PilotAware
British Forum => Technical Support => Topic started by: dh87b on September 03, 2017, 08:07:58 am
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My software version is 20160820 and I need to update it.
Firstly, I am a dunce with computers and forums, so my understanding is limited and I find the documentation difficult to follow.
I have connected to my PAW through 192.168.1.1 and told it to check for updates. It keeps telling me that there aren't any, when I know full well that there are, having been to the LAA Rally yesterday. My licence expires on 8th Sept. It's all very well being told at the Rally that the reason that PAW is cheap is because it's not a fully plug and play device, but I find it almost impossible to get fully functionality! Help please!
Thanks,
Dave
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Hi Dave,
Don't put yourself down. You have managed to post on here several times and got your original unit working fine, so things aren't so bad!
The reason nothing happens when you click on 'Check for Updates' with your tablet connected to PAW WiFi is because PAW has no Internet connection. To obtain updates direct from the internet, your PAW has to be connected to a router with an Ethernet cable then powered up and left for about 20 minutes to allow it to search for and find the PAW download website. The best way to 'update' these days, however, is by using a USB memory stick to transfer an update file from the internet to your PilotAware. Fortunately you are already running PAW Version 20160820 as this is the earliest version of PilotAware which supports USB update. I will try to explain how to do it using simple steps.
First, you need a USB Memory stick - most sticks will work, but there are a couple of (slightly technical) issues to do with the spec of the USB stick, which I don't want to confuse you with here. The best advice is, if you already have a stick, just give it a try.
Next you need to download the 'Update file' from www.pilotaware.lode.co.uk onto your computer and transfer it to the 'Root' of the memory stick (i.e. Don't put it inside a folder). Also, you must NOT change it's name.
Power up your PilotAware as normal and connect to it using your tablet via 192.168.1.1.
Now insert the USB stick into your spare USB port, go to the 'Update' tab and click on 'Check for Updates'. This time after about 30 seconds or so, the new update (20170721) should appear, together with a 'live' (i.e. not 'greyed out') 'Install' button. Click this and the update should install in a few minutes and the unit will reboot automatically.
Check you are logged back onto the PAW Wifi, then go back in to 192.168.1.1 (you may have to reset this manually as PAW sometimes adds "/update.cgi' or similar to the end of the 192.168.1.1 bit).
Finally check on the Home and Configure Screens that PAW is now showing the new version.
Hope this helps. Let me know how you get on.
Re your licence renewal, you should have got an e-mail about that. If you haven't received it, check your 'spam' box.
Regards
Peter
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Thanks Peter,
Kind comment, but I've never got the original unit to work properly for the year that I've tried. I got lots of pitying looks from the guy on the stand on Saturday at the Rally, as obvs I hadn't set it up right. Anyway...
After faffing around for an hour, I finally got the update loaded OK. Next snag is that when I start SkyDemon and go flying (at my desk), I keep getting 'GPS Signal Lost 0 found'. PAW is connected OK by wifi to my iPad. If I stop navigating and go flying with 'Use Location Services', I get instant results. Also, I was told that if I put both my aeroplanes into the configure boxes, I'd have the option to go flying with either one. This doesn't seem to be the case... I'm still struggling.
I have btw, got the licence renewal email thanks, but it's not looking great for renewing it!
Dave
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Dave
You say that you are trying this at your desk. This issue is most likely that your GPS is not picking up enough satellites. With a good power supply take it outside so that it can see the sky and it should be ok
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Thanks Peter,
Kind comment, but I've never got the original unit to work properly for the year that I've tried. I got lots of pitying looks from the guy on the stand on Saturday at the Rally, as obvs I hadn't set it up right. Anyway...
