I wonder if anyone around the Manchester (England) area can help me ?
Please pardon my ignorance if this is easily explained but I'm new to this technology.
I have recently bought an Airnav Pro (2009) Radarbox, and I live in between Manchester Airport and Woodford.
When I watch aircraft on my screen (any flight level) that are heading towards me heading from the east 'Dayne to Manchester' I am finding the second they reach MAN they disappear off the screen, this doesn't include flights into Manchester just over flying stuff, although this does happen when Aircraft depart from Manchester and head West or North.
I am seeing some aircraft to the north of me that are heading in a southern direction and also Aircraft heading from Wallasy to Otringham.
Is there something set wrong on my box ? as this happens no matter where the aerial is placed, or set on Network Flights.
Thanks
Quinny
Hi Quinny,
To clarify are you saying there is spot on your map around North/West Manchester which is like a blind spot?
Can you post any screenshots of your map? Also what is around your location (any hills, buildings)?
Almost certain your problem is terrain or building obstacle related.
Once you get more aquainted with the nuances of the RB you may want to invest in an external aerial. Depending on how high the terrain or building is, this may make a difference, it may not.
Have fun!
Hi Quinny
I'm reasonably high up just around Marple Bridge, which can't be too far away. I don't experience any problems at all concerning blind spots especially with stuff heading almost due east over the Atlantic, or into Dublin.
where exactly are you? Sounds like you may have some man made obstacle in your way?
Do they re-appear after time, the further east they go, out towards the Mersey estuary or the coast, or do they disappear completely?
Rich
Hi Chaps
Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated
I will try and get some screen shots over the weekend, just to show the problem.
My location is in between Wilmslow and Handforth about 2 Miles from Woodford.
I have no high buildings near me at all, I have 2 big metal sheds in the garden and when I put aerial on the roof of one of these it is in direct site of the traffic I am losing as it passes over.
Cheers Quinny
All I can suggest Quinny, is take your box out for a little jaunt if you a running off a laptop, and see if it makes any difference when in a diferrent location?
If your really desparate, you can try my box on your pc if you like, but I'd try the above option first if poss - I'm only 5 miles away
Rich
Quinny, I'm in Heald Green just 1 mile NE of the threshold of Manchester's runway 23R. I can see aircraft all the way down to the ground on that side. However, when they are landing in the opposite direction 05L/R then I only see them down to around 1000-1200ft or so. I expect that's because there are buildings in the way and because my aerial isn't all that high in relative terms. It's tip rests against a second floor ceiling, probably something around the elevation of the runway, 250ft or there abouts.
Good Evening all
Today I have managed to put my aerial up on the gutter for a while and because our roof peak is quite shallow my coverage did improve, I was still loosing most flights heading N to NE as it passes over MAN. I'll try and show an example in a couple of screen shots using ACA 869 (C-FIVM) as it passed over and then disappeared off the map like most other traffic, although I get the occasional RYR, or EIN Flight that stays on the map till it reaches it's destination.
As you will see on the screen shots there is traffic North of me showing on the map that stays there. ... strange !!! ... maybe I'm just in one of those areas.... I have a DAB radio that spends more time looking for a signal than it does actually playing music... and DAB is the future ??? not in my area
Hope the image shack link works.
http://img443.imageshack.us/i/cfivm1.gif/
http://img713.imageshack.us/i/cfivm2.gif/
Cheers
Quinny
That should have read N to NW not NE .......
Quinny
Taking a look at your sceenshots you can clearly see that your reception is not great I am afraid.
Firstly the * flights are network flights and you can see quite a few of them close to your location which is showing your picking up nothing in those areas from your antenna. Secondly from the trail lines from the aircraft you are tracking they are broken which shows aircraft going in and out of your reception. This clearly indicates that the issue you mention is due to your poor reception in your location. You will need to get your antenna as high up as possible with a clear line of sight.
