Aviation band questions

[gcopter1]

I live in Winter Park, Fl, 11 miles north of Orlando Intl. and 5 miles from Orlando Executive Airport.

I'm located on a third floor apartment building, using a DPD productions air band indoor antenna.

I can hear Orlando Executive Tower (KORL) with some static but readable.
Orlando International Airport Tower, not readable at all.

I ordered an amplifier on e-Bay for the air band to try and improve my listening, specifically, for the tower transmissions.

The amplifier does not make one iota of a difference. Not even noise.

I can hear any aircraft on approach to either airport. It's the tower comms I'm having difficulty hearing.
Before I invest more money, should I get a band pass filter or a better antenna?

Me thinks, interference is the culprit.

Am I on the right path here?

 

[eorange]

Towers can be difficult to receive unless you're pretty close to them. The 6 miles between the two might be your limit, considering you're just able to receive the exec tower.

Can you use a whip antenna outside your window as a test?

Do you have a NOAA weather tower nearby? Those strong transmissions can desense your radio, making it sound like you're receiving nothing. In that case, an airband bandpass filter could help.

 

[gcopter1]

Don't know about the NOAA tower. I did grab my BC125 and re surveyed the apartment, looking for a spot where I could listen to the ATIS at KORL, the furthest down the road from me.

Unlike before, when I set out to find a spot where to hang the indoor antenna, this time I noticed some faint type of broadcast creeping in. Not sure if it was FM or what.

Guess I will order a filter and see what happens. Such a shame, I live right underneath the approach path to Orlando International Airport. Naturally, I can hear those nice and clear. Hate to listen to one side of the conversation.

 

[zz0468]

I'd start with an fm broadcast notch filter. That's immediately adjacent to the VHF airband, and a notorious cause of desense to scanners. I'd also be concerned about an amp that doesn't even add detectable noise when it's connected.

A good preamp won't create much noise, but it certainly should amplify what noise is there. You should hear a difference with the amp on, or off.

 

[gcopter1]

I'd start with an fm broadcast notch filter. That's immediately adjacent to the VHF airband, and a notorious cause of desense to scanners. I'd also be concerned about an amp that doesn't even add detectable noise when it's connected.

A good preamp won't create much noise, but it certainly should amplify what noise is there. You should hear a difference with the amp on, or off.

I'm curious as to what the difference is between getting the FM broadcast filter vs.the bandpass?

 

[jaspence]

Can't hear tower

The airplanes are well above your antenna height and broadcasting downward, hence a good signal. Tower antennas are constructed to project the signal upward toward the aircraft and therefore are going above your antenna height and sending very little signal horizontally.

 

[Eugene]

Radio horizon formula is 1.23 times the square root of the height in feet (ideal conditions). Your horizon + Tower horizon = Total Horizon. Assuming you are 30 feet up and the tower is 60 feet, total horizon = about 16 miles. This is assuming nothing between you and the tower (like buildings, trees....etc) and atmospheric conditions.. So you may be about at the limit of reception with your set-up. This is why the planes you can hear from farther away (for instance a plane at 2000 feet has a 55 mile range).

Eugene KG4AVE

 

[gcopter1]

I'm still trying to figure out, if a filter would help, what kind. To my knowledge, a bandpass, would exclude anything but a particular band.
The notch, precludes a particular band, in my case, the FM broadcast band.

 

[iMONITOR]

I'm still trying to figure out, if a filter would help, what kind. To my knowledge, a bandpass, would exclude anything but a particular band.
The notch, precludes a particular band, in my case, the FM broadcast band.

I think you want a FM trap filter. This is what I use:

https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/filters/0098.html

VHF-FM Broadcast Filters | PAR Electronics | Filters for the commercial 2 way market, MATV, FM broadcast, laboratory, marine industry, amateur radio, scanner and short wave listening enthusiasts

 

[gcopter1]

Looking them up. Thanks.


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