Have you noticed if your range has improved and you’re receiving more messages? I also made some changes to my setup recently. I got rid of the long 16m coaxial cable and moved all the devices up to the top of the mast. Sensitivity increased significantly, even with the antenna at half the height I was using before.
Now, every once in a while, I manage to pick up aircraft that were previously out of range.
A PVC pipe is definitely not the best idea for use as an antenna mast. I used one during the scorching summer in Barcelona and switched to a metal mast.
For the thinner PVD I might switch to a thicker PVC pipe. I’m trying to reduce the amount of metal that’s around the antennas since I don’t have lightning protection. I do appreciate your input.
So I got the UAT up and running last week. Here are some of the reports that the site has received.
The 250NM+ quadrants have reported aircraft in 10 of the 16 which is not bad
If there’s a nearby building with a lightning rod, that’s sufficient.
However, a 1GHz lightning protector connected before the receiver is very important to prevent any static electricity from reaching the antenna.
On a metal mast, it’s also important to connect a cable to the mast on one side and to the building’s grounding system to counteract static electricity.
You can create a plug where only that cable is connected to the ground.
That is some range there. However, the moment i see such ranges i am double checking everything. My settings and some major site for details on that plane. At this range the plane is well below the horizon. It is usually a broken transponder or the plane has been flying through a GPS jammed area.
This extreme range is caused by tropospheric ducts that occur from time to time. However, FlightAware discards all these positions from the tracklog.
In my post, I was referring to the gain in sensitivity over long distances. When you eliminate the coaxial cable or install a higher-gain antenna, you can usually achieve greater range or a more stable signal where that wasn’t possible before. However, the primary factor is altitude: the higher up you are, the further the reach (though most people don’t have the advantage of being located on towers, in high-rises, or on mountains). Another issue is electromagnetic interference—both from the surrounding environment and from the power supply.
