Are there any beeline users out there?

Sirbrad · Postby **Sirbrad** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:46 pm

I’m looking at purchasing a beeline transmitter for direction finding. Have already ordered a handheld radio and will build a Yagi antenna soon.

Just wanted to see who else is using or has used this method of rocket location.

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drew · Postby **drew** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:44 am

Sirbrad wrote:I’m looking at purchasing a beeline transmitter for direction finding. Have already ordered a handheld radio and will build a Yagi antenna soon.

Just wanted to see who else is using or has used this method of rocket location.

I've used rdf transmitters for years and have owned multiple beeline transmitters. That said I only use them when GPS won't fit or work.

Sirbrad · Postby **Sirbrad** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:15 pm

I was initially thinking of an APRS solution, but the low cost of RDF cannot be overlooked. I am also involved in scouts and can see some other uses of the beeline for ‘fox hunting’. Are you in Brisbane Drew?

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drew · Postby **drew** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 8:54 pm

Sirbrad wrote:I was initially thinking of an APRS solution, but the low cost of RDF cannot be overlooked. I am also involved in scouts and can see some other uses of the beeline for ‘fox hunting’. Are you in Brisbane Drew?

I'm on the other side, here in Perth.

If you're looking for APRS solutions you're in the right place, check out the BeeLine GPS. I have a couple of those and they're GPS trackers that leverage APRS for their location. I use them in conjunction with a Yaesu VX-8GR which has an APRS TNC inbuilt. It's a very elegant solution, but it's not cheap.

If you're just starting out though get your hands on one of the Beeline TX units. Just remember to operate them you should have at least a Foundation License here in Australia as they operate on 70cm. At least that's how i interpret the law. You might think otherwise though and for the record IANAL!

Sirbrad · Postby **Sirbrad** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:17 pm

I have a foundation licence, so no problem there. I am buying a cheap Baofeng dual band handheld to start with. I hope to upgrade to an APRS capable radio next year.

Perth is my old home town.

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OverTheTop · Postby **OverTheTop** » Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:33 pm

The Baofeng is quite a good transceiver. My previous manager ran a suite of tests on it (he is an RF engineer) and said he really couldn't fault the performance.

If you are using it for tracking, keep in mind that the signal strength meter is not really functional. If you use something like an external attenuator (either switched, or the electronic type) your RDF'ing experience will be much improved.