Topics

16

OGN-R PilotAware / Traffic Recording

« on: September 28, 2017, 04:34:09 pm »

And last a fairly decent day and some airborne traffic in these parts. Saw a PAW equipped contact on onglide.com and it was listed in the OGN-R 8082 diagnostic page for this ground station. Could not see it listed when I checked later on. Are contacts only listed when "live" or are they stored for later recall? Is there anyway to check or list all received contacts?

Also got a fly-by an OGN contact and one listed as ABSB Exchange, with a radial from by ground station to the contacts. I'm assuming the ground station will only receive Flarm, OGN and PAW P3i. Cannot understand how it can receive an ADSB contact, unless it's web based info, so any ideas why it was shown as being received by PW Kingstone?

Thx,

Chris

17

General Discussion / Connecting PilotAware to Becker BXP6401-2 Transponders

« on: March 12, 2017, 12:24:51 pm »

If anyone has a BXP6401-2 and wants to connect it to an uncertified GPS to give ES ADS-B Out, I have some news.

Becker have recently revised their Firmware so that the transponder SIL and SDA are both now set to 0.
(NB. SDA was formerly set to 2, so would not be compliant with CAA/NATS requirements for non-certified GPS connection).

It has taken me over a year to get them to do this but predictably, its not without cost. I had hoped that they would make these settings adjustable through the menu system but all they have done is re-coded the SDA value. Apparently they will now ship all new transponders with this new setting, which I can't help feeling this could be a mistake for much of the market out there. Anyway there we have it.

I had pointed out that Trig will perform updates for free, so Becker say they will not charge for the update, but intend to charge 195 Euro for Final Test/ Recertification works! (their minimum fee). Anyone is free to PM me if you want contact details, shipping address etc.

Its my understanding that units up to Serial No. 2000 are not ES compatible and would also need a hardware upgrade. Units with higher serial No.s ARE ES compatible.

Rather than return the unit to Becker straightaway for upgrade, I intend sourcing an FTDI USB/RS232 lead (as others have used on this forum), to make sure the ADS-B Out function works, first.

Chris

18

General Discussion / Season's Greetings

« on: December 24, 2016, 11:36:30 am »

Lee and all of the PilotAware Team, my heartfelt thanks for developing such an effective Traffic Awareness System, that doesn't "break the bank". Personally, I feel a great deal safer when airborne with PAW working it's magic, informing me of many more "contacts" than I am able to see with the old "Mk1" eyeball. 

I'd like to wish you and your families a Very Happy Christmas and the greatest success for 2017. Keep the innovation coming!

Also, Seasons Greetings to all that frequent this forum.

Chris

19

General Discussion / XC Soar Flarm Interface

« on: November 15, 2016, 09:11:00 pm »

Both XC Soar and XC Soar TE programs currently seem to lack any means for filtering altitude of traffic targets. This feature has been discussed previously on this and the XCS forums.

I've been experimenting with an old android phone, which has XCS installed. It works quite well and could provide useful confirmation of PAW audible alerts without the need for subscription Nav software.

Today, I decided to lodge a "Development Ticket" request to XCS to incorporate a user settable altitude filter into the program to declutter the Flarm display from targets that would otherwise pose no risk. The request has been assigned a "low priority" by the moderator, but one can live in hope. Could help in promoting acceptance of PAW amongst the gliding community. Hopefully also be helpful to certain members of our syndicate who use Garmin or no tablet based GPS Nav program to receive visual traffic alerts using the old android phone that I've set up in addition to the voice alerts.

20

Technical Support / Voice Alerts from P3i PAW target

« on: November 05, 2016, 11:39:43 am »

Hi Lee,

Having installed PAW behind the panel of our Eurostar yesterday, with external stub antennas from PilotAwareHardware for P3i and ADSB mounted on the stbd underwing to fuselage aluminium "fillet", I went to fly a couple of circuits just before it got dark.

There were 2 aircraft in the vicinity and I was receiving voice alerts from them. I didn't have my tablet with me so no visual indication, only the audio! Both aircraft landed in turn but I noticed that the "clock" alerts that I was getting from the gyrocopter that is equipped with a PAW, whilst correct in relative heading and distance, were being given as "level" (with me), even though he was now on the ground and I was about 1000' above and about 4 km away. This is presumably lower than the + or - 20 degree "level" detection window. Shouldn't the alerts have been saying 10 o'clock LOW, 4 km?

Incidentally, I was amazed how much better the external stub antenna was at pulling CAT traffic in from even greater distances, than the whip supplied with the TV tuner dongle, even though it's still not optimum length for 1090mhz.

21

Technical Support / Permanently installing PAW into an aircraft.

« on: August 23, 2016, 06:33:59 pm »

If installing PAW behind the metal panel of an all metal aircraft such as Eurostar, will it be necessary to extend the Wifi dongle to the front of the panel? My tablet is mounted on a RAM mount high up on the panel. The glare shield is GRP so might get  coverage through that way, or possibly by reflection off floor or fuselage sides?

