Someone mentioned putting their ADS-B receiver up in a tree so I gave it a try using a 3-inch inside-diameter PVC pipe with the DIY antennas stacked on the top and a cooling fan on the bottom. The receiver pod is attached to a 10-foot PVC pipe (contains the 12V power cord), making it look like a giant Q-tip. I spray-painted the PVC pipes so they would blend in with the other branches.
The center section of the PVC pipe was originally 24 inches but I was able to reduce that to 18 inches for the final version - with the caps on, the total length is 22 inches. Everything but the top cap is glued together with PVC cement.
The wide base of the fan section and Raspi provide a small return-air channel underneath. Currently, I only have the 40mm fan powered with 7V (+12V pin minus +5V pin) and the CPU temp reached 85’C today in the 100’F (38’C) Texas heat. I’ll need to switch the fan to 12V to improve the airflow / cooling.
The antennas are now about 24 feet (8m) off the ground and are picking up about 20% more aircraft than my other outdoor ADS-B box mounted 8 feet up on the fence. My neighborhood is primarily 2 -story houses so I’m not high enough to clear those obstacles.
The 10-foot PVC pipe is attached to a branch about halfway up using a bungy cord (to allow some movement/growth). The bottom of the PVC pipe was slipped over one end of an L-bracket that’s screwed into the tree. I put some mesh foam into the bottom of the pipe to keep insects out. Here’s the installed view …
