Messages

1

Technical Support / Re: Connect PAW with Powermouse

« on: August 04, 2020, 11:31:55 am »

Following this thread I have found very interesting from the use of a Flarm display viewpoint and the connection of Rosetta to FlarmBat.
What I would like to know though has anyone tried connecting via RS232 Rosetta to a separate Flarm V3+display or the LX equivalent small display?
I suppose the question is, is the Rosetta protocol output compatible with the V3+?....this thread has suggested it just might be?

I've had a PilotAware integrated with an LX9070 moving map, Flarmview 57 traffic display and V3 alarm for a couple of years.  The Flarm output from the 9070 goes to the PilotAware and to the V3.  The PilotAware adds PAW and ADSB traffic which is then displayed on the Flarmview (a small traffic screen), and also sent back to the 9070 to be displayed on the moving map.  I'm using RS232-USB convertors on both input and output of the PAW.  I would expect that all the traffic would be displayed on Skydemon if I had one connected to the PilotAware (it's a glider, so I don't).

I put the V3 on the output of the Flarm (not the PilotAware) for two reasons. 

Firstly, there are two types of NMEA traffic sentences in the Flarm spec.  One is a traffic message, and the other is an alarm message (the highest priority piece of traffic which is likely to hit you).  Flarm produces both types of message, PAW only the first - it leaves it up to the receiving instrument (such as SkyDemon) to make the assessment of whether the traffic is a threat.  The V3 displays only alarm messages, so there's no point in attaching it to the PAW output.  The Flarmview however, displays the traffic, so it works (though won't alarm for ADSB or PAW traffic sent by the PAW).  However, I would expect a connected SkyDemon display to alarm on either. 

The second reason is that I want to see Flarm alarms even if the PAW isn't working for some reason (that doesn't seem to happen, but I'm being cautious).

Paul

2

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: Reduction of (number of) antennas

« on: May 10, 2020, 09:47:40 am »

So currently I have 3 antennas dedicated to pilot aware, an 868 colinear for Pilotaware, an 868 colinear for Flarm and a multiband colinear being used for ADSB. 

I need to free up the Multiband colinear for other purposes, so am going to try splitting the Flarm aerial between the adsb and Flarm dongles.

The 3db loss from the split I can make up with an LNA.  The worse 1090 reception due to a shorter and 868 tuned antenna i will have to live with - but adsb is the least of my worries given the higher power transmissions. 

Any thoughts?  I will have to wait till we get some gliders back in the air to really tell the difference  of course!

Cheers
Kev

Hi Kev

I used 50 ohm splitters to share the Flarm and PAW antennas.  It works well.

You lost 3 dB on each of the antennas - but the range is fine for the Flarm, and in the PAW case it's easily made up by the 9dBi antennas I was using. But you will I think lose that much by using a 75 ohm splitter anyway.

In your case you could do that, or you could try sharing the Flarm and ADSB antennas.  Generally there's enough power in the ADSB signal for the mismatch not to be a problem (I use an 868 co-linear as my ADSB antenna because I have a spare, and it works fine).

I had a batch of ~12 splitters donated to me which I used, but I've used a few of these  https://www.instockwireless.com/power_divider_pd1020.htm   I think that's what Orwell has (plus a GSM filter).

I've also just tried this https://www.m2.wifi-antennas.co.uk/2-way-wifi-gsm-splitter-unit which you can source from the UK.

I'm not sure it's worth using an LNA for the ADSB to make up for the splitter gain.  You've probably already got plenty of signal, and the issue seems often to be signal / external noise rather than signal / receiver noise.  In that case, your LNA merely amplifies both the signal and the external noise.  The exception is when you can put a narrowband filter in, which can help (which is why I've got a GSM filter at Orwell - a cell tower was installed 100m away).  But no harm trying. 

You're not really trying for extreme range - what you want is good signals from more local aircraft.  It may amount to the same thing though.

Paul

3

General Discussion / External GPS

« on: September 26, 2019, 09:36:41 am »

I'm looking at how to put a PilotAware in a certified aircraft.

To stay legal, at the moment I think it needs to be a 'temporary' installation.  Because there's not much room up front, I'm thinking of putting it down the back, and having external PAW and ADSB blade antennas. [Then by unplugging it, it can come out - hence temporary].

My problem is the GPS.  Can anyone help on how I can get a good GPS signal to the PilotAware?

- I could run a cable and mount the USB GPS on the coaming, but it's not very neat.
- I could put the USB GPS on the side of the back window - but again not very neat, and not a great view of the sky
- really I need a GPS to feed the PilotAware that can use an external antenna, or has an external mounting.
- or a GPS that I could put on the coaming that doesn't need a wire.

Anyone have any solutions?

Paul

4

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: New Stations Added

« on: September 29, 2018, 08:53:09 am »

CalneW is my setup which I intend to move to the airstrip once I have all the bits assembled.

It will run of battery charged by a solar panel, have a 4G internet connection and uses a aerial I picked up at the LAA rally.

Once moved I’ll look at building another for CalneW and then mount the aerials on the roof and replace the FR24 in the loft.

Great.  Which airstrip?

Ping me an email with your email address, and I'll put you in touch with the owner of Calne.

