Setting up - can't connect to wifi

[stillstanding]

Just received my Classic today.

For set-up and test purposes I'm powering using an iPad 10W charger plus the PAW cable. Unit powers up fine, steady red power light, alternate flashing red/green lights above.

Using my iPad Mini 3 (running iOS 10.1.1) I intermittently see the PAW SSID. When I try and connect after a brief attempt I get the error message "Unable to join the network PilotAware-xxxxxxx".

I've also tried connecting with an iPhone 6 running iOS 10.1.1, and a MacBook Pro running OS 10.12.1 with the same result.

I've tried powering the PAW off and on, disconnected and reconnected all of the USB dongles, restarted the iPad, tried a second iPad charger....

Any ideas please?

Thanks,

Mike

[stillstanding]

Just tried it in the car using a cigar lighter adapter (admittedly a cheapo).

Got the SSID and managed to connect with my iPad. But by the time I had tried to get to the config page connection was lost, and never to return.

Is this a voltage thing?

[Admin]

My initial reaction is, yes a voltage thing
But a 10w apple charger should be fine

Sounds like a return, or Dave may ship a replacement wifi dongle

Thx
Lee

[stillstanding]

Tried disconnecting the other USB bits that get hot. Managed to get the iPad to hook up to the PAW and even got to the config page before losing the connection.

Reading more past posts it looks like several of these WiFi dongles have been faulty and everything has been fine after replacement.

[exfirepro]

Hi Mike,

Whilst we have had a few faulty WiFi dongles recently, this has certainly not been a major problem. In the early days we had a far higher percentage of failures due to power supplies being unable to keep up with the PAW. This was often due to a poor quality power lead, rather than the power supply itself, which is why the recommended power lead is now supplied in the 'kit'. All items in the kit are pre-assembled and tested before dispatch, so failures are a rarity. If you are still having problems, drop a line to Dave at  support@pilotaware.com . He will be able to sort you out a replacement WiFi dongle or arrange return of the unit for further testing as appropriate.

Regards

Peter

[stillstanding]

Tried a THIRD Apple USB 10W PS in the office this morning and everything works fine. Obviously the PS is critical for PAW to function.

Thanks to everyone for their help.

Mike

[Admin]

Hi Mike

This seems odd to me, I would be surprised two different 10W power supplies give different results.
Can I ask you to give this a 'soak test' with this power supply.
ie, leave it running for 24 hours if possible

[stillstanding]

Will do.

[Ian Melville]

What is this 10w Apple USB PS?

[stillstanding]

If you buy an iPad it comes with a pretty white PS you plug into a socket, and then your lead to iPad, phone or whatever plugs into the USB socket in it.

There are some older low power ones around, but the 3 I own are rated 5V 10W so I foolishly expected them to power the PAW. 2 did, one didn't.

[JCurtis]

Some of the OEM adapters will current limit until they sense a device being attached, as the Raspberry Pi doesn't have anything on the input to trigger that, some supplies may seem OK but in fact will not supply more than around 500ma.  Enough to boot the Pi but not enough to make PAW work given the load and additional USB devices attached.

In USB spec terms the Pi is seen as a 'power thief' as it draws power without identifying itself to the charger.  Bottom line is what it says on the label may is one thing, what it actually does can be totally different.

[Ian Melville]

What Apple supply is a charger for your iThingy, not a power supply. Jeremy knows far more about these things that I ever will, but would not trust a charger to power a Pi.

[stillstanding]

Ian, agreed it's a charger, but it was all I had to hand to get it up and running. How does everyone else run it at home for set up and testing???

I'm also wondering if I'm dreaming or not. I brought the set up that was working Ok all day in my office 2 miles to my home and I'm back to square one! I must live in an area that draws all of the energy away or something.

Tomorrow I will go to the airfield, drag my aircraft out of the hangar and hope I can get it to work.

[Keithvinning]

What will you be using to power it in the aircraft

[stillstanding]

A good quality cigar lighter converter to USB thing, but if that doesn't work then I'll order an Anker Power Drive 2.

And if that doesn't work then I'll add an Anker Powercore to my Xmas list!