Topics

1

Technical Support / Vector doesn't seem to refresh when menu items changed

« on: August 31, 2023, 11:22:08 am »

I have used Vector many times and it is a really great tool.

However, using it recently, it seems to not always 'refresh' when I have selected different menu options. eg Sometimes a change in the Vector diagram occurs just with a simple menu selection change (eg changing from 'All' to 'ADS-B'), sometimes nothing happens with a menu change until you press the 'Go' button on the right (which is what I would expect to be the correct behaviour), and sometimes even when you've changed some menu options and then try to click 'Go', it as if the 'Go' button is not activated so nothing happens. Sometimes also the little block of text that shows info about the aircraft being analysed changes to show my aircraft details, with my Hex ID as entered in the box on the LH side, but sometimes it continues to show what appears to be the 'default' aircraft (403BAE), yet it shows flight dates that correspond with my aircraft. As a result I really can't be sure whether what is being displayed in the diagram, actually reflects my chosen menu selections or some 'hybrid' of the default aircraft and other menu options I had previously made! I attach a typical picture. I am using a Mac with Safari browser, but have seen this same behaviour with my i-phone. Any thoughts on how to get this to work well? I am trying to determine how well my PAW and Trig ADS-B out are working.

Many thanks for the great support offered via this forum!

2

Technical Support / Pilotaware gps stops working

« on: November 19, 2022, 05:39:01 pm »

Today we had a second incidence of PAW Rosetta stopping working for no apparent reason. We have it connected to SD and suddenly SD showed it had lost gps position. The Trig transponder, which has gps input from PAW, also showed it had lost gps position. Switching PAW off (actually switching off the Charge 4 power supply that feeds PAW and several other things) and back on again restored gps to Trig but you then have to re-link it to SD, and reconnect igrid etc. which is not ideal to do in flight.

We also saw that when the Trig lost its gps input from PAW it didn’t function at all in any mode. Awkward as it happened in the middle of a zone transit and controller had to confirm which dot on his radar we were. Is that usual when a Mode S ES/ADS-B transponder loses its gps input then it doesn’t just revert to being a Mode S?

Any idea why PAW should suddenly cut out like that? Other than these two incidences of spontaneous shutdown it has worked really well and we love it! Many thanks. David

3

Technical Support / Mode C Reporting

« on: October 27, 2022, 09:18:18 am »

Peter,

Just picking up on one of your comments [in the earlier 'Maximum range on Vector for PAW vs ADS-B' thread]:

"Also be aware that the list of traffic shown at the bottom of the Traffic Screen (with ‘C xxxx codes’) is ‘under investigation’ as part of the ‘Mode-C’ identification process and usually proves to be one of the aircraft positively identified further up the chart rather than a ‘Pure Mode-C’ signal - after which the ‘Cxxxx’ entry is automatically filtered out."[/i][/i]

With reference to the new attachment here, we have sometimes seen a contact pop up seeming to indicate it is exactly in our position, (although it often quickly disappears), but it has the 'Cxxxx' designator you mention above. We are not sure what this means. Is this 'co-location' where the Mode C contacts you mention are automatically shown until they are filtered out?  These sort of contacts get the heart rate going and we're not sure whether we should be concerned or not!

4

Technical Support / Maximum range on Vector for PAW vs ADS-B

« on: October 18, 2022, 11:18:00 am »

I have PAW Rosetta, with external aerials on the aircraft belly, and it works very well. More recently I have connected it to my Trig TT22 to provide ADS-B out (SIL/SDA 0). On Vector, the signal pattern seems to be good for both PAW and ADS-B, but the maximum range for the PAW signal seems higher than for the ADS-B. Does this make sense given that the Trig TT22 should have a much higher power output than PAW or can you not make such a simple comparison? While both results seem acceptable, I'm just wondering if this is indicating that the TT22 is not working optimally and needs investigation? A/C ID is 403B4C. Thanks for any feedback on this! David

5

Technical Support / Incorrect GPS position sent to Trig TT22

« on: August 30, 2022, 10:34:28 pm »

I have PAW Rosetta set up to provide GPS input via NMEA to Trig TT22 for Mode S Extended Squitter (with SIL/SDA at 0 as required). I have followed all the set up advice and instructions in Trig and PAW ( baud rates etc etc) and there seems to be communication between the two devices communicating. However when I look at the gps position shown on the Trig (by double pushing the Trig Fn button) it shows a Lat/Long GPS position but it is just not very accurate! It puts us about 1.5miles south of where we actually are! More weirdly, PAW is also linked to Skydemon and on the SD map, when selecting ‘use PilotAware’ under the ‘Go Flying’ tab then it shows the plane in exactly the correct position (and I assume this GPS position is coming from PAW and not the iPad)! I have used the recommended USB to RS232 converter cable from Farnell so I am mystified as to why the Trig does not appear to be receiving the correct gps position and presumably will then also use that same, slightly incorrect, gps position when it transmits in ADS-B ES out? I have therefore not been able to use my transponder lest it is transmitting incorrect gps data. Any ideas of what I can check or fix? Is there a screen in PAW where I can read the gps position it thinks it is at? Many thanks!