After faffing around for an hour, I finally got the update loaded OK. Next snag is that when I start SkyDemon and go flying (at my desk), I keep getting 'GPS Signal Lost 0 found'. PAW is connected OK by wifi to my iPad. If I stop navigating and go flying with 'Use Location Services', I get instant results. Also, I was told that if I put both my aeroplanes into the configure boxes, I'd have the option to go flying with either one. This doesn't seem to be the case... I'm still struggling.
I have btw, got the licence renewal email thanks, but it's not looking great for renewing it!
Dave
OK, so you have your iPad connected to your PilotAware WiFi and the update installed. All good so far!
Let's check what PAW is telling us about the satellites. Connect to 192.168.1.1, go to the PilotAware Home Page. This should be showing PilotAware Version 20170721, with your old expiry date.
What colour is the 'light' on the left side of the 'GPS' row and what does the 'Status' entry say?
Unless it's 'seeing' at least 3 satellites (preferably 4 or more), the GPS won"t get a good fix and nothing else will start working. This is to ensure PAW doesn't randomly start broadcasting data or trying to tell you about other aircraft it is 'seeing' when it doesn't even know where it is itself. As Keith has said, finding satellites can be very difficult/ impossible indoors even with the unit placed near a window. For best results - especially for initial bootup, its best to try to run the unit outside - e.g. on a window ledge with a good clear view of the sky to the south. Leave it for a while (20-30 minutes isn't unusual first time out of the box) until you see satellites appear on the home screen and the lights start to go green.
Next issue is SkyDemon connectivity. To enable SkyDemon to process PAW data you need to setup SkyDemon/Setup (the little gear cog at the top of the screen), then go down to near the bottom of the Setup menu, where you will find 'Connectivity Options'. There are two options for PilotAware but first try the 'FLARM' option. To do this, select 'Live Data when Planning' - this lets SD connect to the internet for options when setting up new routes. Next in the 'GPS/Traffic Data' section, select 'FLARM'. You will also see right at the bottom a box called 'Air Connect Key' - probably showing 1234. Delete 1234 and replace this with 6000, then close this box. There are other SkyDemon 'PilotAware' Connectivity options but we can deal with these later.
Now go to Go Flying and select 'Use Flarm' - after a few seconds you will get a warning banner as SD makes the connection, but this should quickly change to show a plane at your location and hopefully some traffic. Don't worry if none shows, just get back to me and I will talk you through the other settings you need to check/adjust.
Don't lose heart - I appreciate all this is a bit of a 'dark art', but believe me it's well worth the effort. The end result can be life saving!
Regards
Peter
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Hi Dave.
Screen shot of home page when all operating correctly.
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Thanks Eric,
I was away over the weekend childminding and didn't have access to an operational PAW, so trying to talk Dave through what he needs to do in easy bite size steps, without adding the complication of expecting him to 'post' screenshots, but yours lets him see what to expect and compare.
Best Regards
Peter
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Thanks for the support.
I flew to Spain last week, so have been slow to respond, being a competitor in the World Air Nav Racing Championships at LECN. I updated the software ok, but still no joy. I get between 4 and 6 satellites and a GPS green. However the ADS-B is red, with 'Connected Msgs=0(+0)'. I still don't see any aircraft squawks, even though I've selected 50,000ft and 'long range'. I haven't changed anything else since my setup was sorted for me at you PAW stand at the Rally.
There's a red light on permanently; another flashes red once, followed by a green three times. Perhaps this means something...
It would be really nice to have a working PAW before my trip home through Spain and France the day after tomorrow....
Regards,
Dave
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Dave, is there a Realtek device listed in the USB ports at the bottom of the table on your index page? In Eric's example above it is third from the bottom, yours may not be as it depends on which USB port you have it plugged into. A copy of the index and config page screenshots would be helpful. Are you able to attach them to this forum thread?
I could be either the ADSB dongle is faulty or the antenna is not connected through internal damage to the cable.
