Messages

31

Technical Support / Re: Custom case designs

« on: January 30, 2018, 11:19:28 am »

Have you tried your PAW inside this box yet and was the GPS reception affected? What are the box dimensions and the overall weight, with the Pi battery added.

GPS when I tested it at home (with the lid on, on my windowsill in the middle of a housing estate) was showing 6 satellites. I expect more with a decent view of the sky.
I kept the lid thin over the GPS antenna lid picture attached.

Box dimensions are 62x128x44mm
Total weight including both antennas is 327g

32

General Discussion / Re: New member with a case / ADSB antenna Q

« on: January 30, 2018, 09:47:20 am »

If anyone's interested, take a look at my 3D printed case design here: http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,1144.msg13651.html#msg13651

33

Technical Support / Re: Custom case designs

« on: January 30, 2018, 09:42:54 am »

OK, here's the current case I designed & 3D printed, for a one-box solution without cables everywhere.

It includes a standard Pi battery (Like this: http://amzn.eu/fcGY5lz), and a SMA pigtail antenna mount + antenna from here http://amzn.eu/6UoJcMx for the RTL-SDR.

I removed the case from the GPS dongle to make it fit. There is support in the case wall for the GPS board.
The battery lasts about 2.5 hours, and it has a standard micro-USB connector for charging.
Rather than an external USB to micro-USB cable for power, I soldered the wires internally, via the switch.
The lid is dual-colour 3D printed. I tried the same with the case for the lettering but the results aren't great.
For updating you can get to the ethernet socket with the lid removed - I did this without issue today.

If anyone is interested in one of my cases, I'll list them on ebay in a few days. I'm currently waiting for proper sized M2.5 pillars for mounting between the Pi and the lid to arrive, and will probably sell it as a kit with the pillars, switch, screws etc.
And if anyone would prefer a version without the battery, i'll work on a version like that soon.

Any suggestions to improve it further welcome. I've already recessed the power switch by a further 2mm in the design, which will be in the next print.

34

Technical Support / Re: Custom case designs

« on: January 24, 2018, 02:59:52 pm »

Alan,

The antennas can be placed fairly close to each other without causing any issues. There are several examples on the forum where users have put all the bits in one box, or simply cut down the 1090MHz antenna (which is receive only) and its cable and sat it on top of the standard case near the 869MHz P3i antenna to keep the unit more 'contained', without any reduction in system effectiveness.

It will be good to see your design once you get it finished.

Regards

Peter

Thanks Peter. I hope to have it finished to test-fly it at the weekend. Will upload photos etc when done.

35

Technical Support / Re: Custom case designs

« on: January 24, 2018, 02:56:47 pm »

Is there any reason why you cannot make a trap door for the battery so that it can be swapped. I don't think many flights will be over 2 hours, so One battery outbound and another for return?

Yes that's possible.
I'll finish the current design based around a standard Pi battery first then look at alternatives. A dual 18850 holder is probably ideal for this.

Current headache is that the power switch on that Pi power board is bypassed when plugged into charge - which means that the Pi etc is powered up when charging, and that charging takes longer than it needs.
Workaround is to remove the on-board switch and fit a DPDT switch to the case wall to both switch on the power module and feed the Pi, so when in the off position then it will charge the battery and NOT power the Pi.
As I can't find a suitable small rocker switch it'll have to be a slide switch - so design on-hold until switches arrive to design mount in case for it...

36

General Discussion / Re: Why no 'Shutdown' button?

« on: January 23, 2018, 09:26:32 pm »

the disk is mounted in READONLY mode

I assume this is most of the time, but not all.
Eg, when first started the admin screen shows the previous powered-up date & time - so that must have been written to the SD previously?
Same for settings?

37

Technical Support / Re: Custom case designs

« on: January 23, 2018, 07:33:36 pm »

I think it needs a bigger battery.  For example :- I'd want to be able to fly 1.5 hrs - consume burger - fly home for 1.5hrs
3 hrs run time would be an absolute minimum, 4 would be better.

I used an off-the-shelf battery for convenience. With a slightly bigger case it would be possible to use 2x 18850's to give longer run-time. I use these with Pi3's in another project i'm involved with (to scan runners with RFID tags at outdoor events) and we get about 28 hours from 6x quality 18850's running the Pi3, a 3.5" screen and WiFi connected.

Based around the current battery, it could be connected to the plane's fag-lighter socket or a power-bank to extend run-time or re-charge the battery.

The current case design is 62x128x42mm all-in.

38

General Discussion / Why no 'Shutdown' button?

« on: January 23, 2018, 05:06:38 pm »

I see in the options a 'reboot' button, but why no 'Shutdown' button?
It goes against the grain to abruptly shutdown a computer by pulling the power...

39

Technical Support / Custom case designs

« on: January 23, 2018, 05:00:49 pm »

I'm working on a custom 3D-printed case design to hold the PAW hardware, a Pi battery board and a screw-on SMA mounted RTL-SDR antenna, more info below. The goal is for all the parts to be self-contained in one box without needing external cables to work.

Is there any reason for the RTL-SDR and PAW 'bridge' antenna (or whatever the correct name is) not to be close to each other? Currently I have them both on the same face of the case.

Initial testing with the Pi battery (like this: http://amzn.eu/585S6ia) shows it will run the PAW kit for about 2.5 hours. Obviously external power can be connected to give longer.
The case has openings for each port, SD card slot and all LEDs, as well as airflow holes. I've provided support for the USB GPS dongle internally (minus it's plastic housing) rather than relying purely on the USB port to support it.

Once i've finalised the design i'll post pictures - and if anyone would like a case with or without battery provision I can sell them cheaply
And if anyone has suggestions of what a custom case should include, let me know!

40

Technical Support / Re: Direct fit RTL-SDR antenna ?

« on: January 15, 2018, 05:47:26 pm »

They look interesting, might be a good option.
I assume that I could use the 1090MHz antenna supplied with that case into the dongle, and the other antenna mounted to the bridge with a suitable cut-out.
Do we know if GPS would go through the plastic case OK ?
Could add a DC socket into the case instead of relying on the delicate micro-USB socket on the Pi...

41

Technical Support / Re: Direct fit RTL-SDR antenna ?

« on: January 15, 2018, 05:03:56 pm »

Paul,

Wow, thanks for all the links, i'll look through them later.
I saw that someone had 3D printed a case a while ago to incorporate everything, that's another option with the right antennas as I have a 3D printer. Happy to print cases for others if a suitable design already exists ?
I'd like to get to the point of a 'one box' solution (maybe with power-bank incorporated) rather than the mass of cables and stuff now.

Alan.

42

Technical Support / Direct fit RTL-SDR antenna ?

« on: January 15, 2018, 11:13:54 am »

Can anyone suggest a RTL-SDR antenna that would mount directly onto to the USB dongle?
Or an alternative dongle with an antenna directly mounted?
The existing mag-mount on cable is rubbish.

Or a case and suitable dongle that allow a threaded connector mounted on the case instead?

Thanks in advance.