PowerFlarm Unit Testing - Portable-PF-In-A-Box

[WaltWX[_2_]]

FYI...

Britton Bluedorn's Portable PowerFlarm in a box:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yjzhe8wgoh4lgh9/AAAlmglHIhwbpqIZjIrESm4Fa?dl=0

was of IMMENSE help and an efficient cost effective way to test the transmit/receive radiation pattern or range of your installed PF Core unit. Fortunately, he is my neighbor and loaned me the unit.

I hope that this will help others out there as well.

Walt Rogersw WX

[[email protected]]

On Monday, August 22, 2016 at 8:21:09 PM UTC-4, WaltWX wrote:
> FYI...
>
> Britton Bluedorn's Portable PowerFlarm in a box:
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yjzhe8wgoh4lgh9/AAAlmglHIhwbpqIZjIrESm4Fa?dl=0
>
> was of IMMENSE help and an efficient cost effective way to test the transmit/receive radiation pattern or range of your installed PF Core unit. Fortunately, he is my neighbor and loaned me the unit.
>
> I hope that this will help others out there as well.
>
> Walt Rogersw WX

Very interesting, I think I can guess how you use this, but I'd rather have a description of your test procedure and love to see your data.

BTW on a similar note, flarm.com will give you a range analysis purely in Horizontal 2D. This is probably the most important for anticollision, however I would be curious to also see the vertical range analysis - a side view instead of top view to to see if the pattern is good above and below.

Chris

[[email protected]]

FYI, Steve Koerner gets all the credit for thinking of the portable box tester. I just followed through with his recommendations. see link below for history:

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.aviation.soaring/KrHXfCWzjI0/op6SYmVEcmkJ

[Dan Daly[_2_]]

On Monday, August 22, 2016 at 11:06:47 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> On Monday, August 22, 2016 at 8:21:09 PM UTC-4, WaltWX wrote:
> > FYI...
> >
> > Britton Bluedorn's Portable PowerFlarm in a box:
> >
> > https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yjzhe8wgoh4lgh9/AAAlmglHIhwbpqIZjIrESm4Fa?dl=0
> >
> > was of IMMENSE help and an efficient cost effective way to test the transmit/receive radiation pattern or range of your installed PF Core unit. Fortunately, he is my neighbor and loaned me the unit.
> >
> > I hope that this will help others out there as well.
> >
> > Walt Rogersw WX
>
> Very interesting, I think I can guess how you use this, but I'd rather have a description of your test procedure and love to see your data.
>
> BTW on a similar note, flarm.com will give you a range analysis purely in Horizontal 2D. This is probably the most important for anticollision, however I would be curious to also see the vertical range analysis - a side view instead of top view to to see if the pattern is good above and below.
>
> Chris

@Chris - the beam pattern for a half dipole is maximum at 90 degrees and minimum above and below - think of a tire. See the 1/2 wave dipole antenna wiki at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipole_antenna . See the radiation pattern demo about halfway down.

This also shows why the antenna should be vertical in the installation; otherwise, you aren't getting the maximum range in the horizontal - where the max warning is most useful...

[Dave Nadler]

On Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 10:33:00 AM UTC-4, Dan Daly wrote:
> ...the beam pattern for a half dipole is maximum at 90 degrees
> and minimum above and below - think of a tire.

Nah, think of a DONUT!
Much better, mmmm...

> See the 1/2 wave dipole antenna wiki at
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipole_antenna
> See the radiation pattern demo about halfway down.