New Zealand Radar

[deconz]

Did it actually touch-and-go or just an aborted landing or low-pass overshot? FR24 never showed it getting low enough to actually touch. It just did it again about 20 mins ago.

Damn not being at work for the last two days!

I'm not close enough to tell if the wheels touched ... but it was very low if it didn't actually touch, based on the level I saw it climb out towards the beach :-)

[Tahii]

Today's approach was from the beach, on 04. The climb rate told me it was very very empty!

[D_No]

Technical advice

Hi all,
Hope this is appropriate for this forum.
I have been contributing to FR24 since about the beginning of last year (NZNR1). A couple of months ago I had a computer crash and, despite desperate efforts ended up having to replace the computer. Since then I have been unable to provide reliable data.
I have been using a DVB-T USB stick, RTL1090 and ADSBscope. The DVB-T stick was mounted at the base of an 8 element co-linear at about 30ft ASL with an 'extended USB lead' using CAT 5 cable - I know, not ideal, but it worked - I was getting a maximum range of about 180 - 200 nM at around 35,000 ft.
Since replacing the computer, the DVB-T stick just keeps dropping offline - as if it has been unplugged. While this did happen occassionaly with the old computer it is virtually unusable with the new. With the DVB-T stick plugged directly into the computer it is 'rock solid' with no drop outs. Unfortunately, the antenna is about 15m away and with cable losses (RG-6) at 1090Mhz I appear to have virtually no signal at all at the computer. This weekend I tried a Mini-Kits wideband pre-amp at the antenna (about 10dB gain at 1090) but results were very disappointing and have resorted to trying to extend USB by a better method.
Question: How is everyone else getting their signal from the antenna to the receiver / computer? I'd like to try a Jaycar USB to CAT5 converter XC4923 but I have my doubts and I'm not that keen on spending nearly $90 just to see if it works.
During my absence, NZNR2 has popped up and has been filling the void in this neck of the woods - thank you. If you're interested, i would like to get in touch to discuss equipment / ideas.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

[Oblivian]

Perfectly appropriate place for joining the kiwis

Your best bet would be replace the USB for an active lead, with an amp on the end. Or coax

The new PC may be suffering the slightest interference on the chipset controlling the USB ports.

I traded my low loss RG58 Cellular grade for a borrowed length of http://fcomtechnology.com/cables/ldf4-50a_Cable.htm from another user here (T-NZCH2), While this was complete overkill it showed how bad the lower coax is. So I then contacted an AKL company and got them to ship me some LMR400 at $5.30/m and now a length of about 4m

http://www.hrholdings.co.nz/cc.html

[North Borneo Radar]

Hi D_No,

Just wondering have you considered using a raspberry pi set up? That might then allow you to use shorter cables/closer to antenna and you can use ethernet cables to bridge the gap. You can then run ADSBscope via TCP if I got it right but please check as I don't use ADSBscope.

There is a helpful thread here about the pi setup, link:

http://forum.flightradar24.com/threads/6133-Raspberry-Pi-type-B-DVB-T-Dongle-to-feed-FR24

the first 10 pages are the ones to really have a good read.

[D_No]

Thanks for your suggestions Oblivian and North Borneo Radar.

I opted for the DVB-T when I first looked into ADSB for price reasons only. Now that I'm hooked, maybe I should look at a dedicated receiver. The Raspberry Pi, however, is a very tempting alternative, thanks for the suggestion :-)

[North Borneo Radar]

Thanks for your suggestions Oblivian and North Borneo Radar.

I opted for the DVB-T when I first looked into ADSB for price reasons only. Now that I'm hooked, maybe I should look at a dedicated receiver. The Raspberry Pi, however, is a very tempting alternative, thanks for the suggestion :-)

welcome.

Oh... I forgot, 41south is also selling his gear too. This is the thread: http://forum.flightradar24.com/threa...-for-sale-(NZ)
Might as well have a look whether it suits you.

[Petenz]

I too can recommend the LMR 400 cable and the live USB connection to my Beast. Even with about 9 metres of cable and 3 metre of USB I seem to get very good results. My DPD antenna is set at 670 feet above MSL, because I happen to be in a fairly high place on Geraldine Downs.

[Petenz]

Incidentally what is the latest thinking here on the whereabouts of the missing B777 ? I feel that skirting Ceylon and then heading North towards Turbat would defeat most radar surveillance IF a 7000 K trip to Iran was the purpose.

[41south]

50 pages of conjecture over here

http://forum.flightradar24.com/threads/7146-Malaysia-Airlines-Flight-Goes-Missing-En-Route-to-China-Flight-MH370

[41south]

Herc 01 stranded on taxiway M5 at NZWN after a blown tire on landing this morning. Left hand rear tire not looking very well at all.

Herc 01

And a Nippon B777 landing here this morning also

A-Boeing-777-lands-in-capital

[Oblivian]

I forwarded your email to someone whos dongle just died 41south.. hope you don't mind

[Petenz]

Excellent - Projected coverage
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If you could get GS/MU status in PlanePlotter MultiLats between us would be so much easier as you appear to be located off the "inline down the Island" that most of the other PP people are.

[North Borneo Radar]

If you could get GS/MU status in PlanePlotter MultiLats between us would be so much easier as you appear to be located off the "inline down the Island" that most of the other PP people are.

or perhaps BPO's FR24 receiver will aid in FR24's MLAT for NZ? Not sure whether FR24 allows connection to PP/GS/MU status from their own box.

[41south]

Fantastic, thanks Oblivian

sent from my phone that isn't an i anything!