Scanners question (the search for knowledge)

[kilby]

I';m assuming the general section is appropriate.

Are any of you folks out there into scanners and could recommend any cost effective models.

After the loss of my v-tail I have been suffering a lack of confidence (haven';t flown since) but have been researching 433MHz beacon systems.

On the short term I have been looking at the trackers from these folks http://www2.pmb.co.nz/blog/?wpsc-product=multi-rotor-lost-model-tracker as they work out under £17 (sans postage et al)

However a receiver is needed and a scanner makes more sense than buying a 433MHz only receiver from them.

So can anybody recommend a decent but cost effective scanner that provides a regular antenna connector (I hate unnecessary modifications)

I didn';t ask about 433MHz as it is basically a given for modern scanners.

[PropsToYou]

It';s probably too short range for your stuff but I do have a Loc8tor for my multi';s which is fantastic and only £45 including two tags and tracker.

[davethepitch]

I use a Uniden 785XLT at home for general listening and serves me well although that is a mobile/homebase but i would look at the Uniden scanner range and they start pretty cheap http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNIDEN-BEARCAT-EZI33XLT-SCANNER-BRAND-NEW-/121484881068?hash=item1c49102cac

Dave

[richardg6paj]

I';ve just bought and received one of these beacons from new zealand. Took a week to arrive.
I';m highly delighted with it. I am making a yagi aerial for my scanner which is an old AOR 1000.
What you need to look for is a scanner which is able to tune to 433.925mhz, is able to switch to
AM on that frequency, has BNC connector to allow other aerials to be used, an attenuation switch
to reduce the sensitivity as you get close to the beacon. A signal strength meter would also be useful.
And a good battery life.

The beacon I chose is the one for multirotor, it is totally self contained, so easy to use, just activate it before take off
And it will start transmitting in 15 minutes, irrespective of what happens. Just deactivate it when you land.

Richard

[kilby]

I slung an email in their direction asking a couple of questions (asking if they there was any possibility of multiple pause delay values via an internal jumper)

I was considering the Bearcat EZI-33XLT as it seems to cover most requirements and I have a few quid in Amazon vouchers) but I don';t know much about scanners and I know that the step value can cause the intended channel to be missed.

As I know very little about these things it makes sense to ask.

[richardg6paj]

That particular scanner includes a 5khz step, so will tune to 433.925mhz.
I think Maplin sell them, so you could always go down to your local store and have a look at one.

[kilby]

I do have a Loc8tor but the range (especially through vegetation) is a bit low and I';m hugely paranoid these days

[richardg6paj]

I have a Loc8tor also, might as well have a loud buzzer. The first time I needed my loc8tor in search for keys, the batteries had gone flat so was totally useless.

[kilby]

I got the Loc8tr because I  had amazon vouchers and I wanted something quickly (didn';t work out like that though) and after some tests I still havn';t found enough confidence to fly anything (though I will risk a Pixhawk equipped machine before the weekend if the weather holds up)

Seems a friend of a friend is into photography from high altitude balloons and one of the sites he pointed me towards was http://www.daveakerman.com/?p=1682 which looks pretty interesting (even if it is quite GPS based)

[richardg6paj]

Yes, I like that. I have a similar device for APRS if you are a radio ham you will know what it is.
The unit is known as a tinytrack which couples to a gps and a tx. It then sends a beacon message out
And a suitable receiver decodes the packet and displays the beacons position.

[powerlord]

They are talking about the sane thing over here:

http://www.phantompilots.com/threads/anyone-using-a-tracker-recommendations.49903/

[kilby]

They are talking about the sane thing over here:

http://www.phantompilots.com/threads/anyone-using-a-tracker-recommendations.49903/

The Marco Polo is sort of out of the running as it';s on the 900MHz band (as it';s still used by mobile providers but will be handed over to an alerting system I believe)

The GPS ones can be useful, but dependant on being the right way up, not under cover, requires a SIM or subscription etc

Although simple on the surface I feel like I have fallen down the rabbit hole as it means acquiring more radio kit

[powerlord]

I was more referring to the 10 quid 433 tx, and 20 quid bufeng.

stu

[kilby]

I was more referring to the 10 quid 433 tx, and 20 quid bufeng.

stu

I';m glad to hear that :)

I';ve spent ages looking at the options and TBH it';s the only one that gives any sort of range and what I would call reliability.

But then again I';ve have been called wierd

[kilby]

Well I scored one of these for £42 and it does 433MHz in AM

Specs : http://www.alinco.com/Products/DJ-X3/
Review : http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1925

Now to buy a couple of beacons

[Moffmo]

I might be being stupid here,  but how do you find your beacons with a standard radio reciever thingabob?

[kilby]

Connect a directional antenna (usually a Yagi) to your receiver and sweep the area until you hear the beacon.

As the antenna is directional, you look for the strongest signal and when you get that, the machine lies in that approximate direction.

Some beacons send tones at varying power levels so you can sometimes get an idea as to how far away the machine is.

This should give you an idea of how directional you can get ! No longer available

It also covers why you are better going for lower frequencies than 2.4GHz

[QuackingPlums]

There';s a guy in one of my flying groups who is working on a low-cost 433MHz LoRa tracking system that sends GPS telemetry back to the receiver, and he has recently tested it successfully at a range of over 12km.

If you mount one of the receivers on a plane and circle it overhead then you can cover a ~25km radius in about 5 minutes!

[rob12770]

I might be being stupid here,  but how do you find your beacons with a standard radio reciever thingabob?

no your not being stupid, I don';t see how a general coverage  receiver  ( scanner) would  help much, even with a Yagi antenna ( directional )
I looked at the video.. surely there';s gotta be  a better way than that.. seems very vague to me
and i';ve built quite a few Yagis and log periodics in my time .

but i know nothing about  these finder  things as im new to RC,   
but for my money m you wont  do better than the  afore mentioned Baofeng UV5R
bear in mind this is an amateur radio and you should have a license to transmit..

[Friskle]

no your not being stupid, I don';t see how a general coverage  receiver  ( scanner) would  help at all, even with a Yagi antenna ( directional )
I looked at the video.. surely there';s gotta be  a better way than that.. seems very vague to me
and i';ve built quite a few Yagis and periodic logs in my time .

Signal Strength ?

[rob12770]

Signal Strength ?

hmm. if using a receiver alone ?? thats a bit hit and miss..to say the least

[rob12770]

I assume there is some fancy little doohickey you can buy with GPS locator that will tell you Exactly where your aircraft is ?
perhaps showing you where on your smartphone ?
please tell me there is cos I want one 

[powerlord]

Sure there is. The ubiquitous banggood link beckons:


http://www.banggood.com/V16-Mini-Personal-Locator-GPS-Real-Time-Tracker-SOS-Communicator-p-927565.html

But they need a working sim.

And of course, mobile coverage and a gps lock.

Personally that';s good enough for me where I fly, and I';ve ordered one (my current tk102 is a bit big to mount on my phantom but does the same thing)

But if yer flying somewhere with no mobile coverage, etc or just like to tinker that';s where the radio beacon route comes in.