LiveATC Discussion Forums

Air Traffic Monitoring => Feed Outage/Status Reports => Topic started by: jerry814 on November 08, 2011, 05:15:50 PM

Title: ATC Antenna selection
Post by: jerry814 on November 08, 2011, 05:15:50 PM
Thought I would share my experience with air-band antennas.

After dealing with a "Ham" repeater (W8DZ) blasting away at a KCVG tower frequency, I finally ditched the broadband "scanner" antenna and finally made the transition to an ASP ground-plane antenna cut to 124MHz center frequency, bandwidth about 118MHz to 128MHz.  It is so out-of-ham-band, the Ham radio is no longer a factor.

If you listen to the KCVG feed now, it is fairly pure and clean.  Not so with a number of others. No buzzing ground-loops, no RF interference, no static on most transmissions.  Judge it for yourself after a listen!

The ASP antenna was about $160, so not cheap, but works!

Jerry
Title: Re: ATC Antenna selection
Post by: datainmotion on November 08, 2011, 06:21:55 PM
Jerry,

FWIW - I don't know what it sounded like before, but it sounds great now.

Mike
Title: Re: ATC Antenna selection
Post by: dave on November 10, 2011, 07:49:06 PM
Great job Jerry!
Title: Re: ATC Antenna selection
Post by: jerry814 on November 11, 2011, 12:08:25 PM
Thanks, Dave!  I do try to do my best.  Gosh knows, I should know how to to this after 39 years with Motorola Communications!  Jerry814
Title: Re: ATC Antenna selection
Post by: toeknee25 on December 01, 2011, 03:29:24 PM
Hmm I maybe having a similar with the SAT feed. There's a HAM store with an array of antennas literally down the street from my antenna location. At times I get clear transmissions from airborne aircraft but rarely from the Tower or App/Dep.

As with any problem, just gotta keep throwing money at it. heh
Title: Re: ATC Antenna selection
Post by: dave on December 09, 2011, 08:58:34 AM
Hmm I maybe having a similar with the SAT feed. There's a HAM store with an array of antennas literally down the street from my antenna location. At times I get clear transmissions from airborne aircraft but rarely from the Tower or App/Dep.

As with any problem, just gotta keep throwing money at it. heh

Do you already have a filter in line?  If not email me and we can go over your particular setup.