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Hi Dave
The permanent red led is indicating power, it is not flickering, which is good, that would indicate poor power
The 3 green, 1 red are reflected on the home page indicating
3 good interfaces, 1 faulty
Clearly the faulty interface is the adsb, as you have reported
As Ian says, either the dongle or antenna is likely damaged, I presume this is less than a year old, as it is still licensed, in which case if this is a Pilotaware classic it is still under warranty
Thx
Lee
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Ian/Lee, thanks.
The unit is just over a year old, as reflected in my licence date. It has however, ceased to function at all for months, which is why I have been so dissatisfied. Perhaps Lee, you could direct me as to how to problem (and please keep it simple;-)
Regards,
Dave
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Dave, do you know how to do screenshots? Picture is a thousand words to Lee and I.
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....And me, but I was trying to take things one small step at a time in view of Dave's comments in his OP re his level of computer and Forum knowledge. Hence my detailed, step by step guidance above.
Dave,
To take a screenshot on your iPad you go to the relevant screen (such as the PAW Homescreen) then press the On/off button and Home Button at the same time. This will take a screenshot and save it as a 'photo' in your 'Photos' folder. Next prepare your Forum post as normal then click 'Attachments and other options' just below the text box, click the 'Choose File' button, select 'Photo Library' then navigate to the photo you took (probably in Screenshops then named by date and time). Double click to attach it to the Forum post, then post as normal. Best to try just one screenshot with each post as they can be quite big. Give it a try with the Homescreen and see how you get on.
Regards
Peter
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Here we go:
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Hi Dave,
Great stuff! The 'Realtek' entry shows that your RTLSDR (the 1090MHz receiver dongle) is being seen by the Raspberry Pi and PilotAware. That doesn't of course automatically mean it is working properly, or that there isn't an antenna fault. The GPS is also getting a fix, though only with 3 satellites - presumably due to the relatively short time it had been running when you took the screenshot (Uptime = 00:05 mins).
Presumably you still aren't getting anything showing on the 'Traffic' page - is this correct? If there is anything, a screen grab would be useful.
The other useful option would be a screenshot of the 'Logging' page.
A screenshot of the 'Configure' page would also be useful.
Note; the forum might not let you attach more than 1 attachment at a time depending on the 'file size' of each picture, so you may need to do them as separate posts.
Another thing you could try is to disconnect the 1090MHz antenna cable from the RTLSDR dongle and try replacing it with a length of thin wire, if you can manage to carefully push a strand of the wire into the centre of the connector - this won't be great, but as this dongle is 'receive only' the length of the antenna isn't critical and it might show up any high power commercial aircraft in your vicinity on the 'Traffic' Screen, which would establish that the fault is with the antenna rather than the dongle. Worth a try.
Let us know how you get on.
Regards
Peter
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Hi Dave, et Al
Lets just get a replacement ADSB Dongle, and see if that fixes the issue, I will send an email directly to you Dave
Thx
Lee
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Good move Lee,
Just thought it was worth trying an 'improvised' replacement antenna in the meantime to see if we could get it working for Dave's flight back to the UK from Spain on Sunday -
Regards
Peter
Thanks for the support.
I flew to Spain last week, so have been slow to respond, being a competitor in the World Air Nav Racing Championships at LECN [.....] It would be really nice to have a working PAW before my trip home through Spain and France the day after tomorrow....
Regards,
Dave
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Thanks for the replacement item, which seems to be an antenna. Nothing has changed except the number of red lights has increased as per the screen shot
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Hi again Dave,
Did you not get a replacement SDR dongle along with the antenna? I'm sure Lee meant you to replace both.
No matter, you are now 'seeing' ADSB traffic (evidenced by the 'green light' on the Home screen and the increasing number of ADSB messages). The reason the TRX 'light' is red is because the unit didn't have a gps fix yet at the time the screenshot was taken (orange light and 3 satellites), but it had only been running for 4 minutes when you took the screenshot. This would probably explain why the Pressure light is still red also. Have you tried running it 'in the clear' i.e. outdoors?
