You’ve been filing reports with NUFORC for years. Your observations, coordinates, weather data, all stored on someone else’s database. Then one day the site goes down for ‘maintenance’ and your 200 reports are… gone?

Here’s what serious researchers learn the hard way: Always control your own data.

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Why Build Your Own Database

Relying on third-party databases means:

• No data control: Site owner can delete, modify, or lose your reports
• No backup guarantee: If NUFORC goes offline, your data disappears
• Limited analysis tools: You can’t run custom queries on their database
• Privacy concerns: Your contact info, locations, patterns all visible to site owners
• No ownership: Your research builds their database, not yours

Professional researchers maintain personal databases. Always.

What You Need

Web hosting: Contabo VPS (Virtual Private Server)

Why Contabo for UAP research:

• Cheap: $5-10/month for powerful server
• Full control: Install whatever database software you want
• Privacy: European hosting = strong data protection laws
• Storage: Terabytes available for photos/videos
• Uptime: Professional infrastructure, always accessible

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Database Structure for UAP Research

Minimum viable database fields:

• Date/time (UTC timestamp)
• Location (GPS coordinates)
• Weather conditions
• Sky conditions (cloud cover, visibility)
• Object description
• Movement pattern
• Duration
• Witness count
• Photo/video links
• Verification status (ruled out satellites, aircraft, etc.)

Advanced fields:

• Flight tracker data (confirmed no aircraft nearby)
• Satellite tracker data (confirmed not Starlink/ISS)
• Weather radar data
• Military activity in area
• Correlation with other reports

The Power of Personal Data Analysis

Once you control your data, you can run queries impossible on public databases:

Example queries:

• All sightings within 50 miles of Edwards AFB during military exercises
• Correlation between moon phase and sighting frequency
• Time-of-day patterns for specific regions
• Weather condition analysis (clear vs. cloudy sighting rates)
• Multi-witness verification rates by location

This level of analysis reveals patterns invisible in public databases.

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Setup Process

Step 1: Get Contabo VPS ($6/month plan sufficient for most researchers)

Step 2: Install database software (MySQL or PostgreSQL)

Step 3: Design your schema (fields listed above)

Step 4: Build web interface (simple PHP form or use existing tools like Airtable interface)

Step 5: Start logging observations

Time investment: 4-8 hours initial setup. Then 5 minutes per report.

Privacy Benefits

Your own server means:

• Only you have access to raw data
• No third parties see your observation patterns
• No risk of account suspension/deletion
• Full control over data sharing

You can still submit to NUFORC/MUFON, but your master copy stays under your control.

The Collaboration Angle

Once you have your own database:

• Invite trusted researchers to contribute
• Create private sharing links for specific datasets
• Run joint analysis projects
• Build credibility through data transparency

Professional research requires professional data management.

Contabo

Cost Analysis

• Contabo VPS: $6-10/month
• Domain name: $12/year
• Total: ~$80/year for complete data ownership

Compare that to relying on free services that could disappear anytime.

Final Thoughts

Government disclosure means more civilian research. That means more data. Serious researchers control their own data.

$6/month for a VPS = professional research infrastructure. Build your database. Own your data.

Current activity: UAP Intelligence Feed

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• Why UAP Researchers Need a VPN (And Which One Actually Works)
• How to Upload and Store UAP Footage Without Losing It

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Secure your research infrastructure: Use encrypted VPN protection for sensitive research databases.