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Technical Support / Re: Tiding up the cockpit, optimal placement
« on: January 01, 2018, 05:36:18 pm »Hi again Alex,Pilot-aware is great, but I would like to look at options to make it easier to carry and set up cleaner rather than throwing lots of wires on the dashboard. I have looked at some other topics and the website but to be honest got a bit lost in terminology.
So, there is main PAW box, large hard antenna and small antenna on the lead in initial setup that i bought + GPS mouse.
1) Is there some recommendation on the optimal placement of the two antennas with respect to each other ie parallel, at 90 degrees or at 45 or it doesn't matter as long as they avoid metal and water?
The main issue is to try to keep the antennas as vertical as possible (though 'upside down' is OK). If position options are limited, the PilotAware one (the longer, thicker one) should be given priority as this is the PilotAware 'Third Eye' (P3i) antenna, which 'talks' to other PilotAwares, but operates on only 500milliWatts, so positioning is fairly critical. On top of your coaming should give good performance towards the front of the aircraft, which is the priority for aircraft avoidance due to highest closing speed. The thinner 1090MHz antenna is looking for much higher power ADSB, Mode S or Mode C signals so positioning is less critical.Quote2) Somebody online mentioned that they have used this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01J9DH9U2/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1 to replace the small antenna which is on a lead. Is it appropriate to do so?
Or there are antennas sold on PAW website (again with complex names) so not sure which one (if) can be used to replace the small antenna on the lead
The NooElec antenna can be used, but it is difficult to attach it reliably unless you move everything into a larger case. Take a look at this thread instead... http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,438.msg5661.html#msg5661 ...which shows you how to shorten the 1090 Antenna for better positioning. Shortening the 1090 antenna and cable is quite easy and the antenna can then be easily mounted on top of the PilotAware case with a bit of double sided tape. The antenna length isn't critical - if you cut the wire part in half with strong cutters, it will work fine.Quote3) Alternatively, especially to avoid overheating in summer, instead of replacing the small antenna on a lead, should I rather buy another lead for extension of the large antenna, keep the box somehwere safe eg in a seat pocket or under my seat and just put on dashboard:
- Large antenna on an extension lead
- Small antenna with the lead
- GPS mouse which I actually already got?
Thank you!
That is effectively what I have done in my flexwing. In this case keep the lead on the 1090 MHz antenna at its full length and buy either an SMA extension lead for the large antenna or replace it with a PAW 'Horn Dipole' With metal bodied aircraft of course, externally mounted antennas are better still, but not so easy to achieve in a PA28 and not so good if you want to use your PAW in different aircraft.
Best Regards
Peter
Hi again Alex,Pilot-aware is great, but I would like to look at options to make it easier to carry and set up cleaner rather than throwing lots of wires on the dashboard. I have looked at some other topics and the website but to be honest got a bit lost in terminology.
So, there is main PAW box, large hard antenna and small antenna on the lead in initial setup that i bought + GPS mouse.
1) Is there some recommendation on the optimal placement of the two antennas with respect to each other ie parallel, at 90 degrees or at 45 or it doesn't matter as long as they avoid metal and water?
The main issue is to try to keep the antennas as vertical as possible (though 'upside down' is OK). If position options are limited, the PilotAware one (the longer, thicker one) should be given priority as this is the PilotAware 'Third Eye' (P3i) antenna, which 'talks' to other PilotAwares, but operates on only 500milliWatts, so positioning is fairly critical. On top of your coaming should give good performance towards the front of the aircraft, which is the priority for aircraft avoidance due to highest closing speed. The thinner 1090MHz antenna is looking for much higher power ADSB, Mode S or Mode C signals so positioning is less critical.Quote2) Somebody online mentioned that they have used this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01J9DH9U2/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1 to replace the small antenna which is on a lead. Is it appropriate to do so?
Or there are antennas sold on PAW website (again with complex names) so not sure which one (if) can be used to replace the small antenna on the lead
The NooElec antenna can be used, but it is difficult to attach it reliably unless you move everything into a larger case. Take a look at this thread instead... http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,438.msg5661.html#msg5661 ...which shows you how to shorten the 1090 Antenna for better positioning. Shortening the 1090 antenna and cable is quite easy and the antenna can then be easily mounted on top of the PilotAware case with a bit of double sided tape. The antenna length isn't critical - if you cut the wire part in half with strong cutters, it will work fine.Quote3) Alternatively, especially to avoid overheating in summer, instead of replacing the small antenna on a lead, should I rather buy another lead for extension of the large antenna, keep the box somehwere safe eg in a seat pocket or under my seat and just put on dashboard:
- Large antenna on an extension lead
- Small antenna with the lead
- GPS mouse which I actually already got?
Thank you!
That is effectively what I have done in my flexwing. In this case keep the lead on the 1090 MHz antenna at its full length and buy either an SMA extension lead for the large antenna or replace it with a PAW 'Horn Dipole' With metal bodied aircraft of course, externally mounted antennas are better still, but not so easy to achieve in a PA28 and not so good if you want to use your PAW in different aircraft.
Best Regards
Peter
Thank you very much for such detailed reply! I have opted for that solution http://pilotawarehardware.com/product/dipolecouplet-antenna/ - so should it be positioned vertically or horizontally ie sort of T like it is in the photo?