Can you give it another try. Leave it running for at least 20 minutes where it gets a clear view of the sky (preferably not through glass) and see if the lights on the Home screen go green. If not, see if you can get the other screenshots we asked for earlier.
The only other option I can suggest is that we may need to get your unit back to see for ourselves what is going on, but that would be a decision for Lee.
Regards
Peter
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Peter,
No dongle, just the antenna, but I think you've cracked it. At last I see traffic ... Screenshots attached.
I will take it flying this week and see how it performs then.
Regards, Dave
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Looking at the screen shot, it seems to me that the problem is
loss of gps fix.
I removed the gps from my the base station resulting in the same screen shot.
Looks like green, green, red, red, amber is loss of gps fix.
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Looks like the screenshot with a GPS error is earlier at 0:04 minutes after bootup
the later imapge is 0:15 minutes after bootup and all is working correctly
Dave,
To be sure please post a screenshot of the traffic page
Thx
Lee
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Hi All,
Eric, you are right, Dave's last screenshot (with the reds and orange) does show the effect of lack of a GPS fix, however as Lee has said, that was actually the earliest of the 3 screenshots posted (see the date/time). It's interesting that despite 'seeing' 3 satellites, Dave's PilotAware still hadn't managed to get a fix, which was why I suggested he give it another try out in the clear.
Dave, Good to see all the indicators now showing green and yes, as per Lee's post, please try to take and post screenshots of the PilotAware traffic screen and, if you can manage it safely, your tablet Nav screen to let us see what you are seeing.
Glad to have been able to help.
Best Regards
Peter
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Thanks all. The unit is now working correctly for the first time in ages.
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Hi Peter,
I tried to update software via USB today. All OK until shortly after clicking Install. As per user manual, I lost wifi connection with the unit. However, I never got new contact. Have tried several times to power off and back on, and waiting loooong time. There are first intermittantly 4 rapid red LED flashes. After a while, 3 red and one green. Later, only 4 green. No wifi contact.
If I return the unit to you for upgrade, how long turnaround? Will of course pay.
Anything I can do - I am not into computers at all!
Brgds
Svein
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You will lose the connection during the update. If you were not patient enough you may have corrupted your SD card. Not a big issue as it is possible to re-image the card with the latest software. IIRC the instructions to do this are in the full manual. You will need to put all your settings back in, including Licence key.
For reference. When you do a USB update it is best to leave the PAW to do its thing and monitor the Wi-Fi on the tablet, waiting for the PAW to reappear in the list. Connect to it and go back to the browser. DO NOT refresh but click on the home tab and check all is OK.
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Svein,
I have sent you a PM by e-mail. :)
BR
Peter
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See my post 14 January. Thanks to very good assistance from Peter, I found that the cause was a poor conection of the power cable at an on-off switch I have between the power bank and the PAW. When amps increased as the bridges became active, the power was intermittently lost, which every time caused the CPU to begin a new re-boot. Once that was fixed, the PAW worked fine, and I found that the software update had indeed been loaded before this intermittent power loss began.
In the process, I discovered another issue which may be of interest to the forum: Also after I fixed the poor connection at my switch, I noticed that the red power-on LED in the lower left cover went dark for a very brief period, at regular, short intervals, after all bridges were active (four green LED flashes). The PAW, however, functioned fine. I had used a 90 degree micro USB for the 12 V power in, due to space constraints, with wires preconnected. I found that these wires were much thinner than the wires in the the power cable supplied with the kit. Using that original cable and micro USB, the red power-on LED is now always on. The voltage drop in the thin wires caused the LED to extinguish each time the unit transmitted (peak amps), but the voltage was sufficient to keep the CPU running.
Many thanks to Peter for his excellent - and quick - support!
Best regards,
Svein
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Good catch Peter
I would say that poor power related issues probably account for about 95% of all problems encountered in normal usage
Thx
Lee