[aprssig] Fwd: FW: Airborne APRS

[K. Mark Caviezel]

>From Karl, N7MXO, he posted this and it didn't get to
the list.   I am fwding to the list at his request. 
I'll add to Karl's advice- fly with an radio
operator/spotter.  "Fly the plane first!" is always
good advice.  Doesn't take too long to get into
trouble if the PIC is button pushing on D7 & GPS. 

- KMC  ng0x 



> > From: karlg at att.net [mailto:karlg at att.net]
> > Sent: Friday, October 28, 2005 12:24 PM
> > To: aprssig at lists.tapr.org;
> mckeehan at mckeehan.homeip.net
> > Subject: Re: Airborne APRS
> > 
> > I routinely fly with my D7 hooked to my Garmin 196
> (air nav GPS) and an
> > external aircraft antenna I had installed. I have
> chased for EOSS, TVNSP
> > and ANSR, including airborne intercepts based on
> APRS at ANSR and EOSS (I
> > was too busy eating breakfast to notice TVNSP had
> launched dang it.)
> > Inflight video or pics available by direct mail.
> > 
> > I used the D7 hanging on my door handle of the
> Mooney with just a short
> > whisker after-market antenna for the first year or
> so - plenty of signal
> > out and ability to DF using wing shadowing. Now
> have it hanging on the
> > panel wired to GPS and antenna, also panel power
> and a jumper cable with
> > PTT into my intercom so I can Air to Ground when
> bored, etc.
> > 
> > Still thinking about D700 install (it is possible,
> just a hassle, not to
> > mention $$).
> > 
> > For balloon tracking, I had luck with just
> visually locating the package
> > from the air and talking ground troops in. Also
> since my GPS displays
> > stations, I could see where they were relative and
> give pretty good
> > direction. Digipeat would be nice, but so far no
> problem spotting from the
> > air (chutes are usually pretty easy to spot).
> > 
> > Email direct if I can be of specific help. I would
> try the D7 on the door
> > first, with the GPS coming from the pilot's
> portable Garmin (most likely).
> > Work up in complexity from there and for goodness
> sake do it away from
> > congested areas and plenty high. It is easy to get
> distracted punching in
> > stuff, etc. and not fly first.
> > 
> > Karl
> > N7MXO-7 in N2683W(later today KLAM - 57AZ)
> > 
> > Inactive Yahoo group at aero_aprs in title - give
> a shout for more input
> > (I am owner).
> > 
> > > Subject: [aprssig] Airborne APRS
> > 
> > > In participating in some balloon chases where we
> had difficulty finding
> > the
> > > ballon once it landed, some of the guys thought
> it would be nice to fly
> > an
> > > airplane over the area with an APRS station on
> board the airplane, thus
> > giving
> > > it line-of-site with the low power balloon
> beacon and getting a
> > position.
> > >
> > > The guys have a pilot/airplane, but we are
> wondering how to setup the
> > APRS
> > > station in the airplane. The plane will
> generally be a Cessna 172 - a
> > > high-wing monoplane.
> > >
> > > Has anyone on this list tried this? How did you
> position the antenna?
> > What
> > > type of antenna did you use?
> > 
> > > William McKeehan
> > > KI4HDU
> 
>