[IRCA] Google Earth as a DX aid

["CHRIS KNIGHT" <cgknight63@xxxxxxx>]

If you didn't already know this, Google Earth is a great tool for finding DX 
sites, measuring the length of wire antennas, locating transmitter sites, 
etc. To begin, I downloaded Google Earth (version 4.3.7284.39.16 beta). To 
find the website I searched for "google earth" (in quotes) from the 
www.google.com home page.
After Google Earth was installed, I located my old QTH (for example). (At 
this point you may open Google Earth and follow along with me). The radio 
room window was located exactly at 38 deg 18' 44.17"N 104 deg 42' 54.65"W 
(on S. Clarion Dr.). From that point I had a BoG (sometimes elevated 2' or 
3' feet above ground) extending from the window to the corner of S. Purcell 
Blvd. and S. Datura Drive. To find that location, click on "street view" in 
"layers" at the bottom left. Street names will appear. There's a house there 
now which didn't exist back in the 1980's.
To measure the length of the Beverage antenna, click the ruler in the 
toolbar. This brings up a small window entitled "Ruler". To choose the 
preferred units of measure (feet, meters or other units of measure) simply 
click the down arrow and select the units. Next, click off "mouse 
navigation" to set your points of measurement. Click the point you wish to 
measure from. If you need to navigate to a point off the screen for the 2nd 
point, enable mouse navigation making sure to toggle it off again once you 
find the 2nd point. Or, you can zoom out using the controls on the right. 
For this example click on the old radio room window (at the receive end of 
the antenna) at the above coordinates, then click the near the intersection 
of the two above streets. The length of the antenna comes out to be around 
750 feet.
If you want a view from ground level, click "street view" in the layers 
section. You will notice camera symbols popping up all along the streets. 
Click a camera symbol in the area. You can now see the house, the radio room 
window and the trees near the house, also the bare prairie where the antenna 
once lived.
Once you find a potentially good DX QTH, click on the yellow thumbtack 
symbol in the tool bar. You may now place a marker on the location, title 
it, and make notes about that location. Once you have saved the placemark, 
you may refer back to it by double-clicking the information that appears in 
the "places section" on the left center of the screen. To edit a placemark, 
right-click it then click "properties". I used this feature to placemark all 
of my local and semi-local station transmitter sites, for example, finding 
the coordinates from the FCC database.
The resolution of satellite photos varies. In some areas (especially very 
remote places) the resolution isn't as good as populated areas. Even so, 
Google Earth is still an excellent tool and better yet, it's free!
Does anyone have the coordinates for the famous Grayland DX site?...hi.

73. Chris

Chris Knight
Fort Lupton, Colorado
http://sites.google.com/site/2008amloggings/


_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx