Dated: 10/4/19

Abstract
Getting unsolicited reports of UAP from local law enforcement (police, sheriff, state police) or a pilot in the region during a MADAR event would be compelling evidence. Having a recording to back this up would be of extremely high scientific value.  Although this plan is not required of MADAR Ops, it is highly recommended to those who have scanners and wish to go the extra mile. The ultimate plan would be to have a good antenna connected to two scanners which run 24/7 and with the audio output connected to a cassette recorder that is activated by MADAR.

A simple folded dipole is better than an extendable antenna and can be mounted on a wall or even n an attic or outside on a pole. The higher the antenna, better. In the case of the system used at MADAR HQ where there is no other way, the dipole is mounted on the wall, but works very well. You can buy a scanner antenna or build your own dipole. You then put a splitter on the end of the coax and run the two wires with antenna plugs into each scanner. The scanners, rather than having outputs running day in day out with lots of radio transmissions jabber in the home or office are silent with their outputs running into a dual channel cassette recorder.   

The record buttons on the cassette recorder is depressed so that when the recorder is activated by MADAR it begins recording and shuts down when the event is over. MADAR has a three minute delay on shutoff so that the alert data is 180 seconds longer than the actual alert.

An Adafruit device can turn off one circuit while activating two others, so when MADAR is activated and the blue LED comes on, the Adafruit turns on the cassette recorder.

After an anomaly the tape is replaced with a new one and you should have several tapes cued up and ready and numbered so as not to get them confused. You play the tape and listen for transmissions. You can tell when the alert is over by a notable "click", but when the tape is reused you need to make sure it is rewound. Tapes should be 30 minutes or less since events don't usually last very long and you don't want to have to listen very long.

Using Audacity to listen to the tapes is really awesome and valuable. Not only do you record the data so the tape can be reused but you can see periods of breaks in transmissions so that you don't have to listen and can skip ahead.  But believe me, if you hear a pilot report something he's concerned about while talking to another aircraft or the Air Route Traffic Control at his control center, this will be valuable data and provide a high rating to the correlated event.