GPS inaccuracies found

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HogDriver

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If you use location controls in your scanner, you might check the gps data for your sites. I was having issues picking up a site even though I was within a mile of it, only to find the gps data linked to it was several miles away! I found several systems with bad data, example, Bald Knob airport was actually being located in Searcy!


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03msc

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There isn't a bald knob airport. The airport is in Searcy off 67 and 67B.

Going North on 67 from Cabot it's the first Searcy exit.

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Good catch. I didn't recall ever hearing of one but I wasn't sure so I wasn't going to dispute it. I was wondering if maybe the OP was confused and the coordinates are actually right, thus why I worded my reply like I did (i.e. "if you are certain").
 

HogDriver

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03msc

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Then submit the correct ones using the submit tab within Bald Knob in the database. For the most part the db is only as good as the data that has been submitted by users like you and I.
 

troymail

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Yup - lots of bad data out there.... if it matters, users really need to look and validate what they plan to monitor and fix it before your trip (and submit updates so you don't have to fix it next time).

Folks that aren't catching these issues using GPS probably don't care what they listen to or hear....
 

INDY72

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Not to mention.. Actually the majority of scanner users in AR are running older scanners that do not have any kind of GPS support. If they run anything digital at all to listen to say the AWIN, they are running the likes of PRO-96/2096, PRO-106 etc... So those folks really could care less. Its the more modern generation of users that are spending the bigger dollars for newer scanners such as the BCD396XT, or the HP generation, or the new Whistlers... That have need of the GPS functions. But, UNLESS we have users that accurately MAP out for us the GPS coordinates, we use the ones listed on FCC data. And usually that is for some reason OFF, even though it MUST be accurate to be listed since it is the same data given to the FAA! LOL Love how that works out right? And somehow there has yet to be a flight crashing into an antenna tower. And those lights on them ONLY count for good to excellent visual weather conditions. In an say.. very bad IFR only condition you are not seeing those blinky blinky until your pretty much on them.

So if you want us to have perfect GPS data, PLEASE walk up as close as you can to the structure, and MAP it on your GPS, then submit it to us! TY in advance.
 

troymail

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Not to mention.. Actually the majority of scanner users in AR are running older scanners that do not have any kind of GPS support. If they run anything digital at all to listen to say the AWIN, they are running the likes of PRO-96/2096, PRO-106 etc... So those folks really could care less. Its the more modern generation of users that are spending the bigger dollars for newer scanners such as the BCD396XT, or the HP generation, or the new Whistlers... That have need of the GPS functions. But, UNLESS we have users that accurately MAP out for us the GPS coordinates, we use the ones listed on FCC data. And usually that is for some reason OFF, even though it MUST be accurate to be listed since it is the same data given to the FAA! LOL Love how that works out right? And somehow there has yet to be a flight crashing into an antenna tower. And those lights on them ONLY count for good to excellent visual weather conditions. In an say.. very bad IFR only condition you are not seeing those blinky blinky until your pretty much on them.

So if you want us to have perfect GPS data, PLEASE walk up as close as you can to the structure, and MAP it on your GPS, then submit it to us! TY in advance.

No need to be that accurate... in fact, it won't help (or be correct) for simulcast systems....
 

HogDriver

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Ok folks. I’m not trying to start a war here, as many people tend to migrate to! I noticed the issue when I was on base at Little Rock AFB and I wasn’t picking them up! I had my range set to 0 miles. After checking the gps data for it, I discovered that the location was actually the data for North Little Rock Airport (ORK). I checked a couple other airfields and they were off as well.

Now my home base is in Oklahoma City and I do spend a lot checking accuracy. Yes, the database is only as good as what’s put into it, but if the various moderators that actually input the info in the first place don’t care enough, then who am I?

Of course most people’s initial reaction is to get defensive and try to justify their cause, as we witness on television everyday. But the best reaction would be, yea, you’re right...we’ll see if we cAn do something about it soon...Thanks for the heads up!


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HogDriver

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Not to mention.. Actually the majority of scanner users in AR are running older scanners that do not have any kind of GPS support. If they run anything digital at all to listen to say the AWIN, they are running the likes of PRO-96/2096, PRO-106 etc... So those folks really could care less. Its the more modern generation of users that are spending the bigger dollars for newer scanners such as the BCD396XT, or the HP generation, or the new Whistlers... That have need of the GPS functions. But, UNLESS we have users that accurately MAP out for us the GPS coordinates, we use the ones listed on FCC data. And usually that is for some reason OFF, even though it MUST be accurate to be listed since it is the same data given to the FAA! LOL Love how that works out right? And somehow there has yet to be a flight crashing into an antenna tower. And those lights on them ONLY count for good to excellent visual weather conditions. In an say.. very bad IFR only condition you are not seeing those blinky blinky until your pretty much on them.



So if you want us to have perfect GPS data, PLEASE walk up as close as you can to the structure, and MAP it on your GPS, then submit it to us! TY in advance.



I seriously doubt the FAA is putting out bad data. It’s this same data that is input into the databases used by pilots in their on-board GPS systems! And having used it myself, I can tell you it’s quite accurate.


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jhsands

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M74 doesn't have a control tower so it may not have its radio on site.

A pilot friend said something about going through Jonesboro communication. I'm not a pilot, so I'm out on that discussion.


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03msc

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M74 doesn't have a control tower so it may not have its radio on site.

A pilot friend said something about going through Jonesboro communication. I'm not a pilot, so I'm out on that discussion.


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You are correct but there is a local unicom channel that pilots use to call in themselves when taking off or landing. According to the chart (screenshot) he attached it's 122.9 (122.900MHz AM). I did a test import into Sentinel and looked at the coordinates and they do show an incorrect location, which is what he was getting at.
 

dlwtrunked

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M74 doesn't have a control tower so it may not have its radio on site.

A pilot friend said something about going through Jonesboro communication. I'm not a pilot, so I'm out on that discussion.


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See https://www.airnav.com/airport/M74

There is a CTAF (Common traffic advisory frequency), 122.9, at the airport, as well as the AWOS weather on 128.325.
 

03msc

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milf (or anyone who knows),

Is there a way for us lowly users to view the lat/lon easily within the database? I'm not seeing it here on the site and can only view it by importing it into Sentinel or whatever. Am I overlooking where it is on here?
 

wx5uif

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Hover over the arrow to the right of the subcategory then click View Subcategory Details.
 

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INDY72

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FCC data. There are tabs on each DB page for each county for them. :) Click the FCC tab, click on the function you want to search in on the next page. then scroll to the listing you want to see. That will show the full FCC listing including the official GPS they list. Or click on the FCC Callsign to go directly to that There is also the click on aspects for TRS... But to see the actual GPS data for entries the way us admins see it, ... I do not think there is a functionality for that. Other than the way just illustrated.

And once again, if you have corrected data submit it and we get it fixed as soon as we can. But we can not fix ANYTHING if the right data is NOT submitted to us! We are not Gods, only volunteers and can only work with what YOU the users out there submit to us.
 

03msc

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Welp...here is what the airport in question shows so...interesting.
.
 

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UPMan

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If no location is set in the database, then the element will "inherit" the location information for the parent. That is far from perfect, but far better than no location at all (and is usually close enough to work, albeit not as efficiently as specific, correct data). In the above case, the parent is White (County), so the location used by any software that d/l direct from RRDB is the same as the county's location.
 
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