[aprssig] motorcycle mobile tracker

[Ray McKnight]

The PocketTracker and it's several versions only transmit about
225mW - that's one quarter of a watt.  Put that on a Goldwing,
without elevating it at all, as in a mast, and you're only up about
3-4 ft off the ground.  Depending on where you mount the antenna,
there's likely no ground plane.  EVERYTHING PAINTED on a Wing
is PLASTIC, except the bulge between your knees that most people
mistake as the fuel tank.  No ground plane equates to poor radiation
angle, likely too high to be effective at aiming as much of your puny 1/4
watt at the horizon, where you need it.

I've owned several Wings, currently ride an '03.  Two suggestions:
try lining the underside of the trunk with a sheet of metal.  (they sell
roughly 1 - 1 1/2 sq ft pieces of tin etc at Home Depot).  If you have
a luggage rack installed this will be a mute point.  Or mount the antenna
on the luggage rack and ground the rack well to the frame.  Keep in mind
the frame is powder coated so scrape the paint off!  If you don't want to
lose the luggage rack functionality, you could order a second antenna
mast (CB antenna Kit?) for the left side and mount the 2mtr antenna on
that keeping in mind to ground it well to the frame (being a Ham I trust
you didn't waste $800 on the Honda CB??).  OR, the best advice is to
get a real 2mtr radio with 25-50 watts which will brute force overcome
much of the problem you're fighting against.  Still improve the antenna and
ground plane, but you need more power!  Also keep the RF exposure
limits in mind being in such close proximity to your antenna.

Someone commented that the Goldwing was "so much metal".
Yeah, watch the factory assembly video and tell me you're not
in tears - it's all plastic!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "bob evinger" <wd9eka at evinger.com>
To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2006 20:29
Subject: [aprssig] motorcycle mobile tracker


> I completed a 3,860 mile ride about a week ago. Had a pockettracker in the
> trunk of my goldwing feeding a 5/8 antenna. I am seriously thinking I need
> to upgrade to something with more oomph.
>
> I was on the road 8 days, was able to check my findu status with my cell
> phone and with the power out of the pocket tracker it just didnt get it.
> I have an igate at home so I had some reports within my first 10-20 miles.
> I went south from Marshall, IL using state highways to Cairo. Interstate
> south to memphis down to just north of New Orleans then west on I-10 to El
> Paso. up through the Gila national forest, by the VLA near magdalena, NM.
> Into Socorro to Chama across some 10K foot passes into colorado and then
> picked up I-70 east and home.
>
> ON that trip the only obvious places I seem to report were. while at home,
> next one I can verify was Baton Rouge, then I think I showed up  in El
> Paso, TX, then Socorro, nm next one I had anybody spot me at was Hays, KS,
> then I think ST. Louis area and when I got back home.
>
> Are the digis that sparse along my route or do I just need a few more
> watts? If power is an issue, anybody else running m/c mobile with aprs, or
> anyone with opinions on what the ideal output power would be.  I had run a
> tiny tracker with external radio in my car at one point and always had
> good luck with that until I had equipment failure.
>
> I ride the m/c a lot and if I am going to bother to haul a GPS and aprs
> gear on it, I want to at least get a little bit better chance at being
> heard.
>
> Not planning any more big rides for this year but even my sometimes 200
> mile round trips from marshall to indianapolis leaves lots of big holes(
> as in received through my igate, then kb9qjm-10 at cloverdale indiana and
> once in a great while I get relayed to the outside world on the east side
> of Indy.
>
> Woa, this got longer than I had intended. I just need to do something to
> improve the signal but not take up a lot of space, or just pull the aprs
> gear out altogether.
>
> Suggestions???
> bob   m/c aprs  wd9eka-9
>
>
> Bob Evinger EMT-I  WD9EKA/AAR5MG(Army MARS operator)
> The public highway system is not Daytona, and you are not Jeff Gordon.
>
>
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