New Stations Added

[Keithvinning]

New stations are now being added on a regular basis. Thanks to Chris Tyrell a new site has been installed at PWRADFORD Abingdon Oxford. Chris tells me the antennas have not yet been raised aloft but a fantastic effort as I only met him at Wellesbourne yesterday to let him have the antennas and bridge. Great work Chris.

Also Ben Smith reports that he will have his station set up at Aldershot very soon. Thanks Ben great work.

Both of these stations will complement those set up recently at Guildford, Thame and Popham. Lets watch the progress of this new sector and see how it grows. Anyone else in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Bucks or Surrey who wants to help please contact ogn@pilotaware.com

Thanks again for helping to make the skies safer.

[Ian Melville]

Enstone Flying Club have agreed to host an OGN-PAW site. Once Thame is fully up and running I will be getting the last few bits needed for that.

[Keithvinning]

Ian

Excellent news. I didn't want to announce this until you had confirmation.

[scsirob]

Would OGN-PAW stations outside the UK be useful at all? And would it be legal?
What limitations exist for base stations with 869MHz transmitters in various countries? Do they need a license?

[Admin]

Would OGN-PAW stations outside the UK be useful at all? And would it be legal?
What limitations exist for base stations with 869MHz transmitters in various countries? Do they need a license?

Hi Rob
Perfectly legal within Europe under the rules of ETSI
For license, do you mean Pilotaware or government?
We are not asking for licensing on the ground station bridges

Thx
Lee

[scsirob]

Hi Lee,

I meant if there were any licenses or restrictions to operate a base station on the 'license free' 869MHz band. I have just found official statements that in The Netherlands there's no problem as long as you stay below a certain ERP power (looks like 500mW), and below a certain duty cycle as to not hog the band.

I'm interested in setting up a station in The Netherlands, so I just sent an email to ogn@pilotaware.com as well.

[Admin]

Hi Rob

Bingo !
Thats it 😁

Thx
Lee

[T67M]

A new OGN-R/PAW basestation is now just about up and running at Redhill, albeit with a temporary PAW aerial pending delivery of the correct cable. A couple of aircraft have already been spotted, and we'll be monitoring closely for correct operation over the next few days. Hopefully the final PAW aerial will be installed next weekend.

[Keithvinning]

Well done Mike looks like a great installation at a great location.

[bnmont]

I'm pleased to announce that PWEverton is now appears to be on air!
Based near Sandy in Bedfordshire.

[Admin]

Great job Brian
Thx
Lee

[bnmont]

Just wonder whether I have the PAW antenna to close to the receive antenna. they are about 250mm apart.

[IainM]

What is the approximate range you can receive one of the groundstations?

[Keithvinning]

Hi Iain
Good question
On the receive side one can expect to get upto 60km. I.e. Detect gliders transmitting a FLARM or OGN Tracker signal at 868 MHz. This has to be line of sight so in most cases the further away a target is then the higher it has to be. For a good example of a site that will detect gliders at 100km look at the one at the Myndd on the OGN tracker site.
PilotAware will see between 30 and 40 Km on a standard end feed dipole antenna which should be used. Up to 50 km is regularly achieved at some site.
PilotAware doesn't like to over sell so that's why we say install an OGN-R and have an effect on 30Km around your site.
Do you want to put one in?

[scsirob]

Hi gents,

This is to report that my OGN-R node PWHlaken is up and running in the center of The Netherlands. Due to weather constraints the antenna is still a temporary setup, but all seems to work as expected. Hope to see some traffic activity soon!

Rob