Paul (paul@ruskin.me.uk)

5

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: New Stations Added

« on: September 28, 2018, 03:29:58 pm »

Anyone know who owns CalneW?

Paul

Yes

Excellent.  Would you like to share - at least with me?  (paul@ruskin.me.uk).

I manage Calne, and will put the owner in touch.

Paul

6

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: New Stations Added

« on: September 25, 2018, 10:24:32 am »

Anyone know who owns CalneW?

Paul

7

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

« on: September 12, 2018, 11:02:36 am »

>Is it possible that the those marked as RND are the cloaked ones? The identities are possibly real but the associated location data appears to be randomised which might account for the bizarre reported Long/Lat positions which can be thousands of miles away. I've only logged 22 unique RND identities so far. However if this is the case one might argue going forward that in terms of privacy v safety that it is the identity which ought to be hidden not the location. 

No, don't think so.  AIUI the location is transmitted accurately.  Any dithering is done in the Flarm receiver, based on the flag set.  Flarm does have the ability to randomise the ID.  The occasional sight of ranges of 5000km+ is an error somewhere else - probably in the web page part of the OGNR receiver, since even when that happens, the correct locations of the targets appear to being sent to the APRS servers.

What happens in the OGN web pages (live.glidernet.org etc) is different and based on settings in the OGN DB - for example the Flarm ID will not be shown on some sites if an entry is not made in the OGN DB, and it's also possible to register but not show ID, or not be shown at all.

Paul

8

General Discussion / Drone jamming trials

« on: September 11, 2018, 05:28:13 pm »

Hi All

Just to let you know that there are plans for some military drone jamming trials in the UK Stanford Training Area (next to Lakenheath) this month.

They'll be jamming both GPS frequencies and 868 MHz - for up to 2 minutes at a time.  It will be NOTAM'd

I'd have thought that might be quite effective in interfering with GPS, Flarm, PAW and OGN-R.

Paul

9

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

« on: September 11, 2018, 04:54:45 pm »

I'll copy what I've just posted over on Flyer, having been alerted to it here!

Stealth mode / No track etc were entirely rational features for Flarm and OGN to introduce, and led to a more rapid take up of both systems - which is a good thing.

Stealth mode meant that competitive glider pilots (and gliding is a competitive sport at times, remember) could use Flarm without worrying about the competitive impact. In fact, the benefits of not using stealth mode (such as spectators being able to see what's happening in competitions, and take off and landing logging) mean that it's very rarely used. So, basically, don't worry about it.

No-track was introduced by Flarm and OGN after OGN started, because there were some serious privacy issues - particularly in Germany where people are more sensitive about that sort of thing than in the UK. The feature made the problem go away, but again, I don't think it's used very much.

AIUI in any case, OGNR will rebroadcast stealth mode gliders. Perhaps not no-track ones, whose packets probably get dropped in the OGN receiver.

As to 7000 Flarms in the UK - I don't believe it. It's possible that 7000 have been sold to the UK over the history of the product, I suppose (though the propensity of glider pilots not to throw stuff away makes this unlikely in my view). But, there are (o) 2000-2500 gliders in the UK (2310 according to wikipedia), and as other people have pointed out, the penetration of Flarm into other sectors in the UK is low. Anyone who keeps an eye on the OGN plots knows this. I'd have thought 2000-2500 active Flarms is much closer to the truth. [so same order of magnitude as PAW, and currently a lot more than ADSB in GA aircraft].

Paul

10

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: Latest Software Version

« on: September 11, 2018, 09:24:47 am »

You can copy the relevant files like this (useful if you're not exactly sure what has been changed).:

sudo /root/mount_rw.bash
(cd /etc_rw; sudo tar -c  *) | (cd /etc_org; sudo tar -x --overwrite)
(cd /var_rw; sudo tar -c  *) | (cd /var_org; sudo tar -x --overwrite)
sudo /root/mount_ro.bash

Paul

11

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: OGNRANGE offline at the moment

« on: September 09, 2018, 05:17:37 pm »

It's back up.

And very welcome.

Paul

12

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: Latest Software Version

« on: September 09, 2018, 04:53:27 pm »

The following should suffice.

sudo /root/mount_rw.bash

then change /etc/network/services to look like the file below

then cut and paste the following exactly (including brackets) into the command line
(cd /etc_rw; sudo tar -c  *) | (cd /etc_org; sudo tar -x --overwrite)
sudo /root/mount_ro.bash

/etc/network/services - replace what you've got with the following:
----------------------
# Interfaces(5) file used by ifup( and ifdown(

# Please note that this file is written to be used with dhcpcd
# For static IP, consult /etc/dhcpcd.conf and 'man dhcpcd.conf'

# Include files from /etc/network/interfaces.d:
source-directory /etc/network/interfaces.d

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto wlan0
allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp

wpa-ssid fill_in_SSID_here
wpa-psk fill_in_password_here

iface default inet dhcp

13

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: New Stations Added

« on: September 09, 2018, 04:45:26 pm »

There's a new station near Diss.

Paul

14

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: New Stations Added

« on: June 06, 2018, 05:50:03 pm »

And another - at Kings Lynn

Paul

15

OGN-R PilotAware / Re: New Stations Added

« on: June 05, 2018, 09:37:46 am »

UKMAC is now online, in West Wales.

Paul