Greg Arehart
Well Known Member
Doing my engine break-in the last couple days has meant flying at as low an altitude as possible to get the max air through the system. Around Reno, that means some of the playas, which are just under 4000 feet elevation. And some of these areas are a ways from any civilization, even though I am (was - finished today) restricted to the 100-mile radius test cylinder. Yesterday I went north of RTS to Smoke Creek desert and flew just off the deck at ~100 agl as hard as I could fly. Most times around there, it is difficult to impossible to get any APRS signal, but it seems that changing the settings to wide 2-1,wide1-1 gets me more hits. Here's the track from yesterday:
http://aprs.fi/?call=N7965A&dt=1303776000&mt=roadmap&z=9&timerange=3600
And here's today's track.
http://aprs.fi/?call=N7965A&mt=roadmap&z=11&timerange=3600
Yes there are a few missed points, but generally I am really impressed with the coverage - I was getting hits over 100 miles out! I'm using the RTG with Pete Howell's wingtip J-pole.
(and it was GREAT fun flying low and fast!)
cheers,
greg
http://aprs.fi/?call=N7965A&dt=1303776000&mt=roadmap&z=9&timerange=3600
And here's today's track.
http://aprs.fi/?call=N7965A&mt=roadmap&z=11&timerange=3600
Yes there are a few missed points, but generally I am really impressed with the coverage - I was getting hits over 100 miles out! I'm using the RTG with Pete Howell's wingtip J-pole.
(and it was GREAT fun flying low and fast!)
cheers,
greg
