PilotAware
British Forum => Technical Support => Topic started by: AerialRob on October 02, 2016, 04:10:00 pm
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During todays flight SkyDemon kept advising "The connection to your GPS has been lost"
This has occurred perhaps once or twice on previous flights but never to the extent it did today when I had to continually select "FLY" in SkyDemon then "Flarm" option.
Sometimes it established connection with GPS but on to many times it failed and SkyDemon advised :Failed to establish connection with the Butterfly connect unit".
I have been using the August issue of the PilotAware software since its release but updated the SkyDemon App yesterday to version 3.6.5.51.
The PilotAware is supplied by an onboard charge4 unit using the supplied cable.
I use an iPhone 6.
Back on the ground with the device set up in the garden ,using an Anker 20000 battery ,Im getting the same result with GPS connection lost although PilotAware advises receiving 8 satellites.
The only difference from previous quite satisfactory airborne and static use is the new SkyDemon software version.
I did get to see some traffic whilst airborne and the new text size/location identifying contacts is much clearer .
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Hi AerialRob
The message is a little confusing isnt it, the problem is unrelated to GPS, this is actually a WiFi issue. Whats is going wrong is difficult to know. I looked at some of your previous postings, and you did have similar issues a while back I think.
Seems you are doing all the right thing regarding power supply and cable
The version of SkyDemon which you loaded, do you know when that was released ?
The last possibility is a problem with the wifi dongle
Thx
Lee
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Hi Lee.
I received an automatic message on the iPhone this Saturday, after being outside the country for a week, that the SkyDemon app had an update available.
Im a little uncertain now that the same problem was occurring on the ground as I was using the phone at the same time of the early testing and this may have interferred with the operation of the SkyDemon app.
The device has been running now in the garden for the last 2 hours with the SkyDemon app running undisturbed and it has not lost GPS connection.
This mornings flight involved lots of manouvering and I was wondering if this could cause the problem .
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So just to be clear for anyone reading this thread.
The message about 'loss of GPS connection', is totally unrelated to the GPS dongle.
This message indicates that there is a wifi problem between the tablet and Pilotaware
Thx
Lee
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Have you tried moving the units further apart? I had some issues with a 2012 Nexus 7 with proximity. If you're at home, try putting them as close together as you put them in the aeroplane and try that.
Could it also be the iPhone trying to connect to other Wifis looking for an internet connection?
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I operate the system on the ground with the iPhone as close to the PilotAware device as it is in the aircraft and don't have problems with SkyDemon advising lost GPS.
During the past 6 flights SkyDemon may advise lost GPS about about two or three times each trip but today it was constantly advising lost GPS .
I had a problem with the device as supplied new when wifi connection could not be achieved.
This was resolved ,to some extent, with the replacement wifi dongle issued by yourselves.
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Hi guys,
Tim released the new version after the work he did with us at the LAA Rally. I have been using it extensively on my iPad mini over the past few days and have not experienced any unusual dropouts.
Regards
Peter
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Hi Lee
The SkyDemon app update was issued 19th September.
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Hi Rob,
Can you return the whole unit to us under warranty and we'll have a look at it and repair/replace as necessary and get it back to you.
I'll PM you the returns address.
Dave Styles.
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Hi Dave
I replied to your PM but not sure it sent successfully ?
Can you please advise if it arrived.
Thanks
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Hi Rob,
Arrived, I'll reply tomorrow,
regards
Dave.
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Hi Dave
Do you consider I should return the device for testing ?
Thanks
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Hi Rob,
I've replied to your PM, but I'll post the reply here for info.
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Hi Rob,
having read your last PM, I think you are getting some sort of shielding effect from the panel and the iPhone holder.
As you said it's fine when not in it's holder, but loses connection when you place it back in it's holder, I'm pretty sure this is the case.
When SkyDemon says it has lost GPS what it actually means is it has lost the WiFi.
Your proposed solution of moving the wifi dongle with a USB lead should get around this issue.
Didn't we replace the WiFi dongles already, so I'm pretty sure you've not been unlucky enough to get 3 bad dongles !
I think your solution will fix it, as you already know it works when the phone is not in it's holder. Moving the wifi nearer the holder should circumvent the screening.
regards
Dave.
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To be clear I had one replacement wifi dongle when the original supplied with my new device this June failed to connect to any device during the initial set up.
The replacement wifi dongle cured this problem and I have been using PilotAware since then quite successfully albeit with the occassional loss of wifi up until last weekend when wifi connection was lost repeatedly during a 1.5 hour flight.
I undertook tests today in the aeroplane on the ground with the wifi dongle plugged directly into the PilotAware device and wifi connection to SkyDemon was lost after approximately 15 mins.
