Warning FALSE telemetry signals out there

[Hawkmom]

Yesterday when looking for my barbary, got a signal at a local shopping center. Definately a telemetry signal. After struggling to find the source, for over an hour. Found it to be something to do with a security system or electric meter reader at the Advance Auto parts store. It was next to the dumpster, so I had the manager open the dumpster are to see if the bird was there, nothing. But this means there are false signals. Years ago I followed one to a house and the house security system.

Beware and be mindful of this possibility.

[Greg]

Five or six years ago I was tracking a falcon in CA and the signal kept taking me back to the RV I was staying in! The signal was generated by the TV set! It really did sound just like the telemetry signal I was trying to follow!

[Yeomanfalconer]

Five or six years ago I was tracking a falcon in CA and the signal kept taking me back to the RV I was staying in! The signal was generated by the TV set! It really did sound just like the telemetry signal I was trying to follow!
I have experienced wonderful new reception with 218, which my friends at Merlin suggested and made possible. 216 has been plagued with interference
around this area for some time. Everything from the local Doplar radar,military activity, to my car's engine had affected 216. Its like magic. Lucky I have not needed it yet this year.

[Ross]

A friend of mine lost a falcon. When turning on the receiver he picked up a very weak signal in a different direction to where he thought the bird was. He tracked the signal 15 miles to find a yard full of coon dogs at least one of which was wearing a tracking collar.

[forestfalcon]

I lost my kestrel a few years ago. Searched for days and days, kept getting a weak signal that would lead me to some kind of natural gas generator (I really have no idea what it was... looked like an outhouse with an old school TV antenna on the top...)

[canadamanada]

Yesterday when looking for my barbary, got a signal at a local shopping center. Definately a telemetry signal. After struggling to find the source, for over an hour. Found it to be something to do with a security system or electric meter reader at the Advance Auto parts store. It was next to the dumpster, so I had the manager open the dumpster are to see if the bird was there, nothing. But this means there are false signals. Years ago I followed one to a house and the house security system.

Beware and be mindful of this possibility.

If you listen to your transmitter enough so you know intimately its "pulse", you should never end up tracking a security beacon, etc.
Our transmitters all beep away at a consistent rate, specified by the manufacturers. Charge and discharge of capacitors are quite consistent. Once you know what yours does, even another TX on the same channel won't fool you.
You can count the pulses to get your rate as would a nurse, our just check the manual. Remember to get the regular rate and Apollo 13 rates for your Marshalls.

I hope this helps.

[canadamanada]

I have experienced wonderful new reception with 218, which my friends at Merlin suggested and made possible. 216 has been plagued with interference
around this area for some time. Everything from the local Doplar radar,military activity, to my car's engine had affected 216. Its like magic. Lucky I have not needed it yet this year.

That's good advice that I have been giving to my UK customers for the past few years. Over there, 217 seems exceptionally clear with 218, 219mhz also being quite good.

[Hawkmom]

Did a plane search yesterday, did a ground search this morning prior to 6:00 until 8:00. Nothing. Then an afternoon search from 3 until dusk. Got a signal on the gravel part Prevost Road, near the Camp Living Waters area. Followed it on foot and by truck to the source. It was a pack of hunting dogs in a pen. Well, that is frustrating, to know that the hunting dogs are issued the SAME frequency as FALCONERS!!!!! There is a large community in Louisiana of hunters who use dogs for deer (just to make them move, not chase), small game and wild pigs. I've contacted a couple of hunters I know in the area to see if they could turn get the houndsmen to turn off their dog transmitter collars and turn on their receivers to find my bird. My thanks to Robert, Jane and Harry who helped me with the searches this evening.

[canadamanada]

Did a plane search yesterday, did a ground search this morning prior to 6:00 until 8:00. Nothing. Then an afternoon search from 3 until dusk. Got a signal on the gravel part Prevost Road, near the Camp Living Waters area. Followed it on foot and by truck to the source. It was a pack of hunting dogs in a pen. Well, that is frustrating, to know that the hunting dogs are issued the SAME frequency as FALCONERS!!!!! There is a large community in Louisiana of hunters who use dogs for deer (just to make them move, not chase), small game and wild pigs. I've contacted a couple of hunters I know in the area to see if they could turn get the houndsmen to turn off their dog transmitter collars and turn on their receivers to find my bird. My thanks to Robert, Jane and Harry who helped me with the searches this evening.

What transmitter are you using, and for how many hours had it been running now?

[Hawkmom]

He is wearing an LF-2 with the 1/3 N battery.

