Messages

1

Technical Support / Re: Waiting for device

« on: July 17, 2023, 05:26:43 pm »

I get similar behavior with Pi3b and newest software. using Skydemon I get 'waiting for device' and find that the WiFi hotspot is gone.  WiFi drops out seemingly randomly. Seems to be most often in the early part of a flight though. Sometimes the wifi hotspot of the paw re-appears, sometimes it doesn't and I have to 'reboot' the paw. Then in flight it kind of stabilizes and often the whole flight is ok. Same thing happened several times on Samsung S22+ and Sony Tablet Compact, Android. Same thing happened with a Pi2b and wifi dongle, rather than Pi3b/builtin wifi. Didn't have these problems in the past with Pi2b but now any configuration of hardware seems to result in the same problem. If anyone had similar issues and solved them, please share what you did because it's a mystery for some of us.

2

Technical Support / Re: PAW Classic now reports Volt=Error and works intermittently

« on: July 03, 2023, 03:57:32 pm »

Thanks to those who responded.

3

Technical Support / Re: PAW Classic now reports Volt=Error and works intermittently

« on: July 01, 2023, 05:11:11 pm »

Varies between 4.8 and 5.01v when meter attached to a usb socket on the Pi3b. If I attach further dongles it goes as low as 4.62v.

4

Technical Support / Re: PAW Classic now reports Volt=Error and works intermittently

« on: July 01, 2023, 04:48:18 pm »

The sporadic 'Low Volatage' happens whether I have the volt meter attached or not. Honestly, this goes in circles because one person says 'get a voltmeter' to test an existing problem ... then the next says 'maybe the voltmeter is the problem'. So, it looks to me like the Pi units don't need much power, and I supply >5.2v but it still complains and drops out sporadically. Forget the voltmeter and aircraft installation. Right on my desk with stable >5.2v it doesn't work reliably, even with no dongles attached. So wtf ? I see others reporting similar issues. Can it be the Pilotaware board itself or the software is causing this problem .. because those are the common elements ?

5

Technical Support / Re: PAW Classic now reports Volt=Error and works intermittently

« on: July 01, 2023, 03:54:20 pm »

I bought a usb power meter as steveu suggested and a Pi3b, with gps, wifi and adsb dongles attached. I used the 'thick' usb cable that I got with the PAW originally and connected it to my RAV power mains supplied usb power brick at home. In the PAW pages I get sporadically get  'Voltage Error' with both of the Pi units (new Pi3b and old Pi2b), even when no dongles are attached (I used the hdmi and see it at the boot screen or it appears on the radar screen). Using the Pi3b, the power meter registers > 5.2Volts and about 0.75amps. Even so, the Pi3b registers voltage error sporadically. Anyone know if that's correct because 5.2V+ seems ok ?

In flight, using the Pi3b, using my cigar lighter usb adapter (same one since years but not Anker) it shows 5.03V (approx) and 0.75amps, never drops below 5v. On a 1.5hr flight I got one wifi 'dropout' where skydemon lost the wifi connection, and reported 'waiting for device'. I also got these kind of issues with the Pi2b, which is what caused me to raise the issue in the first place.

I guess the in-flight voltage is a bit low, right ? I don't really know what voltage levels are required. It seems weird that I get voltage errors with 5.2v+ on the meter at home. Anyone more knowledgeable care to comment ?

6

Technical Support / Re: PAW Classic now reports Volt=Error and works intermittently

« on: June 26, 2023, 09:53:12 am »

Thanks exfire. Will check-out your suggestions and report back.

7

Technical Support / Re: PAW Classic now reports Volt=Error and works intermittently

« on: June 25, 2023, 01:43:36 pm »

I am aware of the need for a good USB power cable .. it's documented in these forums .. and for the need of a stable power supply .. also documented in these forums. As I mentioned :

"I use it in the aircraft with the same power cable and power connector (cigar lighter adapter) as ever, and at home with a stable power source and good USB cable .. don't think it's a power issue. All the 3 dongles are plugged-in ok as far as I can see."

