FAILED TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION WITH BUTTERFLY CONNECT UNIT.

[Paul_Sengupta]

So am I to understand that the Beta testing unit I have is about as useful as an Ashtray on a motorbike now?

It still receives ADS-B, and you can still use it as the basis of a full unit if you want.

I can see Airline traffic on it but I am guessing my PAW unit doesn't show up on their monitor? Just as well I have MODE 'C' or MODE 'S' in the aircraft I fly 

Airliners won't see you anyway with the P3i, that's just a PAW to PAW communication. The TCAS will see Mode C or S transponders.

If I buy a bridge, which comes with a license & add it to my old Pi & hardware what are the functions that I won't get?

You won't get voice alerts (if you have a suitable input and cable for this) and you won't get non-ADS-B Mode S alerts. In the future there may be Mode C alerts but they're not there yet.

If I opt to buy a complete unit, which comes fully tested and licensed, with Bridge, all hardware, and based on a Pi2 what is the price to buy ?

http://pilotawarehardware.com/product-category/pilotaware-hardware/

£84.99 + VAT for a bridge and licence.
£159.99 + VAT for a complete unit.

Or you could buy a Pi2 yourself and a Bridge and create a full unit yourself.

With me knowing that Electronics is a Black Art I am not even contemplating creating a full unit myself

It's plugging one board in, and putting the USB dongles in and connecting the aerials up. That's all. Maybe drilling a new hole in the case. Since you have all the other bits, you can just buy a Pi 2 for £30 inc VAT plus the bridge. Did you say you had the GPS dongle or not? It's a white USB dongle.

https://cpc.farnell.com/raspberry-pi/raspberrypi-2-modb-1gb/sbc-raspberry-pi-2-model-b-1gb/dp/SC13794?COM=superwidget-link_RaspberryPi2%20CMPNULL

The hard bit is doing the software and the licence and you already know how to do those. But if you have someone near you who knows what to do, even better.

if folk like yourself couldn't get it right in the Beta Testing stage I have no chance of getting it right at any time of my life.

You're not designing anything from scratch, you're just plugging ready built bits together.

whether I can justify spending money on something that I neither understand the gubbins of or whether I have that much faith in being the Final unit...... I am guessing that these units could be akin to mobile phones where the latest model of PAW is currently the 'i-phone' but by the time Fly UK 2017 comes around the latest version would be the 'i-phone 7'

Only in terms of software updates, and any add-ons there may be in the future - the basic unit is now the basic unit. We can talk you through any software updates and so on in the future.

[Ian Melville]

FERRYAIR, would the builder of your unit be willing to assist you with the upgrade or set up of a new unit? If not there may be someone else close to you.

[FERRYAIR]

Thank you Paul for answering my message so succinctly ( it is much appreciated ).
In current format I am using the GPS in my Samsung Tab in conjunction with the Pilotaware Android app,I have the Skydemon running from the Samsung Tab GPS also.
If the P3i doesn't give coverage for the Airliners to know where I am, it then seems pointless for me to have a PAW unit running when I have Mode 'S' or Mode 'C' running at the same time..... The Airliners are seeing my Transponder signature, unless I am mistaken I am seeing the Airliners on my current PAW unit so I am aware of their relative position to me, though it isn't usually an issue as they are above my cruising levels.
Now the question I have to ask myself is: " Do I want to invest £101.99 in buying a New Bridge & License for a unit that I am not 100% sure will do anything worthwhile if I won't get voice alerts (if I have a suitable input and cable for this) and I won't get non-ADS-B Mode S alerts. If in the future there may be Mode C alerts but they're not there yet is exactly what I mean by the future updates.
or:
Do I want to invest £191.99 in what is currently described as a FULL UNIT ( that I presume does Voice alerting & receives non-ADS-B Mode S traffic? ).
At this time I think I will hold off on replacing the unit I have seeing as I have unknowingly missed out on the Incentive Scheme & I don't think it bodes well to be one of the beta testers & then be expected to pay 'top whack' for a new unit.

I am inclined to wait until close to the end of the current license before contemplating replacing the unit, if the ARF in my current unit is good enough for the Airware unit ( Paramotor version ) I am likely to get an Airware unit built up as I quite like the look of their product.

The only concern I really have is that with the Paramotor boys having their version will seemingly only see those on their system, the PAW boys will only be seeing the PAW users & the ADSB/non-ADS-B Mode S alerts, the Glider boys will be only seeing their Flarm users on their systems.
So it actually looks like our skies are fragmented with different users on different systems & not everyone is visible to each other !!

I will keep my unit 'as is' because it really is just a gimmick imho.   

[FERRYAIR]

FERRYAIR, would the builder of your unit be willing to assist you with the upgrade or set up of a new unit? If not there may be someone else close to you.

Ian,
Thank you for your message...... I haven't asked the builder of my unit if he would be willing to assist me with the upgrade or to set up a new unit for me.
I am up in Scotland where PAW hasn't really taken off ( excuse the pun ) so it is probably not worthwhile to update my current unit until the R&D has been fully tested & the Scottish Aviation fraternity is onboard with the PAW units.

Looks like I will have to put the unit back into hibernation soon.

[Paul_Sengupta]

The PAW isn't really for avoiding airliners (and definitely not for airliners avoiding you!), it's more of a GA vs. GA tool. For that you'll need the bridge so that you can see others and that they can see you. At the moment you'll only see a small subset of GA aircraft which have ADS-B.

Regarding the possibility of a Mode C "update", this is purely a software thing, and you don't pay extra for software upgrades, if you're licenced, your licenced.

R&D has been fully tested, I'm not sure where you get the idea that it hasn't. It's now a continuous improvement project as it is with all software. There are several PAW users in Scotland on this very forum.

As for different systems, there have been hundreds of PAWs sold compared with a handful of those paraglider things and thousands of FLARM units. Unfortunately PowerFLARM has become prohibitively expensive and they don't allow cooperation with other systems. Within GA, it looks like the PAW will become the defacto standard.

I believe there may be an inkling of a plan to eventually create a paraglider version so it might replace that other system.

[Ian Melville]

I don't think it bodes well to be one of the beta testers & then be expected to pay 'top whack' for a new unit.

By your own omission you are not a technical person.
You brought a unit from someone else, rather than build your own
You have not followed the forums updates, nor registered you email for news.
You tried the unit briefly then 'banished the unit to the darkest corner of my Avionics cupboard'

Sorry, how does that make you a Beta Tester?

There are several people bending over backwards to help you get up an running with the release version, yet you a seeking every opportunity to diss the PilotAware Project. You cannot even be bothered to ask the person, who took the time and trouble to build  original unit, in good faith.

Looks like I will have to put the unit back into hibernation soon.

Your decision

[Admin]

I will keep my unit 'as is' because it really is just a gimmick imho

Oh come on really ?
How good is this, Mode-S, ADSB and P3I in one hit!

http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,432.msg6445.html#msg6445