Leg mount on left leg. Antenna is cut to 1/2 length to prevent entanglement (had that happen with his brother in tall grass one year).

[canadamanada]

He is wearing an LF-2 with the 1/3 N battery.

Leg mount on left leg. Antenna is cut to 1/2 length to prevent entanglement (had that happen with his brother in tall grass one year).

Ok. I don't have ppm specs for Luksander transmsitters but if you call Louis at 1-800-LL-ELECT, I'm sure he would tell you right away what you should be listening for.
The LF-2 is listed as having a 7 mile range, and you've cut that down by half or more by trimming the antenna.

Fingers crossed for you. Good luck.

[Greg]

I have experienced wonderful new reception with 218, which my friends at Merlin suggested and made possible. 216 has been plagued with interference
around this area for some time. Everything from the local Doplar radar,military activity, to my car's engine had affected 216. Its like magic. Lucky I have not needed it yet this year.


I use two transmitters on my birds, a powermax on 218 and a scout on 216 I generally track the Powermax. If for some reason I failed to track my bird then the scout will send out a signal for much longer and can be picked up by all the people in the UK who use 216Mhz! Even though it is not the prescribed frequency half the falconers I know use it! I can also bring my telemetry to the US and use it!

[citabria]

Not to be a downer but I would like to share an intense tracking experience I had last year.

About this time last year I was kite training a young hybrid. During the training session the he drifted downwind, likely due to its inexperience with strong wind. I figured he was chasing barn pigeons in the area and cranked down the kite then pulled out the receiver. I got a strong signal in that general direction so I trucked over that direction. When I got out I had no signal. I continued to search till dark figuring he had killed something and was eating on the ground.

I was back in the area at sunup and still no signal. Went back home, wrangled a pilot buddy and went up. We got a decent signal over a large wildlife area so we went back home and I drove up there to track on foot. No signal. We repeated this a second time with the same results over another grove. Now, it is three days later, Saturday, and I can enlist my husband to help. We drive back up to the area and keep getting a weak non directional signal. We go to the hardware store and get a 10ft piece of copper pipe to attach the reciever to to get a better signal - still a weak non directional signal.

Go back home suit up the plane AGAIN for the third time. This time my husband goes up with my pilot friend, a GPS and a receiver. I stay on the ground with the truck and another receiver. We communicate with text messaging. He is able to pinpoint the signal to third wildlife area. My friend lands the plane on the road paralleling the wildlife area. My husband and I get out and track on foot from different sides. We finally get a signal but it is moving! I actually get excited figuring he might still be alive but when we get over the hill the signal points to a group of hunters. We go over to them and they had found his body while out hunting.

Looking at his body, now completely frozen, it was obvious he was shot in flight and landed on his back. He was wearing a powermax on a backpack and had landed in a bit of a draw. I was impressed we were able to recover him after 3 nights/4 days out in subzero temps. In the end I was happy for the closure.

[Hawkmom]

Well, the signal I thought was a dog WAS my falcon instead. A friend of mine who is a backwoods guy an a lifetime resident borrowed a friends receiver and found my birds, anklets, jesses and bells (with ID tags attached). No body of the bird. The anklets were intact, which means that the bird was killed (likely shot) then the legs cut off and the equipment removed. We went back to the area again today with camera in hand for photos of the recovery site. My friend walked back in the woods, behind the hunting dog pens and (trailer) house. He walked right up to the spot at the base of the tree and they also found his seamless band, with the secondary small ID tag on it. I was told that the locals collect turkey feet and was likely collecting my bird's feet as a trophy. We took photos of the site, orientation photos of the house, barn, etc. The authorities have been contacted and I hope that something will be done to investigate this. What a sad ending to a brilliant bird, one if not the best falcon I ever flew. He had quite a following with our audiences over his 13 year career as an educational bird. It was a very difficult day to to programs for the school kids today.

[citabria]

Kitty, I am sorry to hear this is the outcome. In the after effect of my incident I found out from our state wildlife agency (DNR) that I should have also contact local police/sheriff and file a report as a loss of property. Our DNR said the the police etc have more resources to investigate these incidents. Not sure if it is the same in your state but thought I would let you know.

[forestfalcon]

So sorry Kitty. I am continuously saddened by these types of "people." It is obvious this bird belonged to someone, but not only that, it was not legal quarry. I hope that whoever did this is caught.
Again, my condolences.

[DirtHawker]

Kitty,
I am so sorry for your loss, I could see how you felt about your birds, a tragic loss and I hope the @*($heads get found and prosecuted to the fullest extend allowable.
Sue