... so the PAW unit has the same problem whether in the aircraft or running on my desk at home powered by a mains supplied USB RAVPower unit. I have used several usb power cables. The problem persists irrespective of which cable is used, so I don't think that the cable is at fault. In the past it always worked fine with any of the cables I have, at home or in the aircraft.

Additionally,  I get the same continual voltage error with only the wifi dongle inserted (no adsb and no gps dongles).

8

Technical Support / PAW Classic now reports Volt=Error and works intermittently

« on: June 24, 2023, 02:49:26 pm »

My PAW classic runs software version 20230616, license is valid for 12 more months. I've been using it reliably for years, no modifications except software updates. Now it suddenly became unreliable:

1. Sometimes I see the Pilotaware WiFi and connect to it, but I can't get to the home page (or any other) from phone/tablet. Sometimes I don't see the Pilotaware wifi after starting it at all. Sometimes it works ok. I note also that I can sometimes connect to the wifi from my Samsung S22+ phone, but not from my Sony Tablet Compact .. but this is new .. always worked previously.

2. On the 'Home' page it reports 'Volt=Error' (also on radar screen) often, but intermittently. When it reports Volt=Error it still seems to find traffic on the 'Traffic' page if I am connected.

I use it in the aircraft with the same power cable and power connector (cigar lighter adapter) as ever, and at home with a stable power source and good USB cable .. don't think it's a power issue. All the 3 dongles are plugged-in ok as far as I can see.

The adsb receiver dongle (and therefore the wifi dongle because it touches the adsb dongle) get very hot  ... but always did since years.

Any one have an idea what can be the issue ? I really changed nothing in the position of the PAW in the aircraft, or the cables or the dongles, it just went whacko.

9

General Discussion / Re: What's the status of FLARM ?

« on: September 18, 2018, 09:43:20 pm »

I think exfire was trying to explain that also, but it seems to me that the information from a waas gps + pressure sensor is the only data available to any of these systems (flarm doesn't tap the air-data or attitude etc from the transmitting aircraft does it?). In this case it's only the software that decodes this data that differentiates the systems, so => build out the ads-b based software and flarm becomes redundant. SkyDemon already can do this well from my experience using it. I'm not tech enough to understand the details of the protocols.

10

General Discussion / Re: External antenna reccomendation?

« on: September 17, 2018, 07:40:07 pm »

Thanks exfire.

11

General Discussion / Re: What's the status of FLARM ?

« on: September 17, 2018, 07:31:56 pm »

Ok. Thanks Deker. OGN-R is non existent outside of the UK though. Flarm seems rather sinister somehow. Hopefully it'll die-out as ads-b solutions become cheaper and more widespread.

12

General Discussion / Re: What's the status of FLARM ?

« on: September 17, 2018, 06:02:45 pm »

It's been a while but I notice that the Stratux appears to be able to receive Flarm targets through its UAT receiver, if programmed to do so (although I'm not tech enough to know if it's really working air-to-air):

https://www.reddit.com/r/stratux/comments/6pa2nj/flarm_receiver_functionality/

Relying on special ground stations to relay traffic seems like a complex route to me, so this subject interested me. Might be something for PAW too.

Can anyone who understands these things confirm or debunk it ?

13

General Discussion / Re: External antenna reccomendation?

« on: September 17, 2018, 05:50:06 pm »

Thanks Lee. I was hoping not to have to buy a whole kit just to get 1 antenna, hence asking about ebay/amazon.

14

General Discussion / External antenna reccomendation?

« on: September 17, 2018, 04:50:17 pm »

Hi all. Have been using PAW for quite a while now. Working nicely. I'm considering an externally mounted aerial for reception of ads-b/090. Can anyone suggest such an antenna ? I see that PilotAware sells an aviation grade external antenna kit but I dont need the whole lot, just the adsb antenna and cable. Is this an item that anyone has found on ebay/amazon etc? Additionally, is it better mounted on top or bottom of the aircraft , or makes no difference ? I know this was previously discussed but I can no longer find the previous thread on the forum.

15

Technical Support / Re: PAW doesnt start after renewing the key.

« on: June 25, 2018, 09:20:25 pm »

Thanks ExFire. Yes I am indoors. It does work and I could do a software update also. Great.