Updating PAW Software

[dh87b]

My software version is 20160820 and I need to update it.

Firstly, I am a dunce with computers and forums, so my understanding is limited and I find the documentation difficult to follow.

I have connected to my PAW through 192.168.1.1 and told it to check for updates. It keeps telling me that there aren't any, when I know full well that there are, having been to the LAA Rally yesterday. My licence expires on 8th Sept. It's all very well being told at the Rally that the reason that PAW is cheap is because it's not a fully plug and play device, but I find it almost impossible to get fully functionality! Help please!

Thanks,
Dave

[exfirepro]

Hi Dave,

Don't put yourself down. You have managed to post on here several times and got your original unit working fine, so things aren't so bad!

The reason nothing happens when you click on 'Check for Updates' with your tablet connected to PAW WiFi is because PAW has no Internet connection. To obtain updates direct from the internet, your PAW has to be connected to a router with an Ethernet cable then powered up and left for about 20 minutes to allow it to search for and find the PAW download website. The best way to 'update' these days, however, is by using a USB memory stick to transfer an update file from the internet to your PilotAware. Fortunately you are already running PAW Version 20160820 as this is the earliest version of PilotAware which supports USB update. I will try to explain how to do it using simple steps.

First, you need a USB Memory stick - most sticks will work, but there are a couple of (slightly technical) issues to do with the spec of the USB stick, which I don't want to confuse you with here. The best advice is, if you already have a stick, just give it a try.

Next you need to download the 'Update file' from www.pilotaware.lode.co.uk onto your computer and transfer it to the 'Root' of the memory stick (i.e. Don't put it inside a folder). Also, you must NOT change it's name.

Power up your PilotAware as normal and connect to it using your tablet via 192.168.1.1.

Now insert the USB stick into your spare USB port, go to the 'Update' tab and click on 'Check for Updates'. This time after about 30 seconds or so, the new update (20170721) should appear, together with a 'live' (i.e. not 'greyed out') 'Install' button. Click this and the update should install in a few minutes and the unit will reboot automatically.

Check you are logged back onto the PAW Wifi, then go back in to 192.168.1.1 (you may have to reset this manually as PAW sometimes adds "/update.cgi' or similar to the end of the 192.168.1.1 bit).

Finally check on the Home and Configure Screens that PAW is now showing the new version.

Hope this helps. Let me know how you get on.

Re your licence renewal, you  should have got an e-mail about that. If you haven't received it, check your 'spam' box.

Regards

Peter

[dh87b]

Thanks Peter,

Kind comment, but I've never got the original unit to work properly for the year that I've tried. I got lots of pitying looks from the guy on the stand on Saturday at the Rally, as obvs I hadn't set it up right. Anyway...

After faffing around for an hour, I finally got the update loaded OK. Next snag is that when I start SkyDemon and go flying (at my desk), I keep getting 'GPS Signal Lost 0 found'. PAW is connected OK by wifi to my iPad. If I stop navigating and go flying with 'Use Location Services', I get instant results. Also, I was told that if I put both my aeroplanes into the configure boxes, I'd have the option to go flying with either one. This doesn't seem to be the case... I'm still struggling.

I have btw, got the licence renewal email thanks, but it's not looking great for renewing it!

Dave

[Keithvinning]

Dave
You say that you are trying this at your desk. This issue is most likely that your GPS is not picking up enough satellites. With a good power supply take it outside so that it can see the sky and it should be ok

[exfirepro]

Thanks Peter,

Kind comment, but I've never got the original unit to work properly for the year that I've tried. I got lots of pitying looks from the guy on the stand on Saturday at the Rally, as obvs I hadn't set it up right. Anyway...

After faffing around for an hour, I finally got the update loaded OK. Next snag is that when I start SkyDemon and go flying (at my desk), I keep getting 'GPS Signal Lost 0 found'. PAW is connected OK by wifi to my iPad. If I stop navigating and go flying with 'Use Location Services', I get instant results. Also, I was told that if I put both my aeroplanes into the configure boxes, I'd have the option to go flying with either one. This doesn't seem to be the case... I'm still struggling.

I have btw, got the licence renewal email thanks, but it's not looking great for renewing it!

Dave

OK, so you have your iPad connected to your PilotAware WiFi and the update installed. All good so far!

Let's check what PAW is telling us about the satellites. Connect to 192.168.1.1, go to the PilotAware Home Page. This should be showing PilotAware Version 20170721, with your old expiry date.

What colour is the 'light' on the left side of the 'GPS' row and what does the 'Status' entry say?

Unless it's 'seeing' at least 3 satellites (preferably 4 or more), the GPS won"t get a good fix and nothing else will start working. This is to ensure PAW doesn't randomly start broadcasting data or trying to tell you about other aircraft it is 'seeing' when it doesn't even know where it is itself. As Keith has said, finding satellites can be very difficult/ impossible indoors even with the unit placed near a window. For best results - especially for initial bootup, its best to try to run the unit outside - e.g. on a window ledge with a good clear view of the sky to the south. Leave it for a while (20-30 minutes isn't unusual first time out of the box) until you see satellites appear on the home screen and the lights start to go green.

