using extension cables

[cyclone1]

Has anyone used extension cables for the existing P3i aerial from the classic box and used within the aircraft. Likewise for the gps dongle. I have no room on the panel top for the unit to sit on and considering placing the P3i aerial on the side on the screen using a suction cup and like wise with the GPS dongle and then stowing the unit box. Any thoughts anyone?

[Giver]

I have used both the remote GPS and Pi3 Di pole antenna to good effect, no sure if extension lead will work due to voltage drop, and when you price the cables you may well be better of buying the remote stuff designed for the job, IMO



ivor

[exfirepro]

Hi cyclone 1,

It's quite acceptable to use extension cables as long as you don't make them too long. PilotAware Hardware have a 3 meter extension cable available for the P3i side and this works fine. Just try to keep the antenna position itself as vertical as possible.

It's also fine to extend the GPS dongle on a short USB cable - in fact there is a school of thought that this actually improves the effectiveness of the PAW unit by reducing shielding between the GPS and WiFi dongle. Just remember to keep the black printed side of the GPS dongle uppermost as this is where the internal GPS antenna is located.

Alternatively you can use the remote GPS mouse and centre fed dipole as Ivor and others have.

Regards

Peter

[cyclone1]

Thank you both for the info. The cables need only be just over the metre long from box to position. I will probable get the 3metre hardware store cable and troll the web for a short usb for the gps dongle. At the moment I have the unit placed in a sandwich box on the pas floor and works fine but not ideal when carrying a pas.

[Keithvinning]

There is a paper on PilotAware.com on how to extend all the pheripherals. Have you seen this. If you are competent the best co-ax to use is Rg8x but this means that you have to make up your own cables.
The ones from the store are fine.

[cyclone1]

Thanks Keith will purchase P3i aerial extension from the site. I have order a couple of Male to female usb extension that I have used before with a gps and will trial to the best position to place box and if all goes well will be up and running. I noted on one thread about the flarm dropping off when using ios Ipad mini with Runwayhd which I seem to be experiencing. Jiggle to get it up in the first place but then it works fine for a while then drops off. Skydemon trial download works fine apart from the continuous error message that do not seem to effect its running but a pain when your flying. At the moment I am unsure whether both systems are reliable considering the amount of comments in the threads. One can but try I suppose.

[exfirepro]

Cyclone1,

You should be able to get things running reliably, especially with a semi-permanent antenna and GPS fit as this will allow you to optimise locations. I personally run my PAW from a UBlox GPS Mouse (available from the PilotAware site), and have had very few GPS problems throughout all the testing and flying I have done since starting to use it (which was well before PilotAware formally introduced them as an option).

I am however concerned at the recent reports of dropped connections. As I said above, changing to a GPS mouse or putting your GPS dongle onto a short extension lead to allow it to be sited in the clear, away from the main unit, should reduce the potential for screening of the WiFi dongle as well as moving the GPS away from any potential RF interference from the WiFi or the Raspberry Pi itself.

I will be very interested to hear whether this improves operation with your Runway HD.

p.s. if you do decide to go for an iPad (or mini), remember that you only need the cheaper WiFi only version as PilotAware supplies the necessary GPS data.

Regards

Peter

[Moffrestorer]

High Cyclone,

I guess we all have our favourites when it comes to Nav programs. I don't experience many problems with EasyVFR and PAW. Main thing is making sure IPad Mini cannot overheat. I now also use the same Nav on an iPhone using internal GPS as a back-up and connected to PAW. Seems pretty robust now!

[AlanG]

Hi

I too use EasyVFR and so far had very few of the problems with loss of connection that others are experiencing with the SD connection.

I have however recently switched back to using the Nexus 7 (2013) built in GPS simply as i feel if there is an interruption to the PAW system, for whatever reason,  I only loose traffic info and not my nav system.  It's not conducive to good flying trying to faff about in a flexwing trying to get into Flarm settings to push some tiny buttons whilst being bounced around the sky.

Lee: one problem i do see with EVFR is the fact that if connected to PAW GPS and this is disconnected the map disappears to a white screen as it seems to get a message of Lat 0, Lon 0, which I think is somewhere in the South China Sea. This is almost impossible to recover from in the air.   Would this be coming from the PilotAware if it doesn't have a valid GPS signal.  It obviously doesn't happen when the tablet looses, or fails to obtain a GPS location indoors, in hangars etc.  I just get the banner indicating "GPS position not accurate"

Regards
Alan

[Paul_Sengupta]

Lat 0, Lon 0

Surely that's somewhere (a fair distance) off the coast of Africa?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/0%C2%B000'00.0%22N+0%C2%B000'00.0%22E/@0,-4.4824217,6z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0

[AlanG]

Hi Paul

Not meaning to hi-jack this thread but I didn't give it much thought, just somewhere in the middle of nowhere. 

Alan

[cyclone1]

Thank you for all the input. I use Rwayhd as I already subscribe and find  on its own to be very good and will remain using it as a back up on a Samsung note 4. Pilotaware works on the Lenovo 7 inch tab and ipad mini3 (wifi only) with Runwayhd but you have to be persistent with the flarm setting to get it to log on. The trial verson of Skydemon keeps throwing up an error msg which has been mentioned elsewhere in threads and although it does not seem to effect the running of PAW its annoying in flight. I shall see what happens when I get all the relevant cables set up as to how both systems react. Till then stay safe in  your flying.

[Ian Melville]

Is SD throwing up a whir box with lots of small text?
If so change you connectivity setting to off-line when you are away form the internet

[cyclone1]

Hi Ian. if my memory serves me right the error msg sayings it is switching to off line but the error msg still appears. I will try what you say and put it in manually next time I load up. Thanks for the info, every little helps.

[Ian Melville]

That's the one, just switch to offline just before you fly, then back when you return.