Messages

31

General Discussion / Re: Transmit location over GSM?

« on: May 15, 2019, 10:26:51 pm »

Hi Vic and Paul,

It’s likely that virtually all recreational pilots take their mobile phones with them whilst flying. Should we be switching them to Flight Mode to avoid transmissions “swamping” multiple cells due to increased height when airborne? What are the recommendations because I’m not aware that anything has been publicised. I thought that Flight Mode in phones was provided to avoid interference to flight instruments and aircraft systems, mainly in CAT.

Thx,

Chris

32

General Discussion / Re: Transmit location over GSM?

« on: May 10, 2019, 09:29:46 pm »

EasyVFR Nav Program has used the 3G/4G network whilst airborne, for the last couple of years, for their flight tracking feature called “Virtual Radar”.

To quote their explanation of the feature; “ When you enable flight tracking your friends and family can monitor the progress of your flight via virtualradar.pocketfms.com
Simply pass them the flight ID that you created. As soon as flight mode is enabled and you start to move, the tracking will start. EVFR uses the mobile data 3G/4G capabilities of your device to send small packets of position reports every few seconds.”

I used this feature on the LAA 70th anniversary round Britain tour and it works very well showing your track virtually real-time on the map.

33

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: OGN-R Upgrade for for PilotAware Mode-S/3D

« on: April 30, 2019, 11:20:05 pm »

Hi Vic,

I had the same problem with the eprom serial number part of the config, one of the SDR dongles reporting as 0ba0. I haven’t been able to resolve it. Are you able to provide a detailed description of how you implemented your hack that I might be able to follow? (see my posting OGN-R with VRS, not displaying ADS-B targets).

Thx,

Chris

34

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: OGN-R with VRS, not displaying ADS-B targets

« on: April 19, 2019, 12:02:45 pm »

Hi Lee,

With -d 0
Found 2 device(s):
0: Generic RTL2832U
1: Generic RTL2832U OEM
Using device 0: Generic RTL2832U
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner

Current configuration:
Error:invalid RTL2832 EEPROM header!
_____________________________________
Vendor ID: 0x0ba0
Product ID: 0x2838
Manufacturer: Realtek
Product: RTL2838UHIDIR
Serial number: 00000001
Serial number enabled: yes
IR endpoint enabled: yes
Remote wakeup enabled: no
________________________________________

With -d 1
Found 2 device(s):
0: Generic RTL2832U
1: Generic RTL2832U OEM
Using device 1: Generic RTL2832U OEM
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner

Current configuration:

_____________________________________
Vendor ID: 0x0bda
Product ID: 0x2838
Manufacturer: Realtek
Product: RTL2838UHIDIR
Serial number: 868
Serial number enabled: yes
IR endpoint enabled: yes
Remote wakeup enabled: no
________________________________________


Thx,

Chris

35

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: OGN-R with VRS, not displaying ADS-B targets

« on: April 18, 2019, 05:21:12 pm »

Hi Lee, you’re correct unfortunately. My OGN-R still giving the same error message when configuring with the second SDR connected!

Thx,

Chris

36

OGN-R PilotAware / OGN-R with VRS, not displaying ADS-B targets

« on: April 17, 2019, 08:36:32 am »

Hi all,

I Updated the software per Keith’s recent e-mail request. Then tried out the VRS function with the one OGN SDR connected and all fine for displaying PAW and OGN targets. Then decided to add a spare SDR from my original spare PAW and re-ran the Config script. This hangs indicating that 2 SDRs were found, but “device 0 with serial number 00000001 cannot be found. Most likely the serial number has been altered and the Pi rebooted without running this script. Reboot required”. I try this but config hangs again as above.

If I disconnect the second SDR and re-run the config, it finds the one OGN SDR ID=0 which it says is allocated to OGN/ FLARM reception on 868Mhz.

If I connect the second SDR (with a long body that doesn’t get so hot, with side mounted MCX socket) to my spare PAW it works fine, pulling in ADSB!

Any ideas how I can get the second SDR to work with VRS?

Thx,

Chris

37

General Discussion / PAW ID changing when viewed via Glidertracker

« on: September 26, 2018, 01:58:56 pm »

Hi Lee,

You informed me by PM the other day that our Eurostar appeared to be transmitting a different Hex code from the PAW compared with our Mode S ID. This appears to have been for a portion of the flight only, as recorded via a screenshot taken from Glidertracker.

I have just witnessed another aircraft apparently doing the same thing (screenshots available if required), and wonder if this maybe something to do with processing via OGN or Glidertracker and not related to PAW at all?

The aircraft did a round trip from Halfpenny Green today, landing at Shobdon. it’s Hex is variously reporting as 62F271, 627071, 627275, 627271 when I touched on the different aircraft symbols on the track, but all appear to be the same aircraft. I tried checking it on its return to EGBO via glidernet.org but it gave an ID of 4a31dd37.
None of the Hex codes above are identifiable via G- INFO.

Hope this may give a pointer to this phenomenon.

Thx,

Chris

38

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: Getting more receivers - 360Radar group

« on: September 23, 2018, 03:46:11 pm »

Good news Lee. Presumably you will also incorporate Mode S 3D functionality via PAW Tx into this list, also?

Regards,

Chris

39

Technical Support / Re: More Traffic Screen queries on PAW

« on: September 17, 2018, 01:53:57 pm »

Hi Gary,

Regarding upgrading the software in your fixed PAW installation;

I have broadly the same set-up as you in my Eurostar. I have the PAW unit cable tied to the discrete aluminium angle crossmember behind the passenger side of the instrument panel. I also installed a short male to female USB extension cable from the PAW, the free end of which sits behind and at the base of the instrument panel just to the left of the throttle bracket, held in place by a Velcro cable tidy.  This was so I could easily perform software updates by plugging a memory stick into this cable without removing the scuttle panel with its multitude of screws.