Next issue is SkyDemon connectivity. To enable SkyDemon to process PAW data you need to setup SkyDemon/Setup (the little gear cog at the top of the screen), then go down to near the bottom of the Setup menu, where you will find 'Connectivity Options'. There are two options for PilotAware but first try the 'FLARM' option. To do this, select 'Live Data when Planning' - this lets SD connect to the internet for options when setting up new routes. Next in the 'GPS/Traffic Data' section, select 'FLARM'. You will also see right at the bottom a box called 'Air Connect Key' - probably showing 1234. Delete 1234 and replace this with 6000, then close this box. There are other SkyDemon 'PilotAware' Connectivity options but we can deal with these later.

Now go to Go Flying and select 'Use Flarm' - after a few seconds you will get a warning banner as SD makes the connection, but this should quickly change to show a plane at your location and hopefully some traffic. Don't worry if none shows, just get back to me and I will talk you through the other settings you need to check/adjust.

Don't lose heart - I appreciate all this is a bit of a 'dark art', but believe me it's well worth the effort. The end result can be life saving!

Regards

Peter

[EricC]

Hi Dave.

Screen shot of home page when all operating correctly.

[exfirepro]

Thanks Eric,

I was away over the weekend childminding and didn't have access to an operational PAW, so trying to talk Dave through what he needs to do in easy bite size steps, without adding the complication of expecting him to 'post' screenshots, but yours lets him see what to expect and compare.

Best Regards

Peter

[dh87b]

Thanks for the support.

I flew to Spain last week, so have been slow to respond, being a competitor in the World Air Nav Racing Championships at LECN. I updated the software ok, but still no joy. I get between 4 and 6 satellites and a GPS green. However the ADS-B is red, with 'Connected Msgs=0(+0)'. I still don't see any aircraft squawks, even though I've selected 50,000ft and 'long range'. I haven't changed anything else since my setup was sorted for me at you PAW stand at the Rally.
There's a red light on permanently; another flashes red once, followed by a green three times. Perhaps this means something...
It would be really nice to have a working PAW before my trip home through Spain and France  the day after tomorrow....
Regards,
Dave

[Ian Melville]

Dave, is there a Realtek device listed in the USB ports at the bottom of the table on your index page? In Eric's example above it is third from the bottom, yours may not be as it depends on which USB port you have it plugged into. A copy of the index and config page screenshots would be helpful. Are you able to attach them to this forum thread?

I could be either the ADSB dongle is faulty or the antenna is not connected through internal damage to the cable.

[Admin]

Hi Dave

The permanent red led is indicating power, it is not flickering, which is good, that would indicate poor power

The 3 green, 1 red are reflected on the home page indicating
3 good interfaces, 1 faulty

Clearly the faulty interface is the adsb, as you have reported

As Ian says, either the dongle or antenna is likely damaged, I presume this is less than a year old, as it is still licensed, in which case if this is a Pilotaware classic it is still under warranty

Thx
Lee

[dh87b]

Ian/Lee, thanks.
The unit is just over a year old, as reflected in my licence date. It has however, ceased to function at all for months, which is why I have been so dissatisfied. Perhaps Lee, you could direct me as to how to  problem (and please keep it simple;-)
Regards,
Dave

[Ian Melville]

Dave, do you know how to do screenshots? Picture is a thousand words to Lee and I.

[exfirepro]

....And me, but I was trying to take things one small step at a time in view of Dave's comments in his OP re his level of computer and Forum knowledge. Hence my detailed, step by step guidance above.

Dave,

To take a screenshot on your iPad you go to the relevant screen (such as the PAW Homescreen) then press the On/off button and Home Button at the same time. This will take a screenshot and save it as a 'photo' in your 'Photos' folder. Next prepare your Forum post as normal then click 'Attachments and other options' just below the text box, click the 'Choose File' button, select 'Photo Library' then navigate to the photo you took (probably in Screenshops then named by date and time). Double click to attach it to the Forum post, then post as normal. Best to try just one screenshot with each post as they can be quite big. Give it a try with the Homescreen and see how you get on.

Regards

Peter

[dh87b]

Here we go:

[exfirepro]

Hi Dave,

Great stuff! The 'Realtek' entry shows that your RTLSDR (the 1090MHz receiver dongle) is being seen by the Raspberry Pi and PilotAware. That doesn't of course automatically mean it is working properly, or that there isn't an antenna fault. The GPS is also getting a fix, though only with 3 satellites - presumably due to the relatively short time it had been running when you took the screenshot (Uptime = 00:05 mins).

Presumably you still aren't getting anything showing on the 'Traffic' page - is this correct?  If there is anything, a screen grab would be useful.

The other useful option would be a screenshot of the 'Logging' page.

A screenshot of the 'Configure' page would also be useful.

Note; the forum might not let you attach more than 1 attachment at a time depending on the 'file size' of each picture, so you may need to do them as separate posts.

Another thing you could try is to disconnect the 1090MHz antenna cable from the RTLSDR dongle and try replacing it with a length of thin wire, if you can manage to carefully push a strand of the wire into the centre of the connector - this won't be great, but as this dongle is 'receive only' the length of the antenna isn't critical and it might show up any high power commercial aircraft in your vicinity on the 'Traffic' Screen, which would establish that the fault is with the antenna rather than the dongle. Worth a try.

Let us know how you get on.

Regards

Peter