I then tried the wifi dongle on a 500mm usb extension lead so that it was in direct line of site ,with 400mm separation ,of my iPhone but wifi connection to SkyDemon was again lost after approx 15minutes.
Following that I operated SkyDemon on a Samsung tablet and unfortunately lost connection to SkyDemon again.
So Im not certain what is causing this problem as these tests have ruled out a shielding issue.
I will carry out some inflight test soon but Im not convinced the problem is rectified.
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Hi Rob
Reading back through the posts, am I correct that the problem only exists in the plane ?
You mentioned in the garden it is was fine for 2 hrs
In which case how do the following differ in the two scenarios.
1. Power supply
2. Distance between devices
I am wondering if the issue is rf saturation rather than a weak/shielded signal.
If this is the case, there is an option to reduce the wifi transmit power in the web server settings
Thx
Lee
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Hi Lee
Did the default wifi power alter with the August software update ?
The problem has been more noticeable over the last few months.
Testing at home and in the plane this morning I use an Anker 21000 battery ,fully charged, with the set up as it is normally flown.
The PilotAware is positioned on a rubber mat ontop of the coaming with the iPhone on a vertical hanging bracket so it is directly within my external sight line.
I have the satellite dongle facing forward and so the wifi dongle is shielded by the PilotAware device and the wifi device is about 200mm from the rear of my iphone.
On a flight the other day when I was a passenger ,due to repeated wifi loss , I took my iPhone from its holder and flew holding it and the wifi did not drop out.
Thanks
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Hi Rob
Its sounding as if the problem is when too close, possibly overloading the RF ?
I suggest the tests would be
1 running units close together
2 running far apart 10ft
Repeat dropping the wifi power to see what effect if any.
I think you can actually run the wifi quite happily at lowest power setting
Thx
Lee
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Hi Rob,
Are you running iOS version 10 by any chance ?
I have just upgraded one of my devices to iOS 10 and noticed that the WiFi support for mode B devices seems very poor
I recommend switching to mode G, full post here
http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,672.0.html
Thx
Lee
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Hi,
Having read all of this post regarding the 'Repeated Connection to GPS Loss' has prompted me to contact you. I was experiencing the same on my last flight but now it refuses to connect in any configuration (tried all of the suggestions in the post above). On the Home page the Interface TRX (RXTX) remains red and in Skydemon (that has the latest version loaded) the 'Seeking GPS Satellites' will eventually time out with the appropriate message of '0 found'.
I have a 2.4A power pack that is connected with a good quality very short USB cable. After powering up the unit I can see Green light flashing then alternating with a Red light.
Nothing has been changed since last time I used it. This only happened when I was attempting to demonstrate it to a fellow pilot at our club (egg of face syndrome :-\)
Any ideas? This was one of the first manufactured units you supplied.
Note: After composing this message but before posting it I have removed the Wifi dongle (that was quite warm to the touch), left it for several minutes before replacing it. On start up after several minutes we are back in business but I don't know how long for! Would this be an intermittent fault with the dongle when it warms up? On my last flight of 90 minutes it lost connection 4 times!
Mike
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Hi again,
I forgot to mention in the previous post that I'm using a Nexus 7 2013 with the latest software release. The SD is the latest release as is the Pilotaware.
Mike
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"Seeking GPS satellites" isn't a Wifi issue, that's the GPS not receiving satellites. "0 found" in Sky Demon isn't a timeout, it's just a current status. It should pick them up after a period of time, possibly related to the last time it was switched on and got a satellite lock.
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Hi,
Reading my post again I see that I didn't explain what happened properly. The "The connection to your GPS has been lost" happened on my last flight (4 times) the 'Seeking GPS' message is happening now and I'm failing to get a connection between SD and PA.
I'm in the process of attempting to recreate the the issues again but am getting weird things happen. I've managed to take a short video (MP4) that shows some strange interaction between SD and PA.
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Hi Lee.
I haven't upgraded to iOS 10 yet but I will follow your advice when I do.
Thanks for that information as it may have saved an unsuccessful test flight with the lower wifi output setting .
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Pleased to report that reducing the PilotAware wifi output from 100mW to 5mW kept the connection with my iPhone 6 for a 40 minute flight today.
Thanks Lee.
I need to decide on the iOS update now.
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Thanks Lee for the guidance, I've been testing the PA for several days with the changes to the Wifi Mode you suggested and it would appear that it has fixed the issues I've been having with the connection dropping out.
As regards to the behavior of randomly change of direction (while testing Skydemon at home) I think it's down to the weak GPS signal that I have at home because I've noticed that the signal drops out very shortly after it happens.