web500sjc From United States of America, joined Sep 2009, 588 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 1579 times:
I flew into DFW the other day, while there I noticed the VOR/ cowboy hat looking thing in the middle of the airport.
Does any one know why it was built like that? Or what the point of it is?
Also while there on Thursday afternoon I noticed 4 AA 772 and the AA 77W sitting around at the various hangers, anyone know why there were so many sitting around?
PHLapproach From Philippines, joined Mar 2004, 1181 posts, RR: 22 Reply 1, posted (4 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 1516 times:
It's a Doppler style VOR. Which tend to be much larger than a conventional. Now why they elevated it so high... Possibly for aesthetics cause it's at the entrance of the airport, in public eye and it's TEXAS! Everything is big in TEXAS! Right?!? But more than likely it's so high so that the vehicular traffic doesn't interfere with the signal.
rfields5421 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 6150 posts, RR: 25 Reply 2, posted (4 months 2 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1371 times:
The Cowboy VOR (CVE) located just west of IH-35E between Joe Field and Merrell Roads - also has a 200 ft wide flat dish and is elevated about the same height as the Maverick VOR.
The HUB VOR (Hobby) at KHOU also has a 200 ft wide flat dish and is elevated - located atop the parking garage.
AirNav list those as H-VORW/DME
Some notes from the Wikipedia article on VORs.
Re the height
Quote: Note that Doppler VOR beacons utilise an elevated groundplane that is used to elevate the effective antenna pattern
That is why they are so high and the big 200 ft wide flat antenna structure is the elevated groundplane.
and
Quote: Doppler VOR beacons are inherently more accurate than Conventional VORs because they are more immune to reflections from hills and buildings.
FredT From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2002, 2184 posts, RR: 26 Reply 4, posted (4 months 2 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1277 times:
I think PHLapproach called it right. They were worried, and rightly so, about the traffic on the parkway interfering with the signal. Even for a normal doppler VOR, the cleared area around the facility has to be of a significant size. You can have obstructions, and most of the time it will be OK, but it's hard to predict beforehand just which obstructions can be safely tolerated. A couple of freight containers in the vicinity can muck up the signal. Now, imagine a traffic jam on the parkway full or trailers loaded with who knows what?
Also aesthetics, obviously.
Check this place out in Google Earth, while you're at it: 35° 23.353' N 97° 37.458' W.
Cheers,
/Fred
I thought I was doing good trying to avoid those airport hotels... and look at me now.
Goldenshield From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 5440 posts, RR: 12 Reply 5, posted (4 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1107 times:
Quoting FredT (Reply 4): Check this place out in Google Earth, while you're at it: 35° 23.353' N 97° 37.458' W.
Would you actually believe that that is actually just a bunch of classrooms?
Doppler VORs are gaining in number, but you'd be surprised at just how many important VORs are still on the old non-doppler, such as Wasatch (TCH), and Daggett (DAG). Heck, there's even new installations using the old equipment that the dopplers replaced (such as the Low VOR (St. George - UTI) at the new St. George municipal airport, which was installed about 2 years ago.
Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
Aaron747 From Japan, joined Aug 2003, 7635 posts, RR: 28 Reply 8, posted (4 months 2 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 1055 times:
Quoting rfields5421 (Reply 6): The more interesting structure is just about a half mile east, and a little to the north - with two jetways.
Wow, now that is really something. This is why I love you guys and this forum.
Quite the coincidence as well - I just found a bunch of placenames on that very same map of the OKC area from the Elmore Leonard novel I'm currently reading.
If you need someone to blame / throw a rock in the air / you'll hit someone guilty
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