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Is the Byonics MT-RTG APRS tracker still the preferred unit?

Buggsy2

Well Known Member
Early on in my Quick-Build + Slow-Assembly of an RV-9A, I installed an antenna and ran coax for an APRS tracker.

Years later and I'm approaching instrument install (Dynon+VP-200). I haven't yet purchased an APRS tracker and want to check here before I do...is the Byonics MT-RTG still the recommeded unit? I'd like the device in the cabin so I can adjust it easier than remote-mounted in the wing-tip. I have the Technician license from long ago.
 
I recently installed one and am very happy with it. I have not seen anyone post something they claim is better...
I originally mounted mine in the wing and the antenna (J-pole) in the wing tip. It did not like this configuration (high SWR). I ended up moving it to the wing tip and now it is happy. It was not much work to add the external switches to be able to change configuration from inside the cabin.
 
Early on in my Quick-Build + Slow-Assembly of an RV-9A, I installed an antenna and ran coax for an APRS tracker.

Years later and I'm approaching instrument install (Dynon+VP-200). I haven't yet purchased an APRS tracker and want to check here before I do...is the Byonics MT-RTG still the recommeded unit? I'd like the device in the cabin so I can adjust it easier than remote-mounted in the wing-tip. I have the Technician license from long ago.

Ralph,

The RTG is still available and an excellent choice. Byonics also has a 400mw transmitter if you wish to run less than 10w:

http://www.byonics.com/mt-400
 
Which is appropriate for an aircraft? I would think 10w is too much; lurking here over the years, I see the APRS ground-based people occasionally get PO'ed at aircraft over-using the system.

Your choice.

I have found some "APRS ground-based people" can get aggravated about nearly anything aviation related...... ;)
 
I have this tracker for almost 5 years http://www.bigredbee.com . I had my share of reprogramming hassles trying to "appease" non aviation folks. I've been called some names over the web too. The tracker is just a small fraction of the system ground support that's what makes APRS a valuable asset. You can't go wrong with any of them.
 
Trackers

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your continued support of the RTG, in my humble ( well, not really) and admittedly biased attitude, I think that you can't go too far wrong with an RTG. Its cheap, powerful, reliable. The pesky problem with aircraft is always antennae; now I have even heard rumors of Carbon Fiber wingtips, and if that catches on, installations can get tricky... On the issue of output power, its really kind of a nonsensical argument. Almost any amount of power will work extremely well a few thousand feet AGL, but you NEED power at low altitude, especially given the compromise antennae aircraft seem to be locked in to. A larger issue is Digipath, but even that is red herring. The single most salient factor in how much you aggravate the neurotic APRS ground-Nazis is your transmission interval. Keep it reasonable and the self-appointed APRS police won't have a reason to whine ( They don't really need a reason, they will find something to whine about anyway!)
Sam, I am both sorry and glad that the MT-400 has been dropped. That's the bad news. The good news is that we will be replacing it with a 2 Watt transmitter in roughly the same form factor. Another piece of good news is that we are about to release our 8-10 Watt, TT4 based transceiver. Its frequency agile, and uses the same case as our RTG-50 ( without the mega amplifier) I am not really sure how we will use a transceiver in an aircraft yet...we may have to make it ignore signals and transmit when we want. At altitude, it will receive signals out to the Horizon +15%, and that's a long way! It will never be quiet, so ordinarily, a transceiver would never transmit, since it would think the channel is always busy. My dream is that we can get the new generation of aircraft I-Gate operators to add a second receiver to their i-gates, and seize a channel to be used for things outside class G airspace. This will take the steam out of the people on the ground, and let aviators run faster data rates without packet collisions.

73,

Allen AF6OF
VHS/Byonics
Major, of his Majesty King Obama's Air Force Auxilary, Squadron 22
 
Allen,

What's the best way to mount the APRS's GPS antenna on an RV?

If it was to be mounted on the glairshield (in the growing GPS antenna farm), can the antenna's wire be cut to fit through a hole (sized only big enough for the wire) in the glairshield and then re-soldered back together and taped up?

Is there any restrictions in how close the GPS antenna can be mounted next to other GPS antennae or any other antenna for that matter?

I assume the 2meter transmitting antenna should be mounted on the bottom of the belly (I plan to use an aircraft Loran antenna). Does this have to be kept away from any other antennae such as comms and transponders?

Thanks

Bevan
 
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Allen,

What's the best way to mount the APRS's GPS antenna on an RV?

If it was to be mounted on the glairshield (in the growing GPS antenna farm), can the antenna's wire be cut to fit through a hole (sized only big enough for the wire) in the glairshield and then re-soldered back together and taped up?

Why not feed NMEA data to your tracker from one of the GPSs you already have on the plane?
 
If it was to be mounted on the glairshield (in the growing GPS antenna farm), can the antenna's wire be cut to fit through a hole (sized only big enough for the wire) in the glairshield and then re-soldered back together and taped up?

Bevan

I don't know if there is anything unique about aprs requirements, but I just shortened the cable on a Garmin gps puck as you described. The only issue was that the cable contained 3 black wires, only 2 of which terminated at the dsub connector. I took a chance and terminated all 3 to the same pin. It works fine.

Jim Berry
RV-10
 
Why not feed NMEA data to your tracker from one of the GPSs you already have on the plane?

I don't know if the signals are compatible. I would need to fabricate a custom cable to integrate to my gps's. At $69 for a GPS and antenna, it would probably be easier to keep them separate.

Bevan
 
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