Mid-Air Refueling over Nova Scotia

[nyair1]

Ok thanks. I think I just caught c/s SPIRIT saying that he could contact BRICKYARD direct now on 274.550. Unsure if its related to the AR020 flight.

Saw on another board it was a pair of B2's coming back from the UK. I had a few loggings from yesterday but I haven't had a chance to go through them yet. I did see hits on 341.750

 

[rabrol]

What's the best thing to use for a outdoor dongle antenna? I'm going to order one of these from amazon soon. Can I use a old disc one scanner antenna? Or is there something better? With my current scanner antenna I have about 225-250 mile range. I'd like to try to be in that same area if possible. Thanks

I built one of these with some old electrical wire - http://x264.nl/dump/ads-b-antenna-groundplane-proper.jpg

Each element was about 6.5cm in length. Hooked it up to some coax and into the dongle. Rather than use a long piece of coax, I used a USB extension cable to elevate the dongle to the roof, thus keeping the coax shorter (less loss of signal = higher range).

HTH

 

[Mark]

What's the best thing to use for a outdoor dongle antenna? I'm going to order one of these from amazon soon. Can I use a old disc one scanner antenna? Or is there something better? With my current scanner antenna I have about 225-250 mile range. I'd like to try to be in that same area if possible. Thanks

Pricey but what I use...Works great.. scroll down to ADS-B antenna.

DPD Productions - VHF Air/Aviation Band, FBO Base, ACARS & ADS-B (SBS / RadarBox) Antennas for Commercial & Hobbyist Applications

 

[SCPD]

Saw on another board it was a pair of B2's coming back from the UK. I had a few loggings from yesterday but I haven't had a chance to go through them yet. I did see hits on 341.750

Thanks Chris! I did get a heads up from a friend in here that B2's were heading this way. I got lucky and caught the tail end of their journey home. It made for a nice entry in the log book!

 

[SCPD]

Getting some activity in AR020 341.750. No call signs yet but got tail#624135 as the receiver. Time1851UTC

 

[looknlisten]

Getting some activity in AR020 341.750. No call signs yet but got tail#624135 as the receiver. Time1851UTC

Should be the usual players...ETHYL55 and COBRA55. Set to be at the IP at 1905Z.
60-0366 ETHYL55 KC-135R NJ ANG | 108W | 141ARS [KWRI]
62-4135 COBRA55 RC-135W USAF | 55WG | 38RS [KOFF]

 

[SCPD]

Thanks Howard. I did catch the calls right after posting.

 

[looknlisten]

They passed overhead CYQI at 1918Z slightly west of the track...awesome pic to follow.

 

[darrylcn]

Niiiiice as usual Howard. I didn't even SEE em in spite of having clear skies. Had high signal but no sighting. I confirmed with my neighbor to the NW that she's cutting down her large tree though so that will improve my sight lines. This is only our second summer here and I had forgotten how much of a barrier that thing is with the leaves filled in.

 

[isuse]

Regarding antennas: I've been meaning to make & try a collinear coaxial. Looks like fun, dirt cheap, and kind of cool to make an antenna out of pure transmission line...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TkUYdCPFXXs

 

[SCPD]

They passed overhead CYQI at 1918Z slightly west of the track...awesome pic to follow.

Sweet! Nice clear day!

 

[looknlisten]

Regarding antennas: I've been meaning to make & try a collinear coaxial. Looks like fun, dirt cheap, and kind of cool to make an antenna out of pure transmission line...

Making an inexpensive 1090MHz ADS-B collinear antenna - YouTube

Do it!
That is the same antenna I made. Housed in some PVC water line pipe...works like a charm.
Best antenna I've ever made. I believe Darryl has one as well.
I think I went with 8 elements, but I may increase it to 10, change the connector to 'N' and get it a bit higher as well.
(FYI...I left the end 'open'. No need to do anything with the last element.)

 

[darrylcn]

I do indeed have one. Ian made it for me, and I have been using it since he gave it to me. Mine has six elements as well and in spite of being inside in a window on the north east side of my house I can easily cover the 60% or so of the province from about the Canso Causeway (connects Cape Breton Island to NS if you're looking at a map) to well past the park at Keji.

 

[nyair1]

Thanks for the antenna info guys. Its on my list of things to get done this summer. Also thinking of upgrading my main outdoor antenna from the RadioShack discone to a DPD omni-x and get some better cable too. I need to get one of those good stridsburg multicouplers too.

 

[looknlisten]

SPUR80 / DOOM11 flight

SPUR80 (KC-10, 86-0035) is holding at Gander awaiting DOOM11, flight of three B-52H Bombers for refueling on AR20-SW.1020Z
I'm off to work...happy monitoring and spotting.
MARSA declared at 1027Z

 

[darrylcn]

Ohhhhhhhh baby! Clear skies too. I have only ever seen a B-52 once in AR-20.

 

[darrylcn]

Got em!! Wow! saw one pair, B-52 and KC-10 connected while over us.. Look to be maybe a mile south of the track.

 

[looknlisten]

Got em!! Wow! saw one pair, B-52 and KC-10 connected while over us.. Look to be maybe a mile south of the track.

Awesome!!!..I'm hoping to snag a shot as well.

 

[darrylcn]

Great. Grey makes it a liiiiiittle tough to see em but they're big and low enough that the movement alone should attract your eye hopefully. My brother is home at his place near my house and couldn't find them in the sky so I hope you get a shot of them. They were maybe a mile or two south of the track over us I think. Still close enough to the track that looking at it would allow you to see them though.

 

[looknlisten]

Well..I managed to get a shot of a lone B-52H...my first.
I'm always amazed at how difficult it can be to spy a bomber in a clear blue sky.