Topics

1

Technical Support / Reset GPSMap496 and PAW awaits GPS fix

« on: June 19, 2017, 04:57:16 pm »

I've got a "fixed" installation with a Garmin GPSMap496 feeding fix data into the PilotAware via a USB-serial adaptor.  It's worked brilliantly and reliably for some time.  Love it.

But,  after many years of use I'd filled up the GPSMap496 with routes and waypoints etc, and it was displaying some peculiar behaviour... so I reset it back to factory settings and set up the serial interface as it was before (TIS in/NMEA and VHF out @ 9600 baud.)  Now the PAW isn't getting satellite fixes, although the NMEA log shows the NMEA $GPRMC messages coming through (along with loads of $PMRRV radio messages).... see attached.  Any suggestions?

As an aside, I can only sometimes get a response from requests to the 192.168.1.1 administration webserver  too...   but that may be a side effect of no GPS, therefore no fix, therefore no radio startup, therefore....

I feel a twit.... because PAW was working fine, but I needed to reset the GPS.  Tell you what though - I REALLY missed it during my last flight.....made me realise how good it is!

2

Technical Support / Impedance of for a Bridge antenna cable

« on: January 24, 2017, 08:59:41 pm »

As I'm keen to build a more permanently installed PilotAware, I need to construct an extension cable for the Bridge antenna.  I notice it's a normal polarity SMA male connector, but what's the impedance?  50ohm?

Thanks
Tim

3

Technical Support / Serial GPS instead of USB GPS dongle

« on: January 15, 2017, 08:37:10 pm »

Hi everyone

I'm building a more permanent fixed-installation Pilotaware and I'd like to use an exisiting GPS serial source in the aircraft, rather than fit the GPS dongle or GPS 'mouse', and find a suitable GPS antenna position.  My thinking is that the classic GPS dongle outputs NMEA 0183 sentences at 9600 baud via ttyUSBn, therefore I should be able to replace the GPS dongle with a serial-to-USB adapter fed by the existing aircraft GPS source (which is 9600 NMEA).

So, my question is, any reason why PAW wont recognise it as valid NMEA?  I.e.   Are drivers for the common usb/serial chips already installed, or will i need to install?  Does the PAW software look for device IDs to decide what's what on the USB bus?  Think it'll work?

Thanks
Tim