Then your GPS has a built in magnetic compass.. A TRUE GPS can not tell directions while your standing still. because it don't know what direction you point it it has a omni directional antenna in it that picks up signals from the sats to give you the right coordinates. When you start moving it will be able to tell you what direction is "forward" based on the change in lat/long from last measurment. If your GPS tells you direction it is one of those units with built in compass which are nice but there are many out there that don't have it.
If your GPS can tell you directions why not use it instead of the compass to tell you what direction 143* is ? Because if it can tell the direction then there is no reason for a compass ? Aim like your doing is what I do myself on my customer installs. I figure out the general direction to the tower and just aim the antenna but when your 8+ miles using a antenna with 5-6* beam width just huffing it from the hip might not do it. The longer distance the hard it is. It's not so bad when your shooting back to a omni or sectoral but when you have 6* beam on each side... well if one side is 4* of no matter how big antenna you use or how good you aim will not get you to pickup the signal at any greater distance. For close in (<8-10miles) CPE installs you generally don't need any uptilt unless your <1mile from the tower.. But say if your 5 miles away 350' AGL 1000' ASL shooting to a structure 60' AGL 890' ASL then you have a difference of 400' between the antennas and you need to downtilt/uptilt them 1*. But if it's flat and your not dealing with a lot of difference in height then it don't matter much it might be a matter of a 0.2* uptilt and well a slightly less plump install would result in the "wrong" tilt. Best regards, Eje Gustafsson mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] The Family Entertainment Network http://www.fament.com Phone : 620-231-7777 Fax : 620-231-4066 - Your Full Time Professionals - -- DC> MessageYup, the GPS tells me that my tower is at 2.8 miles at 143* magnetic. DC> But while I am on the roof, my sense of direction isn't good enough to pick DC> out 143* based on the angle of the sun. So I use a compass to 'point me DC> home'. DC> Once I know where to point, I hold up the panel antenna and aBO with 50' of DC> cat5 cable going to the laptop/smartMonitor and my partner. If I get a DC> thumbs up on RSSI and LQ, I start installing the mount. If not, I get a DC> bigger antenna passed up and I try again. DC> Uptilt? Downtilt? What's that? My area is flat... highest point in the DC> county is at like 32' above sea level... I try for no tilt... DC> Dave DC> -----Original Message----- DC> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DC> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Pascal Losier DC> Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 1:25 PM DC> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DC> Subject: RE: [smartBridges] What device are you using to aligne antenna DC> ???? DC> GPS tells you where is your tower. DC> Why a compass , if you have a GPS. DC> How does it help you to read your RSSI ?? DC> How does it help you to adjust for Uptilt or Downtilt ???? DC> -----Original Message----- DC> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DC> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dave Covert DC> Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 3:07 PM DC> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DC> Subject: RE: [smartBridges] What device are you using to aligne antenna DC> ???? DC> I use a GPS and a compass... :) DC> Dave DC> -----Original Message----- DC> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DC> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Pascal Losier DC> Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 8:21 AM DC> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] DC> Subject: [smartBridges] What device are you using to aligne antenna DC> ???? DC> What device are you guys using to align antenna ???? DC> Laptop, Palm, Walky-Talky, ...... DC> I think a Palm with a 10/100 would do it. DC> I just can't see myself at 200 feet high with a full tower case & a DC> 22'' Monitor !!!! DC> Or even the laptop, I think it it big to climb...... -- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] ----------ANNOUNCEMENT---------- Don't forget to register for WISPCON IV http://www.wispcon.info/us/wispcon-iv/wispcon-iv.htm The PART-15.ORG smartBridges Discussion List To Join: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (in the body type subscribe smartBridges <yournickname> To Remove: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (in the body type unsubscribe smartBridges) Archives: http://archives.part-15.org
