Radarspotting

Miscellaneous => Other Topics => Antennas => Topic started by: cyril on February 16, 2012, 09:45:39 PM

Title: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: cyril on February 16, 2012, 09:45:39 PM
Has anyone used the Radar-100 aerial from moonraker. Does it give more range than a standard sbs-1 outside aerial.
Thanks Cyril
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: BigRed on February 16, 2012, 10:22:05 PM
Hi Cyril,

I finished putting mine up late last night. I dont want to get to excited yet, but by looking at Flight24 app for Iphone which I currently MMS2 share and for the last week my station has been the only one operating in this part of Australia. As I sit here in my office looking at the share Im seeing a/c improvement on a massive scale!!

But until I get home this afternoon and I can do some tests I cant be 100% sure..... but its looking good so far.

My post is the 'Im Excited' Im hoping to upload a new pic of the setup and a bit more feedback about the antenna. Please feel free to ask any questions.


CAM
MMS2 TVL1
PP v5
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Brize Norton on February 20, 2012, 03:56:25 PM
My kids bought me my Airnav 3d radar box for  Christmas 2011. so I have just bought the (RADAR-100 COLLINEAR ANTENNA FOR SBS-1er OR RADAR BOX)from Moonraker on Ebay @ £59.95 inc P&P and bought 15mt of westflex 103 with fittings all made up from W.H. Westlake Electronics i also bought a .5mt fly lead from them as the westflex 103 is 10 mm thick total cost for this was £64 inc P&P.at the moment I'm using the antenna that was supplied with the Airnav this is on a flat roof out the back of my house facing north.the max distance i recieve now is.
104 nm north
158 nm east
57nm south
74 nm west
I hope to get my new Antenna fixed to my chimney this week and i will post the new distance i recieve ASAP
Thanks
Ivor
Nr RAF Brize norton

Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on February 20, 2012, 04:02:44 PM
Thanks Ivor, look forward to your report.
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Brize Norton on March 11, 2012, 05:38:27 PM
(RADAR-100 COLLINEAR ANTENNA FOR SBS-1er OR RADAR BOX)
Antenna has been installed today and there is a vast improvement in range, before the max aircraft i could pick up on a good day  was 60+. today's max  im picking up is 240.
the range today is.
141 nm north
172 nm east
203 nm south
177 nm west
i will up load photo's soon
Thanks
Ivor
Nr RAF Brize norton

Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: RAVEN45 on March 13, 2012, 03:46:00 PM
I have been using a Radar-Rama and a Kal-RadarAmp at my location in Leeds for a while now and found it very good. At the beginning of March I installed a RADAR-100 and found little difference at first, contact count about the same 55 +/- 5 and that is good for me in my location, Leeds and Bradford, and Doncaster are not the busiest on the planet.
After 72hrs of plotting I came up with the following coverage diagrams, attached to this post. Both antennas loft mounted ( due to local by-laws I can not have one externally mounted ) in the same location, height and coax (  5mtr Westflex WF103 ) nothing different except for the antennas them selves.

I can not give any firm recommendations as this is my setup and will differ from other installations, taking in to account terrain, elevation, and obstructions. I hope this information is of use.

RAVEN45 ( Phil )

BETTER OUTLINES.


[Attachment deleted by Admin to save file space]
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 13, 2012, 03:55:01 PM
Thanks Phil.
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: mhm on March 13, 2012, 10:12:20 PM
Good details
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 21, 2012, 05:06:24 PM
Hi All.Not impressed at the moment with the moonraker kit  ???.The mag-mount performs just as well. both mounted  at35 ft


                                                                                                                                           Billko
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 21, 2012, 05:26:51 PM
What were you expecting if you've swapped one antenna for another in the same location?
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 21, 2012, 05:40:54 PM
 Hi Anmer I had the mag- mount with no pre amp  .The moonraker kit performed the same


                                                                    Billko
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 21, 2012, 06:06:02 PM
What preamp were you using?
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 21, 2012, 07:45:26 PM
Hi Anmer The pre-amp was the one reviewed by your good self
I will play around with it later. 200nm was limit

