Hi All,
I'm just back from a week out in the Western Isles with the family (by boat unfortunately not plane), so just getting back to grips with the forum. Apologies therefore if I am repeating details already covered.
Before going away, I did several fairly substantive tests with my FlarmMouse equipped PAW against local flarm-equipped gliders/tow planes and also my CFI's PowerFlarm equipped flexwing. The tests provided positive 'on screen' (SD) moving flarm contacts though only from fairly close range (< 2Km) despite setting my FlarmMouse to display from maximum range. By deliberately flying extremely close to each other, the contacts with the CFI's aircraft also provided collision alarms on both our Flarm LED displays, so I can confirm that the PAW/FlarmMouse setup definitely works. I have no personal experience of the LX Flarm 'Red Box', but to be sold as 'Flarm' or 'Flarm Compatible' it has to use the standard Flarm pinout setup and data protocols, so has to supply exactly the same data as my (LX) FlarmMouse.
I must admit to falling into the trap at my first attempt to attach an RJ12 plug to the end of my Farnell USB/RS232 lead, of inadvertently connecting Flarm Tx to PAW Tx. The cables must be connected Flarm Tx to PAW Rx as you describe above Alan. You can also connect the Paw Tx wire (orange in the Farnell cable) to the Flarm Rx 'pin 2' in the RJ12 if you want to as this might be used later, but this is not required at this stage.
Remember to setup the correct PAW USB port to 'Flarm In and 19,200 Baud'. (If in doubt as to which port is which, they are as follows:
Port 1 Top left USB port (with the Ethernet port to the left).
Port 2 Bottom left USB port (with the Ethernet port to the left).
Port 3 Top right USB port (with the Ethernet port to the left).
Port 4 Bottom right USB port (with the Ethernet port to the left).
You must also configure your Flarm unit to provide either 'Flarm Only' Messages (if still using your PAW GPS) or to provide 'Navigation and Flarm' Messages if you want (or need) your Flarm unit to provide the GPS data to PAW.
Before testing, you should note that although the system worked pretty much as expected, I did find an anomaly relating to Flarm targets displaying the incorrect altitude and I also had an audio alert problem. I passed these on to Lee for investigation but haven't heard whether he has managed to sort these out yet.
Regards
Peter