Messages

1

Technical Support / Re: Reset GPSMap496 and PAW awaits GPS fix

« on: June 24, 2017, 02:51:23 pm »

Thanks Lee

Your advice pointed me in the right direction....and eventually I found the problem; There's an obscure Advanced NMEA settings menu of the 496 where  NMEA GSA and GSV are switched off by default.  're-enabling that ensured all the correct messages are sent to PAW.

So .... All working again now.  Very Happy.
Thanks again.

Tim

2

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!

3

General Discussion / Re: Audio output to input

« on: June 16, 2017, 05:37:02 pm »

I've hardwired by PAW audio out to my TY96 radio's AUX IN connection via a simple passive audio mixer (which mixes audio from various sources GPS, EFIS, PAW etc).  The TY96's AUX IN level is set to max.

Unfortunately, whilst there's plenty of volume from the other devices, the PAW warnings are decidedly quiet and easy to miss, despite the PAW volume being set to 10 (on the latest version).

Now, I could, I suppose, build and install an amplifier or an active mixer/amplifier, but I'm wondering if its possible just boost the volume on each of the PAW audio files (using a audio editor like Audacity) to make things a lot simpler.  It might help others with similar issues?

I'm guessing the WAV/MP3/AAC/whatever files are already at their audio max headroom??  but I thought I'd ask.

4

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

5

General Discussion / Re: RPI 2 and rainbow screen

« on: January 21, 2017, 03:45:20 pm »

That would be brilliant ... Thanks Lee.  Well done.

Tim

6

General Discussion / Re: RPI 2 and rainbow screen

« on: January 20, 2017, 06:58:03 pm »

I too seem to have a v1.2 RPi2 with the installation stuck on the rainbow screen, if I use the pilotaware download.

Is there a simple way around the problem? I can get a basic noobs/raspian install going fine.

7

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

8

General Discussion / Re: Testing ARF with a TV tuner

« on: September 17, 2015, 06:29:38 pm »

I've done exactly that to confirm that the ARF is spitting out data, but not to decode the data itself, but this was for my own use (not as a test for the PilotAware connected ARF, but it should be exactly the same).  The same RTL-SDR can be used as a crude spectrum analyser and you can quite quickly check that working using some readily available software. 

I'm using Linux and there's package called Gqrx suits that.  I've not tried but this: http://sourceforge.net/projects/guiforrrtlpower/ seems to be a similar thing for Windows.

All I did was plug in the RTL-SDR dongle and tune the Spectrum Analyser to 869.4Mhz in Normal FM mode with a Medium AGC speed.  Bingo! - there was the data being splatted out at 2 second intervals. Stops when you pull the power.  That was showing that something was being sent.

Are you thinking of using a second RTl_SDR to decode the P3I sentences?  why? 

9

General Discussion / Re: Enhancement Requests

« on: September 01, 2015, 04:09:43 pm »

Hi Lee

I'm wondering if it would be possible for you to use the --modeac option of dump1090 in combination with the signal strength field to allow PilotAware to show all transponding traffic.  You've probably looked at this already.

Granted, there would not be azimuth or height info for Mode A or C traffic, but it would provide a good warning based on signal strength.  It'd take nothing away from the precision advantages of ADSB-in and P3I for better-equipped traffic, but also warn of all the GA traffic which only have Mode A/C transponders (in the same way  Monrose/Zaon systems work).

Would make it immediately compelling for everyone, not only early adopters...... and not cost anything more.  More traction, more safety for us all.

10

General Discussion / Re: 3rd Party Integrations

« on: August 17, 2015, 06:14:30 pm »

One for Lee...

Is the ARF used on the default frequency of 868.3Mhz, or do you actually use 868Mhz?   and I presume the software also reconfigures the packet size to 24 bytes with no enc., and that you just use the ATAC command on power up rather than writing to flash with ATWR.  Any other gotchas?

Reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to log any received P3I packets on a ground station linux machine.

Ta
Tim

11

General Discussion / Re: Setting up the software

« on: August 13, 2015, 09:41:19 pm »

In openwrt you can significantly reduce the current drawn by the wifi dongle by setting the transmit power (tx-power) in the /etc/config/wireless file.  I simply dont know if the same applies to debian/rPi, but would think so.  Worth a try.  After all, in the cockpit, you wont need to be blasting out a signal for  a connection over a foot or two.

Would imagine that Tx-Power = 5dbm would be plenty.

12

General Discussion / Re: Enhancement Requests

« on: August 03, 2015, 01:36:21 pm »

Really pleased that you guys are on the Android app version - it'll open it up to many more and thereby encourage adoption.

On that note - can PilotAware pick up location info from the RS232 with NMEA already?  I.e. for those of use that want to use the aircraft's already installed GPS.  I guess the question is more a case of - do we have to have a phone/pad for other functionality (such as licencing)?

In my personal case I'd love to use the installed 496 to send NMEA location to PilotAware, and be able to display the traffic alerts graphically on the traffic-capable GPS, rather than need to have a phone/pad in the cockpit too.

All the kit ordered now and on the way.

Thanks