I just purchased an assembled DDF-1, and I'm having a little problem in understanding it.
If someone has this unit, perhaps you can tell me if I have a product issue, or I'm not setting it up correctly.
1). Is the DDF-1 intended for you to sit in one location, or for mobile operation? The manual seems to indicate mobile, which has me concerned because of question 2.
2). As I drive north, on a county road with farm fields on both sides, I calibrate the LEDs so they face to the north. In line with this road I can see a tower owned by a TV station that has a base on 450.2125. As I make a right turn (east), the LEDs start to rotate counter clockwise then as I conclude the turn and going east, the LEDs snap around showing the transmitter in the opposite direction, (south).
I notice that it seems that when I drive north and south the polarity needs to be normal, while east to west it has to be invert.
If I drive west, so the tower is to the right of me, I can calibrate the LEDs for 90-degrees heading, with the switch in either Normal or Invert mode. When I make a turn the LEDs start to rotate in the correct pattern, then snap around to the opposite direction from the tower.
As far as antenna placement, when the truck is pointed north, the #1 antenna is to the front, #2 is over the driver, #3 is over the back seat center, and #4 is over the front passenger. Antennas are collapsed for 440 MHz operation, and extended out the cable length from the center, which is approximately 12"
I'm got to try this afternoon to mount the antenna so they are more like front/left, back/left, back/right, and front/right. But I don't see how that may make any difference.
3). If I can get this to work, has anyone modified the array so the antennas are mounted to sort of a plate that can be attached to the roof of the truck, and instead of using the little telescopic antennas, install BNC connectors. Since my truck is a dark color, if I come up with some sort of plate that could be attached to the truck, and antennas on BNCs, I could use stubby-duck antennas and be less conspicuous.
This is my first venture into DFing using this gear, so I'm eager to get some good information.