When I eventually connected the PAW to the Mode S Transponder for ADS-B Out I connected the FTDI cable assembly to this same cable free-end and because the baud-rate remains the same (4800) for my Transponder I can simply reach under the panel, disconnect the FTDI and plug in the memory stick to still do an update.

OK, in your case you would probably need to set that port back to 4800 while you do the update, then reset it back to 19200 and reconnect the FTDI.

I hope this helps.

40

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: OGN-R Traffic Stats

« on: September 11, 2018, 01:05:22 pm »

Thanks for the explanation WJ. I confess I should have guessed the meaning of ICA, but wouldn’t have got RND! To report your ICAO code or aircraft Registration, you have to register the details with OGN. Lee encourages everyone to do this with his first “Eco-System” post on this forum, yet when looking at PAW contacts on glidertracker.org I mainly see the PAW/ ICAO Hex ID shown, not a Registration (tail no.) so I guess not a lot of people bother to register.

There’s a lot of discussion going on at the moment over on the Flyer forum whether gliders operating Flarm in “Stealth Mode” can be received by an OGN ground station. If not, as seems likely, there’s a possibility that your Traffic figures could be even higher if this Mode were being used by some participants during  those gliding competitions! Also, as you point out, I don’t think PAW contacts are included in your data. The OGN station does not detect Mode S at present, and certainly doesn’t detect ADS-B or Mode C returns. Very interesting graph all the same!

Regards,

Chris

41

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: OGN-R Traffic Stats

« on: September 11, 2018, 08:55:01 am »

Hi WJ,

May I enquire the mechanism that you use to obtain this data? Do you have to go through the “short” or “long” listing at the foot of the 8081 diagnostic page or have you found an alternative way to obtain this data? I had thought (probably erroneously) that PAW contacts do not get listed in the short/long listings as it appears to be a record of what is received via the SDR connected to the Flarm antenna, so there will be a whole load of PAW contacts that are unrecorded flying through your patch in addition to your results. I’m not sure if there is any way to record/totalise the PAW side of OGN-R?

PS. Are you able to advise what the RND and ICA  categories refer to in your data; presumably the aircraft identifier prefix? I’m not sure myself how these differ from Flarm and OGN prefixed IDs or what it actually means!

42

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: New Stations Added

« on: September 06, 2018, 04:59:58 pm »

Well you are picking up traffic I’ve just observed, Eric. A Eurofox taking-off from Blackpool and a passing RV9, as well as your PAW ground station! Well done for your efforts.

Chris

43

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: New Stations Added

« on: September 05, 2018, 08:27:30 am »

Hi Eric,

Are you following the set-up instructions from the PAW document entitled “Building and Installing an OGN-PilotAware Uplink to detect and retransmit glider locations” ? If so, it says “ Connect on the same network as the Pi to https://ognpaw.local:4200/“, so what you have written is incorrect.

I found it easier to just connect a keyboard and monitor directly to the Pi and make the responses as detailed in red in the instructions document, to do the setup.

Looking at your screenshot (presumably made from your original PAW groundstation) I guess it thinks your OGN station (note, N for network!) is in Coventry, which is the default setting. When you run through the setup responses you will change the location using the Schellenberg site (see start of “Shellinabox” section of the instructions).

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Chris

44

Technical Support / Re: New ground station

« on: August 23, 2018, 11:13:16 pm »

Peter, Ian,

Please accept my apologies re: the free software licence for OGN-R stations granted by PAW on safety grounds. I’d interpreted Peter Seddon’s original post that he was querying the need for a radio transmitting licence!

45

Technical Support / Re: New ground station

« on: August 23, 2018, 02:14:44 pm »

Hi Peter,

Excellent news and great to see OGN-R coverage extending further up the West coast.

I now see your station PWMorecam showing up fine on the map on glidertracker.org This shows you are correctly registered on the OGN APRS servers. If you touch on either end of the PW station name it gives information of the software version, CPU temperature etc. If PAW or Flarm/ OGN tracker equipped aircraft fly within range they will show up on this program and you will see their tracks. In “settings” for the glidertracker program I generally set Select and Track to 12hrs so I can see who passes by within that timeframe.

You can use the OGN range tool (via the OGN web-site) to show cumulative coverage for your OGN receiver by typing in Morecambe or by touching the station symbol on the map of the range tool web-page, and similarly, PWMorecam to get the PAW coverage. It may take a week or two for sufficient coverage data to accumulate dependent on how much traffic passes within range.

The Upgrade instructions, that you will have followed, list various diagnostic pages, ognpaw:8080, 8081 and 8082. These give a wealth of info regarding radio performance but is very technical and may not mean a lot to you in practical terms.

The 8082 page lists real-time reception of Flarm and PAW contacts and whether a rebroadcast of the Flarm data actually takes place. Unfortunately this info doesn’t get saved so unless you happen to be looking at the page when a rebroadcast actually takes place, you will probably never capture the event! At the foot of the 8081 page you can select short or long listing of aircraft that were detected including GPS coordinates.

I went and flew near/over my station in the Eurostar with PAW when gliders were aloft, and within range and in this way it was much easier to prove the system worked satisfactorily as I saw the gliders/Flarm traffic on my Nav program display, as well as the ground station symbol.

I hope this helps.

PS. Just seen Exfirepro Peter’s response. As he says, no licence needed as we are using a licence free band in the radio spectrum.