[Scan-DC] Antenna pattern for DCA @ 119.1 MHz?

[Mary and Bob Jeter]

I remember going up a hill as pictured but it then had a blue stone 
surface, but that probably has changed
Usually there is some signage warning it is gummint property
Those don't appear to be the usual kind of towers in use
Can you get nearby with a "close call" scanner?
Bob

On 12/9/2014 12:02 AM, Albert LaFrance wrote:
> Some years ago I came across a little FAA radio facility of some kind, with
> two short towers, tucked away in a South Arlington residential neighborhood
> near DCA:
> <https://goo.gl/maps/VF2SP>
>
> Albert
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Scan-DC [mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
>> djoneses
>> Sent: Monday, December 08, 2014 10:36 AM
>> To: 'Andrew Clegg'; 'Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net'
>> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Antenna pattern for DCA @ 119.1 MHz?
>>
>> Andy:
>>
>> Although I do not know the exact answer to your question, my thought has
>> all been that the 119.1 tower frequency transmitter is not located at DCA.
>> And since the controllers have the ability to select transmitter sites,
> they may
>> choose a different transmitter site based on traffic direction.
>> Additionally there probably is some antenna uptilt. -- could be very minor
>> only a few degrees -- but combined with the antenna location, this results
> in
>> a weak signal
>>
>> On the other hand, the helo transmitter site may be local to DCA and the
>> antenna may have a truer horizontal pattern since it only needs to serve
>> aircraft at relatively low altitudes (compared to approaching fixed wing
>> aircraft) and in the local area.
>>
>> I often wondered if the 119.1 tower transmitter is not located at the FAA
> Falls
>> Church site.  Maybe a little foxhunting is in order.
>>
>> David
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Scan-DC [mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
>> Andrew Clegg
>> Sent: Monday, December 08, 2014 9:57 AM
>> To: Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: [Scan-DC] Antenna pattern for DCA @ 119.1 MHz?
>>
>> I've noticed that the 119.1 MHz tower frequency from DCA is surprisingly
>> weak. I can barely hear the tower 4 miles away from a rooftop up 220 ft.
>> Even in the parking lot at Gravelly Point, the signal isn't exactly
> gangbusters.
>> The planes come in fine at both. On the other hand, the 134.35 MHz
>> simulcast frequency that the tower uses to communicate with helicopters
>> comes in loud and clear 4 miles away, and the 257.6 MHz simulcast channel
> in
>> the milair band comes in reasonably well too.
>> Does someone on the list know if by chance the 119.1 MHz DCA antenna has
>> a significant electrical uptilt that keeps the pattern along the horizon
> very
>> low? That would seem odd, because even ~10 miles away, where the tower
>> first starts communicating with inbound planes, the planes are at a
> relatively
>> low elevation as seen from the airport. But I can't seem to figure out why
>> 119.1 is so weak. Maybe the 119.1 antenna on the southeast side of the
>> tower and blocked to the west (where I am) and the north (where Gravelly
>> Point is)?
>> That would seem odd too.
>> Any ideas? This has puzzled me for several years.
>> 73,Andy
>>
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