Author Topic: Missoula up and running  (Read 18849 times)

Offline stealth71

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Missoula up and running
« on: October 01, 2005, 12:25:53 PM »
Hello this is Chris. I am happy to report Missoula International Airport live ATC is up and broadcasting. I hope you all enjoy it. I work out at the airport, so one listening tip I can provide is that MSO is busiest monday-friday 8-5PM, then it drops off evenings and weekends. Summers are great listening because this is a base of operations for aerial firefighting tankers, helicopters and the Smokejumpers.

Also, bare with me for a while as I am working to improve the antenna. I have an outdoor antenna on my roof, but I am not picking up tower very well. I don't understand that because ATIS sounds great. I just built a copper J-Pole and I hope that plus new coax cable and an extra 15 feet of mast height will help pull it in. MSO will also soon be building a new 150-200 foot tall control tower, (current tower and antennas is only 65 feet) so that should also help. I know I can get it better because I've done it before.

Any questions about the airport or suggestions for the feed, feel free to contact me.


Edited 6:12PM - I just temporarily put my new J-pole up. By temporarily I mean that I do not yet have a SO239 connector or other means of permanantly attaching the coax, so I stripped two pieces of 16 gauge speaker wire, wrapped the ends around the two elements and taped it in place, just to see what would happen. Missoula ground just came in better, and I'm sure it will be even better when the connector I ordered arrives this week.



Offline keko126.5

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« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2005, 02:38:48 AM »
Hey Chris, This is Trent from Elko, my mom says she knows you(Stacey Sawyer).

Any way, In your opinion, do you think people would actually listen to eko?

Ive been pondering this idea for a while now.

Thanks...

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2005, 11:48:45 AM »
Hey Trent. Does she work with me at the airport. There's a lot of people out there that I see all the time but don't actually know their names. There's a lot of really good, dedicated people out there, but because airport employees are always on the go, I never get a chance to get to know anyone...or their names. Is she in the airport admin office? If so, then I do know who she is.

Yeah, I'd listen to Elko. I think having a good mix of radio traffic is a good thing. Actually, quite often our aircraft are based there during the summer for aerial firefighting duty, so it could be fun to listen to them. I wasn't sure if I should put MSO up either. This airport can be extremely busy, the radio chatter never seems to end. But then there are times when you won't hear a single transmission for hours, like today because the weather is horrible. But I talked with our flight instructor and asked him what he thought and he mentioned that putting MSO up would be great for local flight students to listen and learn aviation radio, so I decided to do it.

I think the main thing to do is make sure you're giving people something to listen to. In my case, since there can be periods of dead activity as far as ground and tower, I also threw in approach and departure control, Salt Lake Center, Unicoms, and I've also found a few other Salt Lake Center and Seattle Center frequencies that I'm now feeding. The reason I can do that is because the repeater site is located right on the airport. Having all those frequencies seems to provide enough radio chatter. Finally, I also printed out flyers to let people know MSO was on the web and posted them at our airports local flight schools, FBO's, airlines, etc. So yeah, give it a try. It looks like Live ATC needs more feeders from out west.

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2005, 12:32:03 PM »
Hey Trent, I was just on AirNav.com looking at your frequencies in EKO. I think you could provide Tower, CTAF, ground, and Unicom. Where is Battle Mountain? It looks like there is an RCAG that provides approach/ departure service located there, so if it's not far from you, you should be able to get that as well on 132.25.

Offline keko126.5

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« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2005, 08:20:36 PM »
She works at Stockmens/Commercial.

But yes, 132.25 comes in very well(im actually listening to that complete list right now!) :lol:

Im just trying to get some money to create an always on connection, other than that, im pretty much set.

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2005, 08:43:00 PM »
Hmmm, maybe it's a different Chris. I'm not familiar with Stockman's. Wish I could help you with the intenet connection. Hopefully you can find something that will work so we can all tune in. Keep us posted.

Offline keko126.5

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« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2005, 08:57:12 PM »
Hmm? Dont know my good sir, she knows lots of people there, whom dont know her that well.

Some people know her from her old job at KRJC/KTSN.

Well, BTW, The MSO feed is kewl! im listening right now! :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2005, 08:01:40 PM »
Thanks for listening. I think it's slowly sounding better as far as quality. I should be getting a new coax connector to solder onto the new J-Pole antenna, and then next week I'll get a new mast and raise it up about 45 feet AGL. If I can just get ground a little cleaner, as well as get approach/departure better, we'll be set.

Offline KPryor

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« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2005, 08:24:23 PM »
I listened to MSO for quite awhile this morning and really liked it.  It was cool hearing some traffic I hadn't heard before, such as Big Sky.  Thanks Chris for putting this one up!
KP

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2005, 08:48:10 PM »
Hey, thanks for the positive feedback. I'm planning to go to Lowe's Hardware tonight to get a new 30 foot antenna mast to help pull the reception in a little better for everyone. I think there may still be a few other frequencies I could throw in there as well.

Offline keko126.5

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« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2005, 10:01:54 PM »
Question Chris...Do you guys have a Civil Air Patrol Station There?

If so maybye you can put some of those freqs on your scanner.
Its always on mine! :D

Read The Sig

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2005, 11:12:19 PM »
You know, I'll check with one of our flight instructors tomorrow. I remember a really sharp C206 CAP plane that always used to come in, but I haven't seen it in a while. But yeah, that would be a great one to put in. Out here in the mountains, unfortunately, we lose a few planes a year, so it might be interesting to scan those channels.

I did just return from Lowes with a nice telesoping 30 foot antenna mast and hardware, so sometime this week I'll get it installed. If anyone is interested in this mast, $44 at lowes. It's an actual antenna mast with three 10 foot interlocking segments that I found in the section where they store the metal electrical conduit. Looks just like the conduit, so you really have to look for it. It has three round metal plates for guy wires if you require them.

Offline dave

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« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2005, 07:19:31 AM »
And if you actually extend it to 30', I would guy it.  :-)

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #13 on: October 04, 2005, 07:32:27 PM »
Definitely on the guy wires. Keko, I did check on the CAP freqs. Nothing as of yet. Apparently our CAP plane is shared between our airport and two other cities in Montana, and the person who would know about a freq is not around at the moment. If I hear of something, I'll put the freq in the radio and scan it.

Offline keko126.5

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« Reply #14 on: October 04, 2005, 09:00:12 PM »
Kewl, But Usally they use universal freqs, i can get them buy tomorrow, or you can actually just google em'.

Oh, Bye the way.. :oops:
Wrong Chris, I was thinkin Chris Jensen..

hehe :oops:  :oops:  :oops:

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #15 on: October 04, 2005, 09:12:37 PM »
Ahhh, airport director. OK.

Offline keko126.5

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« Reply #16 on: October 04, 2005, 09:29:35 PM »
Totally misunderstood that!!  WOW!!  :shock:
I feel so emabarased! wow!

 :shock:  :lol:

Offline stealth71

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« Reply #17 on: October 04, 2005, 09:49:10 PM »
It's alright. Apparently EKO's airport director is also Trent, so I thought that's who you were at first.

Offline keko126.5

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« Reply #18 on: October 04, 2005, 09:50:00 PM »
This forum seems like a Instant Message Transcript.  :lol: