Google Earth

[Newark777]

Doesn't have anything from my city. Cell towers or anything.

It picked up all the towers and antennas I expected in my area, but it looks like it uses the same sometimes incorrect FCC data that we have been discussing. It places my town's PD antenna in the same incorrect location as the FCC. Neat site nonetheless, thanks for the link.

 

[Stick0413]

Icons by color from the North

Aqua= Hanover TRS
Blue= STARS (Virginia State Police, Richmond Site)
Purple= Henrico TRS (Part of the Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights Regional System)
Orange= Richmond TRS (Part of the Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights Regional System)
Yellow=Chesterfield TRS (Part of the Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights Regional System)
White= Hopewell TRS (Part of the Eastern Virginia Regional Communications System; couldn't find a call sign for the Ft. Lee portion of this system, searched the frequencies in the FCC Database and nothing showed up.)
Green= Petersburg TRS (One of them is also their current conventional system)
Red= Prince George Public Safety (Police, Fire & EMS)
Blue= STARS (Virginia State Police, Petersburg Site)
Pink= Dinwiddie Public Safety (Sheriff, Fire & EMS)

 

[Stick0413]

It picked up all the towers and antennas I expected in my area, but it looks like it uses the same sometimes incorrect FCC data that we have been discussing. It places my town's PD antenna in the same incorrect location as the FCC. Neat site nonetheless, thanks for the link.

Figured out how to use it. Wasn't paying any attention and put a "." behind say St. and it doesn't allow that. You would have to say Radio St without the "." behind the "St".

 

[fmon]

Question...where do you find the tear drop icon for the sites? None are in the res folder.

 

[loumaag]

Just thought that I would throw this in; the location data on the FCC site is licensee supplied. So, considering that many people can't read a GPS it is no surprise that locations are wrong. Of course, typing errors also account for some and don't forget, many of these locations were licensed before GPS came into being (for public use) so a lot of times hiring a surveyor seemed like an unneeded expense. :lol:

 

[Stick0413]

Question...where do you find the tear drop icon for the sites? None are in the res folder.

I added each of the sites using a "placemark." When you do that there is a little thing at the top of the box it opens that you can click on to change it. You can also change the size and using the white teardrop you can change the color to whatever you want it to be.

 

[fmon]

I added each of the sites using a "placemark." When you do that there is a little thing at the top of the box it opens that you can click on to change it. You can also change the size and using the white teardrop you can change the color to whatever you want it to be.

I've clicked on that box but no teardrop is available, and clicking on the custom button on the bottom right of the Icon popup reveals a group in the res folder, but no teardrops (guess it's an upside down teardrop) lol.

 

[Stick0413]

I've clicked on that box but no teardrop is available, and clicking on the custom button on the bottom right of the Icon popup reveals a group in the res folder, but no teardrops (guess it's an upside down teardrop) lol.

That is weird. Maybe you need the latest version of Google Earth. When I saw this I went ahead and downloaded it. I hadn't used the actual program in a long time. Still had the Beta on here. lol

 

[fmon]

Hey Stick,

Just returned from shopping and read your advise. Clicked on upgrade and a few minutes later... what a difference 6 months makes, plenty of tear drops. Thanks for the tip.

 

[mikeATtleccdotnet]

Some of the error may be from the fact that the FCC uses NAD27 for it's Lat/Lon system. Does Google Earth? I would suspect that they use WGS84 or something newer.
Mike

 

[ampulman]

Currently, I monitor (very) locally using my duckie. For longer distance and searching, I use a combo antenna. It is a homebrewed 800 mhz yagi with an off-center fed dipole (vertical rabbit ears) on the other end. Each antenna has its own feed. The 'rig' is mounted on a photographic tripod in my second floor listening post.

Using Google Earth, I have plotted my home and tower locations with numbered place marks corresponding to my (Uniden) system quick keys (haven't figured out what to use beyond 10). The text tag indicates the system name and bearing from my location. The bearing is determined by placing a protractor on the monitor screen (probably is a function to do this).

I also use the 'line' function to determine my distance to the tower. This is useful where a system has multiple towers.

AM