Accurately pointing a yagi

[Volfirefighter]

I am going to be installing an 800Mhz yagi in my attic. To get it pointed at the sweet spot, I was going to take my SDS100 into the attic, hook it directly to the antenna, and then watch the RSSI display for the best signal. Is this the easiest method. Any other suggestions?

 

[phask]

I am going to be installing an 800Mhz yagi in my attic. To get it pointed at the sweet spot, I was going to take my SDS100 into the attic, hook it directly to the antenna, and then watch the RSSI display for the best signal. Is this the easiest method. Any other suggestions?

Use analyze, if it's a trunked system. You will get an easier to read screen, or set RSSI as a field and hold on the site/freq.

If you had a HP1/2 with extreme it has "power plot" (or s similar name, that is what I use for maximizing antenna setups.

 

[dlwtrunked]

I am going to be installing an 800Mhz yagi in my attic. To get it pointed at the sweet spot, I was going to take my SDS100 into the attic, hook it directly to the antenna, and then watch the RSSI display for the best signal. Is this the easiest method. Any other suggestions?

In my case, to point antennas, I use an SDR radio to view the signal strength on the control channel with the AGC turned off (or tune away from the frequency and watch the frequency of interest in the signal plot display. it is easier than dealing with bar graphs or numbers and responds quickly to changes.

 

[mrkelso]

I am going to be installing an 800Mhz yagi in my attic. To get it pointed at the sweet spot, I was going to take my SDS100 into the attic, hook it directly to the antenna, and then watch the RSSI display for the best signal. Is this the easiest method. Any other suggestions?

If thats all you got then do it.

 

[a417]

How far away is the site?

 

[prcguy]

Since the peak on the antenna is very broad and there will not be any changed over many degrees near the peak, the most accurate way to center it on a tower is to peak it the best you can, then detune it to one side about 6 to 10dB down and record the signal strength or RSSI and the compass heading, then go back through the peak and find the exact same signal strength or RSSI and compass heading, then park the antenna between the two compass headings.

Wow, that was a long sentence.

I am going to be installing an 800Mhz yagi in my attic. To get it pointed at the sweet spot, I was going to take my SDS100 into the attic, hook it directly to the antenna, and then watch the RSSI display for the best signal. Is this the easiest method. Any other suggestions?

 

[Volfirefighter]

Thanks for all of your input. What is a good RSSI on an 800Mhz Motorola system? With the SDS100 and a Remtronix 800 antenna, I get -50dBm on the tower in my own county. From the neighboring county (about 10 miles) I get -100dBm. I miss transmissions from the next county alot thus why I am trying the yagi.

 

[W8RMH]

I use Google maps to locate a heading from my location to the transmitter, then use a compass to aim it, and fine tune it with my HP-2 RF Power Plot.

 

[dlwtrunked]

I use Google maps to locate a heading from my location to the transmitter, then use a compass to aim it, and fine tune it with my HP-2 RF Power Plot.

I hope you correct for magnetic delination which can be up to 10 degrees. An I have found using a map and compass will sometimes miss the effects of blockages and reflections.

 

[W8RMH]

That's why I fine tune it using the HP-2.

 

[iMONITOR]

I don't thinking aiming a Yagi is that critical. Just eyeballing it should be good enough. It's not like a parabolic dish for satellite.

 

[Hit_Factor]

I don't thinking aiming a Yagi is that critical. Just eyeballing it should be good enough. It's not like a parabolic dish for satellite.

Right, depending on construction it could have a 40 to 70 degree cone. It's definitely not collimated like a laser.

But having an extreme HP2 sounds ideal.

 

[Frankhappyg]

I used a compass for a ball park then fine tune from there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[buddrousa]

The SDS has under analyze the power bar and quality bar just as the X36's have.

 

[Ubbe]

As a reflection that bounces off mountains or buildings could give the best signal, just turn the antenna a full circle and watch the RSSI level from the system that have a weak signal that you want to monitor. If it got -50dBm it probably doesn't matter where you point the antenna so concentrate on the weak ones.

/Ubbe