ref=cm_sw_em_r_dp_title_featured?ie=UTF8&tag=tellafriend-20

and its companion website is:
http://www.homingin.com/

I hope this helps.

[Major Lord]

Is Murray Craig the Canadian guy with the SAR dogs? He had a unit at National in St. Louis a few years ago that was going into production. It was similar to the Seimac in configuartion and performance.  We went out and played with it under the St Louis Arch in Service dress in 100 degree heat and 80% humidity.

Doppler is very cool, and easy to work big signals with. There are software packages that do auto triangulation and mapping, some in the hands of Uncle Sam , and some in the hands of Ham Fox hunters. The civilian ones I have seen use a persistant bearing axial drawn on the PC screen as you drive your vehicle (hopefully) around your target) Doppler systems are not well suited for the weak-signal Direction finding, since the losses in the multiple switched antenna systems are very pronounced.

Major Lord

[ES forever!]

You must have me mistaken with someone else, I don't recall the St Louis incident, as for some of the speculation on this blog I am surprised at some of the comments.

Yes I started to develop this back in 2004, didn't take any orders, showed it but was stymied by finding the right RF house, after 3 attempts to move to a surface mount technology and software programmable receiver, how 21 century, we achieved a exceptional design  with a RF house in Phoenix,and are currently starting field trials with a real definable test plan that compares the technology range and usability aspects for a variety of CAP ES missions.

Any of the CAP members who saw how fabulously it worked at NBB  in 2004-2006 can attest to the superior sensitivity and ease of use of the older version.

As for A2pilot, I don't recall you ever testing it? When did you say you did?

Well we will be positing real pics of the first units later today, sorry we have been moving to make this unit available to support the new weaker beacons of the 406 type, only 25 milliwatts....not 100 mw

Look for more results as we progress, we are currently in San Diego on field trials.

[Major Lord]

Allrighty then, it was probably someone else. I look forward to seeing your unit, and I will keep an open mind on the concept behind the product...innovation is always good: even if its not the final answer, trying to make things better is always wise.

Major Lord
p.s., Personally, I loved the animations!