ADS-B inline amp setup - major increase in data

[frazpo]

Thought I would share what an in-line amp did for ADS-B decoder. The graphics will be from my Flightaware feeder interface. The first two images are before and after amp. The darker the color the more messages at a certain distance. This is javebased on the feeder interface. Today it indicates I have caught 27 planes at over 300 miles and over 800 planes at over 240 miles
In the third image the light brown line indicates my previous seven day average prior to adding the ampifier.

The amp used is basically a 20db in-line satellite dish amp with a directv power inverter. Price tag for the amp setup is around $15.

The antenna is a homemade quarterwave groundplane.

 

[joeuser]

Check THIS out!

Here is your plot now, I didn't think to take a screenshot of your first plotting but it was three times smaller than it is now. Not sure about the spikes either...

 

[frazpo]

Increase in coverage

Thanks joe! I couldn't find anything to scale so I had to look at some older screen shots and translate. Before the amp I would say 90% of my data was from inside the red circle I added to your screen shot.
So not only have I picked up a greater area but also a major increase in messages from each plane.
Fun stuff.

 

[DaveNF2G]

The spikes are probably aircraft at unusually high altitudes that would have been blocked by terrain if they had been lower.

 

[joeuser]

The spikes are probably aircraft at unusually high altitudes that would have been blocked by terrain if they had been lower.

Interesting! Thanks!