Quinny
You're literally on top of my location according to the map, and I don't experience any of this,and have never bothered about getting my antenna any higher than the conservatory window ledge.
Are you sure your connections are stable,and your cables are all ok?
I struggle to pick up flights coming directly from the east due to being halfway up a hill, but still tend to pick them up about 30 to 40 miles due east of Marple,and keep contact untilwell over the coast around North Wales upto Blackpool without any drop-off
Are you using a laptop or a desk top pc, as I'd still strongly recommend going away from your current location to see what happens, just to check you've not got a dodgy box?
Rich
Sounds like a dodgy connection or USB cable
I think I read somewhere that different types of roof insulation can block the signals. If it is a new house could this be the problem?
Can't find it myself but someone may ----
There was a web site discussed on here maybe 12 to 18 months ago. You put in your co-ordinates and it from that info plotted your line of sight radio coverage for different altitudes of signal source. Anyone help on this one?
Quote from: Dean on November 01, 2010, 05:32:08 PM
There was a web site discussed on here maybe 12 to 18 months ago. You put in your co-ordinates and it from that info plotted your line of sight radio coverage for different altitudes of signal source. Anyone help on this one?
http://www.heywhatsthat.com/main-0904.html
tarbat - thanks - you always know - I begin to wonder if you are actually the AirNav server.
Anyhow - Quinny have a look at that web site and see if you can work out your predicted line of sight coverage for planes at different altitudes. It's not perfect as it looks at topography and not if next door have built an extension blocking you path. Well worth a try.
Hi bearcat (as in scanner?), if the insulation is the foil backed stuff it will act as a very effective screen, downlead needs to go through it. It may be worth experimenting to see if the foil backed stuff acts as a good groundplane - anyone tried it? I once made a discone from a sheet of very thin stainless steel - superb performance, but was so lightweight, it wouldn't have lasted more than a couple of days outside.
Just in case anyone wants help to work the HeyWhatsThat profiler, I did some instructions when I first found the site. You can download the Word document here: http://www.rbearden.toucansurf.com/HeyWhatsThat Panorama.doc
(http://www.rbearden.toucansurf.com/HeyWhatsThat%20Panorama.doc)
Rod
Cheers all
It looks like I have a dodgey USB cable, I noticed today that the cable turns in the plug where it plugs into laptop, so have used one off something else but doesn't seem much better.
I have ordered a battery for my Laptop today as this one has had it (shuts down after 20 seconds of disconnecting mains lead) so I will be able to take the RB out for a drive somewhere other that home and check it out.
I'll keep you all posted as to how I get on with it, and thanks again for all the help with web sites and other kind offers.
Quinny
Well I got the RB out of the house and into the van on Sunday morning and there wasn't a cloud in the sky so took a drive to up to Pott Shrigley Cheshire (if you know that place) and as I drove higher and higher the visibility ended up about 100m LOL ... anyway that's beside the point .. the thing is the RB worked perfectly not many broken trail lines, so it's obviously the area I'm in that's the problem ... but at least I know the RB is ok.
Ta
Quinn
So I guess that you will be in the market for an external antenna soon :)
Quinny, that's good news. Maximum range in perfect conditions should be around 250miles, so take a look at the polar chart from your trip to Pott Shrigley.
Quinny
To be honest, last Sunday, I was only getting similar ranges to those you quoted, from a similar location
Rich
have you got any wireless cameras?
Hello all sorry been quiet for a while but laptop died ... so I've bought another and this runs so much faster than that last lump of junk, tracking has certainly improved. I'm going to get spare antenna for my van and the original one will be going ontop of our old redundant boiler flu that runs up the side of the house an just falls short of the apex of the roof but should still reach my laptop through hole in widow frame. Would I lose much signal by buying an extention cable for it (just incase it won't quite reach)
Don ... Wireless Cameras ?
Quinny
no wireless cameras?
i had that problem so i turned off all the power in the house ,i soon found the problem
Hi Don
No wireless cameras or my neighbours either just a bad location