                                                                                   Billko
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 21, 2012, 07:47:39 PM
Quote from: shakysen on March 21, 2012, 07:45:26 PM
Hi Anmer The pre-amp was the one reviewed by your good self

I didn't think you got the antenna kit from Kinetic?
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 21, 2012, 07:56:45 PM
 Hi Anmer I got the kit from Kinetics webpage on Lam communications its the moonraker kit.the Antenna is the one in your review

                                                                                   Billko
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 21, 2012, 08:02:02 PM
OK, so you got the preamp kit at £129.95 plus the antenna at £54.95?

There was a known problem (which I mentioned in my review) with the preamp which Kinetic said was fixed.  Basically, the preamp wasn't working in some situations which sounds like your problem.

Call Kinetic tomorrow and ask to speak to Chris Taylor.
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 21, 2012, 08:12:08 PM
 Hi Again mike. Its is the pre amp with it connected  cambridge,south.newcastle north, liverpool west, east poor. same with it disconnected
                                                           
                                                                                                                  Billko
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 21, 2012, 08:14:29 PM
You may have the problem that Kinetic was fixing but the LAM stock may be old?  Call Kinetic tomorrow.
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 21, 2012, 08:21:32 PM
 Will do Anmer .Im I asking to much from it Mike? 200 NM?

                                                            Billko


                                                                                       
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 21, 2012, 08:33:23 PM
If you have a good horizon, 260nm should be possible, it's what I get
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 22, 2012, 11:03:16 AM
Hi All .Put Toms ground plane idea up today increased range Upto luton

                                                               Billko
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 22, 2012, 11:12:46 AM
During my testing, if power to the preamp was removed for any reason, the preamp didn't kick in again when power was restored.  The only way the preamp would work was to remove and reconnnect the antenna at the preamp.

This was reported to Kinetic who said it was fixed in the "production" kit.  But others have reported similar issues:
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 22, 2012, 11:18:30 AM
 Morning Mike. yes They said they had fixed it.Will I beable to reset from bias tee?
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 22, 2012, 11:24:30 AM
 Hi Again. Im 4 miles n.west from the Ottringham Transponder. Would you settle for range upto Luton, Edinburgh?. Mike

                                                                                    Regards Billko


                                                                          B
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 22, 2012, 12:28:25 PM
Hi Billko

If an antenna is located in a good position and the coax is suitable and the run is short, one could expect a range of, say, 260nm or further.  The addition of a preamp won't necessarily improve the range but should deliver weaker signals and, consequently, more contacts.  That's my personal experience, both with the Elad preamp and the Kinetic kit.

Unless you can easily get at the preamp, it may be a challenge to test that the Bias-T is powering it.  I was able to run successive tests and powering down the pre-amp reduced the contacts.  Powering it back made no difference until I removed and reconnected the antenna at the preamp which is OK for testing but not for a "production" setup.  That's the problem I reported and KInetic says is fixed.

The Kinetic kit represents good value and as long as everything works to spec, it should extend range and contacts for those still using the supplied magmount.

Do a simple test.  Remove the Bias-T power and see if your contacts reduce?  Then apply the power again and see if they increase.  If they don't, something's not quite right.
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: shakysen on March 26, 2012, 10:55:19 AM
Hi All.  Had enough of playing with antennas!!. The reviewed Items are in situ antenna 40 ft.Gatwick to the south, aberdeen to north, irish sea,west, coast of netherlands east. When i find out How to do a plot will post

                                                                                                         Billko
Title: Re: Moonraker Aerial
Post by: Anmer on March 26, 2012, 11:14:24 AM
Quote from: shakysen on March 26, 2012, 10:55:19 AM
When i find out How to do a plot will post

Download and install SBSPlotter from jetvision (http://jetvision.de/sbs1.shtml).

Unzip the files, read the readme.txt file and start building a plot.

Any questions, please ask.