In an effort to provide better tools for evaluating real world antenna performance, a gps module has been incorporated into an O-Lynx radio. While this may induce visions of real time tracking of competitors its main purpose was to be able to easily collect antenna performance information.
The O-Lynx radio has been set up to relay position and radio quality information every 5 seconds back to the O-Lynx Event software. This information is then logged for loading into Google Earth.
The data produced from a test of this system is shown below. The road outside the TASC Systems offices is used for testing the O-Lynx equipment before dispatch. It provides a good 1km line-of-sight test area. The markers shown on Google Earth represent the 5 second position/link quality transmissions as the road was walked in both directions with the O-Lynx radio held at normal orienteering control height. The link quality information is shown as the name of the marker.
A trial through a small local patch of pine forest is shown in the 2 images below.
A view through the forest from where the master radio is located is shown below.