Thx,

Chris

22

General Discussion / PilotAware Operating Manual 20160708

« on: July 14, 2016, 03:54:14 pm »

Hi guys and gals,

Error noticed on page 14, concerning set up for EasyVFR Nav program; I believe the WiFly PIN code following issue of PAW 20160708 was changed to 6002 by Lee. If you keep the setting as 6001, traffic data will no longer be passed to this Nav program.

Regards,

Chris

23

Technical Support / Downloading New Software Releases;

« on: June 06, 2016, 02:40:09 pm »

Hi Lee,

Can you please spell out the procedure for updating a PAW Classic to today's new release?

Thx,

Chris

24

General Discussion / PAW audio interface to (radio) intercom

« on: May 19, 2016, 12:57:03 pm »

I've bought a 3.5mm cable with TRRS plugs as suggested by expirepro.

Thinking of knocking together a simple passive audio mixer with volume pots to combine 3 audio outputs from; iPad (EasyVFR), Zaon MRX (mode A and C targets) and PAW, to feed into the aux audio input of a Becker AR6201 radio to get all three into headphones. Although audio levels can be adjusted on these devices (but not sure about the MRX), may be just a lot easier to have the vol pots accessible to have some control whilst in the air.

Alternatively does anyone know of something small, light and cheap that could do the same job?

25

General Discussion / Garmin and PAW Classic

« on: May 06, 2016, 10:05:38 am »

Putting two and two together...

The new PAW iteration, PAW Classic at last seems to offer the promise of cost effective collision avoidance to Garmin users and those that do not want to use a subscription based GPS Nav program. Although I have yet to witness  the audio traffic alerting facility I imagine it will allow this subset of pilots to have as full an awareness of traffic in their locality as other PAW users, whilst also transmitting their position etc for the benefit of others. Sure, they won't get a visual representation of traffic on their Garmin map screen but this is now, hopefully, of no great consequence. (It is of course still possible to display this data on a portable device using say, "XC Soar", which is free, as discussed in Ian Fallon's Software Installation Guide).

This audio alerting facility is potentially "hugely important" as it will allow a large section of pilots using Garmin devices to join in the PAW revolution to SEE and BE SEEN.

NB. The above comments are on the assumption that the audio alerts are available from the RPi 2B audio output connector.

26

General Discussion / Easy VFR Voucher

« on: March 19, 2016, 03:20:23 pm »

I received 2 complimentary "Frequent Flyer Membership" vouchers at Christmas from PocketFMS Foundation. I've given one to another member of our Flying Group and have one spare.

Does anyone want to try EasyVFR (similar to Sky Demon) on their tablet/phone for 6 months for free? Contact me via a PM and I'll send the first applicant the voucher code. It has to be redeemed by 31March at the latest.

27

General Discussion / Correct Antenna Position

« on: March 19, 2016, 02:39:33 pm »

Great news from Keith Vinning regarding progress on the new Bridge.

Any chance optimum antenna positions can be indicated for the test aircraft (photos?), as guidance to the rest of us please?

Hopefully Bridges will be available soon and we'll all be able to see and be seen!

Well done team.

28

General Discussion / Airframe mountable antennae

« on: December 20, 2015, 09:26:10 am »

Hi Lee,

Thinking ahead to when the Pilotaware Shield becomes available, are you likely to be assessing and offering an airframe mountable antenna to suit the shield, via the Pilotaware shop? I note that your testing for the shield was done with an external antenna.

Same question goes for an external DVB-T antenna, too?

Seasons greetings to you and the team, plus all Pilotaware Forumites.

Chris

29

General Discussion / Altitude Accuracy

« on: September 03, 2015, 12:23:29 pm »

Hi Lee,

I think your Pilotaware Initiative is brilliant, especially as visibility of non-transponder equipped aircraft will at last be possible if your device gains wide acceptance.

My question concerns altitude accuracy of "targets" on the GPS display.  If the displayed target is from an ADS- B transponder, the encoding altimeter is referenced to QNE (1013mPa), and the data relates to Flight Level (FL). If the target is transmitting via P3I, then the altitude will be derived from the GPS unit. This depends on the user dialling in an offset, such as altitude of departure airfield in Easy VFR, to "calibrate" the GPS altitude against the WGS84? geoid. As such, both targets altitude display will be independent of air pressure changes that will affect altimeter settings.
Does your software convert FL to altitude without taking into account the barometric pressure e.g.FL 25x100ft is taken simply as 2500'altitude? Or is it the GPS software that converts this? The P3I targets should presumably be on the same reference as each other, the geoid. Do GPS and Glonass and whatever Europe comes up with, use the same geoid?
If the altitudes from the various targets sources cannot be directly related, caution will need to be used when interpreting the display. At least we will know that there is something out there,in which direction to look, and an approximation of height differences!

Regards,

Chris