Beginning RDF Tracking - need advice

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Kurt - let's not promote illegal things here. Period.

There are plenty of legal options - stick to those.
 
FredA said:
Kurt - let's not promote illegal things here. Period.

There are plenty of legal options - stick to those.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I am not promoting it. Pointing out the unfortunate reality. I was going to risk launching up a 250mW FM "tracker" on the broadcast band but got a General ticket and went off in the legal Ham direction. I get a kick out of
operating on a wire up in the trees and talking to Tahiti on 12 meters when the propagation gods are smiling. I think they're related to the rocket gods.

Shoot the average flier can do the 900Mhz GPS trackers with ease and a lot less money than the purpose built RDF trackers. I highly recommend those to casual fliers. For potential radio geeks that want to do RDF due to size constraints,
get a Tech license. Kurt
 
got a General ticket and went off in the legal Ham direction

Good - getting a "General Ticket" is simple - if you can pass the L2 test, you can pass the general test.
No reason to do otherwise.
 
FredA said:
got a General ticket and went off in the legal Ham direction

Good - getting a "General Ticket" is simple - if you can pass the L2 test, you can pass the general test.
No reason to do otherwise.
Click to expand...

Right. I wanted to also work HF and was going to take the Morse test before it was dropped. Folks said just test and get on the air and play with Morse later. A General license is not needed for a flier who simply wants to track rockets.
Get a Tech license and can have a bunch of cost effective tracking options open up before you. Kurt
 
FredA said:
"The use of frequencies in the bands 40.66-40.70 MHz and 216-220 MHz for the
tracking of and telemetry of scientific data from ocean buoys and animal wildlife."

You need to have your usage licensed by the FCC to use these frequencies.
I believe Walston's used the 216-220 range but now notice that all references to frequency have been removed from his website.
Click to expand...

All I can find are references that sound like this:

"The frequency bands 40.66-40.70 MHz and 216-220 MHz may be used for the tracking of, and the telemetry of scientific data from, ocean buoys and animal wildlife. (b)..."

But nothing that prohibits those frequencies from other uses. I called a maker of such devices and they were unaware of any limitation of their use in a rocket.

Does anyone have a link that specifically prohibits using those frequencies for other than wildlife tracking?


Tony
 
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Does anyone have a link that specifically prohibits using those frequencies for other than wildlife tracking?

You need a FCC license to use those frequencies for a specific application ... if you can get the FCC to approve rocket tracking then you are good to go....but you NEED to apply.
 
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FredA said:
Does anyone have a link that specifically prohibits using those frequencies for other than wildlife tracking?

You need a FCC license to use those frequencies for a specific application ... if you can get the FCC to approve rocket tracking then you are good to go....but you NEED to apply.
Click to expand...

Here is a 1983 paper to that effect: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/publications/83pubs/kolz831.pdf

Here is another one that governs the power output: https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/6513307538.pdf
Aerial use on birds is supposed to be 1mW!

Here's another one, one needs to scroll to the bottom for specific info on Wildlife tracking: https://www.fws.gov/policy/272fw2.html#wildlife

I dont' know if there is anything more recent. Bottom line is one is supposed to petition for using the frequencies to track "Wildlife". I don't see anything in there about rockets.
Am glad I got my AT-2B on the ham band when they were available: https://theplanelocator.com/rcplane/at_2b.html

Do ya think the AT-2B on the Wildlife frequencies disappeared 'cause of the 50mW output and the wholesale selling for other uses? Me suspects so. Thanks again for pointing this out Fred and should clear any doubts in anyone's mind.

Just had another thought. I guess one should beware if a used system comes up forsale might be best to stick with the legally usable systems. Heck
they are economical enough now. If one wants to experiment, get a Tech license.

Kurt
 
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manixFan said:
Does anyone have a link that specifically prohibits using those frequencies for other than wildlife tracking?
Click to expand...

I think that will be hard to find. The regulations quote allowable use, it would be nearly impossible to describe all prohibited activity.
 
bigredbee said:
I think that will be hard to find. The regulations quote allowable use, it would be nearly impossible to describe all prohibited activity.
Click to expand...
Your comment supports what I finally think I figured out. When I read the words 'may be used for' I don't realize that it really meant 'exclusively used for'. But after doing a lot more research from links here and others I found I now have a better handle on it.

Even though not my thread, I appreciate all the helpful information provided here, thanks all.


Tony
 
bigredbee said:
I think that will be hard to find. The regulations quote allowable use, it would be nearly impossible to describe all prohibited activity.
Click to expand...

Exactly-for many regulations if it's not specifically allowed it's prohibited. As you say, taking the path of listing everything that's prohibited would be impossible.
 
I got my BRB TX today, and was able to get it programmed, pinging away and reading on the radio in about 10 min. Really nice, small unit. I'm going to make a little enclosure for it, so I can swap it easily between rockets.

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm very happy with results.
 
Last edited:
manixFan said:
Your comment supports what I finally think I figured out. When I read the words 'may be used for' I don't realize that it really meant 'exclusively used for'. But after doing a lot more research from links here and others I found I now have a better handle on it.

Even though not my thread, I appreciate all the helpful information provided here, thanks all.


Tony
Click to expand...

I think the disappearance of the 50mW AT-2B on those frequencies below the Ham band says a lot since the only ones available on the
"Wildlife" band are 1 to 30mW as far as I can see on the Com-Spec site and are also on the Ham Radio band as designated for R/C and
Rocket trackers. Those too are 1 to 30mW. I see no utility with these devices now unless one needs the small size of the tracker for
a given project. Then again, the layout of $$$$ is going to be pretty high. Don't flame me as I agree the system is effective and there
was a time it was the only game in town, hence the widespread use in rocketry. One doesn't have to spend so much anymore for tracking and that's what is nice about the current state of affairs. One should have a Tech license though to operate in the Ham band though. Kurt
 

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