Micro RadarBox dongle/antenna question

[abcd567]

The Radarbox FlightStick has SMA Female connector. Please see photo below.
Which Flightstick do you have which has "very different connector"?

[Tramline]

Hi abcd567, it’s an AirNav MicroRB stick which I purchased in 2020 but only installed yesterday. It must be a discontinued product and superseded by the Green Stick you posted.

My Micro stick has a smaller push aerial connector that fits into the micro stick. It works pretty well but I reckon it may be a standalone stick/aerial combo?   

I’ve just installed V6 AirNav - I assume if I bought the Greenstick it would literally plug-in and play as I installed the drivers as per Alan’s posts earlier?

[Runway 31]

Paul

The green flighstick 1090 has an SMA connector for the antenna see https://www.radarbox.com/flightstick1090

I presume you have an original Micro RB stick

Alan

[abcd567]

I think you have the one shown in attachment-1 (Click on it to enlarge)

This one has a mcx connector (see attachment-2)

[abcd567]

Please see attched photo for adapter sma to mcx

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003914186507.html

[Tramline]

Yes, that’s the stick! And of course the connector! Thank you for taking the time to post and show the connectors to allow a SMA aerial to be fitted.

Out of interest, is it worth buying the Green stick compared to the old version of Microstick? Having V6 installed and the drivers that run the older microstick  would that mean the Green stick would simply be a plug-in and away it goes?

Any thoughts or views?

[Runway 31]

I have used them both, not really much between them but the flightstick allows my to connect my big antenna to it.  At the price its a no brainer even if its went up a bit since I bought mines/

Thr micro and flightstcks both use the same drivers so should only be a matter of plugging it in and away you go

Alan

[abcd567]

The green Flightstick has 3 things different from black microRadar stick

(1) Antenna connectors are different. This problem can easily be solved by purchasing an sma to mcx adaptor for less than $3, free shipping, no VAT (please see link to Aliexpress in my previous post)

(2) Green flightstick has builtin filter chip, the black micro does not have. The filter improves performance by blocking Cell/mobile signals particularly in urban areas. Very strong RF signals from Cell phone towees can overload dongle and make it deaf to comparatively weak signals from aircrafr. The filter removes the strong Cellular signals. Please see the thread "Do I Need a Filter"

Do I Need A Filter?

(3) The green flightstick has a builtin LNA (Low Noise Amplifier), the black micro stick does not have any LNA. The LNA  amplifies weak RF signals from faraway aircraft which are otherwise so weak they are below the noise floor, and wont be processed. This amplification increases the range.

[Tramline]

Thank you to you and Alan for responding, I think getting the Green Flight Stick is the way to go plus the sma/mcx connector for the black microstick.

Very much appreciate the time taken to respond to my questions and the advice given.

Cheers

Paul

[abcd567]

Please see the thread "Do I need a Filter"
I have now edited my last post and added Link to it so that you dont have to search it. Just click the link.

[Tramline]

I decided to purchase the green Flightstick assuming I could just plug in and it would work straight away as I had just unplugged the previous black microstick, however, my AirNav display shows Hardware: Not Connected with the 🟥 info display.

I’m running V6.01.001 and had downloaded the drivers for the previous black microstick and Alan said they would also work with the Green Flightstick.

I’ve shutdown the computer and restarted but without success - the Green stick is illuminated and my PC recognised it but I assume I’m missing a simple trick.

Any thoughts please?

Many thanks,

Paul

[Runway 31]

Paul

It should just work right away Paul but computers are tempremental things.

Try the Zadig drivers https://zadig.akeo.ie/  The RB ones are a variation of them

Makes sur ethat you have the stick showing as per the attached shot as RTL2838UHIDIR  to ensure you install the correct drivers then click on Install/Reinstall driver as appropriate. let it do its work and it will tell you once installed

I suggest you then unplug the stick, then plug in the stick again then start up RB and it should work!!

If you go to control panel/Devices and printers on your computer under scrioll doen to Unspecfied you should see your stick there and by going to properties you should see if the drivers are ok

Any issues let me know and I will talk you throught it

Alan

[Tramline]

Hi Alan,

Just downloaded Zadig drivers - or thought I had but no joy.  Control panel saying no drivers found.

I've attached a screenshot.  I manually entered the RTL2838UHIDIR in top box, the first driver box said (NONE) which I could not edit in any way so I hit install, about 30 seconds later it said Driver installed successfully but apparently not!  RB was restarted and again it couldn't find the stick.

[abcd567]

Paul

Please see the post linked below. It gives correct method to setup Zadig:

Is My DVB-T RTL SDR Dongle Healthy?



.

[Runway 31]

Ah you cant add it manually, click options/List all devices and on that line you will see all connected devices.  Click on the down arrow on the left of the line and you will see all the devices. click on RTL2838UHIDIR and that should brin g up the driver in the left box.  You can then click install

Alan