AirNav Systems Forum
AirNav RadarBox and RadarBox24.com => AirNav RadarBox and RadarBox24.com Discussion => Topic started by: Storm on August 03, 2008, 06:29:11 PM
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Hi,
On the MyFlights tab I see many aircraft on the list all of them show the Status as cruise, departure, take off, and so on. How come when it knows its cruising or climbing it doesn't show the globe icon on the list or the aircraft on the radar screen?
I mean like now I have 25 flight on MyFlights but none of them have the globe icon or are showing on the radar screen. I have set it to Timeout after 60 secs and remove after 90 secs.
I've noticed quite a drop in performance since switching from SBS-1. In fact I have a whole area to my east which is puzzling me.
The polar diagram is more or less what is was with the SBS-1 but I have noticed that in some areas I have no coverage anymore.
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AFAIK, aircraft are shown as cruise, departure, etc. based on their altitude, not their position. So they may be non-ADS-B, but still have altitude displayed.
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But they were showing at one point. So they are ADS-B aircraft.
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Just confirm that you have no flights at all showing on the map?
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Allocator: Negative. I get flights on the radar, but they disappear quite quickly the list shows them as climbing/descending and even changes from one phase of flight to another while not being shown on the radar screen.
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Storm - I think I read that the mode (descend, approach, etc) is a separate code sent by the Mode-S. So it's not dependant on altitude, or even attitude, and doesn't relate at all to the ADS-B position signals. That's how it can tell the difference between, say, "levelled" and "cruise". Maybe it comes from the Flight Management System.
I know this isn't an answer to your question, but perhaps it helps!
Rod
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Kinda Rob. Thanks for the input.
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OK something is seriously wrong here. I am picking up approximately 50-70 msgs/sec and I have aircraft status change on the list but they are no where to be seen on the Radar screen.
What gives?
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Give us a bit more of a clue here ;-)
- Aircraft are showing in the list?
- Do any of them have the Globe?
- Are any aircraft appearing on the map at all?
- Can you see Network aircraft in the Network list or on the map?
- Do you have any height/range/aircraft filters set for the map?
- Are you using the standard RB antenna?
- Where do you have your antenna located?
Any chance of a screenshot of your RB interface to show us what you mean?
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- Aircraft are showing in the list?
Yes
- Do any of them have the Globe?
Yes sometimes but they disappear quite quickly unless they are close.
- Are any aircraft appearing on the map at all?
Yes.
- Can you see Network aircraft in the Network list or on the map?
Yes.
- Do you have any height/range/aircraft filters set for the map?
No.
- Are you using the standard RB antenna?
Nope an external one the BS1100 (10 meters) with a masthead preamp and the Jim amp on the BNC-SMA adapter going to the box
- Where do you have your antenna located?
About 8 meters up on a mast on my roof.
What's getting to me is that fact that the status of the aircraft change on the list but they don't show on the radar. I mean if the box can "see" that the aircraft is changing status then why not display it?
I have also notice a blin spot not to my east which was fine when using my old SBS-1.
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Right, my test here would be to run RB on a laptop outside in the open and use the standard RadarBox antenna. This will show straight away if the problem is the antenna or the receiver.
I get outstanding results with the standard antenna on the roof of the car away from buildings :-)
You could have a problem with the antenna, the pre-amp, the co-ax, or the adaptor. Do I read you right when you say you have a mast head amp and another amp where the cable goes into the hardware receiver? Isn't that a little overkill?
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If you do have mastamp and preamp you might be overloading the RadarBox as thats really increasing the signal.
As Allocator says test out with the default antenna, if that fails as well contact us directlly.
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Thanks Allocator and Support. I have had excellent results from the Jim amp, it may be as you say an overload with all the amps, so I'll try it without it for a while and see what happens.
I have already tested it with the supplied antenna, the results where noy as good as the outside mounted antenna. I will try it at a friends place who has the same box on his computer and see if we get the same results.
Thanks for all the input guys.
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I have just noticed the the heading of an aircraft on the list but not on the map (no globe icon) is changing. This is what I don't get...if it can see traffic turning and changing status its obviously getting a good ADB-B signal why wont it show it on the screen?
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Hi Storm
SSR Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS)
Mode S Enhanced Surveillance entails the use of eight Downlink Parameters as follows:
Magnetic Heading
Indicated Airspeed and/or Mach No.
Vertical Rate (climb/descend)
Selected Altitude
Ground Speed
Roll Angle
Track Angle Rate (or True Airspeed if Track Angle Rate not available)
True Track Angle
To get the globe and therefore position you need Extended Sqwitter
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Thanks dudbaker for that. My issue is that the RB can pick up the changes of its info then why doesn't it display the aircraft on the screen? It might show the traffic later or before I loose it on the screen but when the globe icon no longer show and the aircraft is off the screen how is it possible for the RB to still get updated info from the aircraft but not be able to show it on the screen?
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OK
Then I can only assume that your box is picking up EHS all the time and ES some of the time. Not necessarily a fault with the box but interferrace etc. I notice this when tracking an AA flight out of STN.
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Right, my test here would be to run RB on a laptop outside in the open and use the standard RadarBox antenna. This will show straight away if the problem is the antenna or the receiver.
I get outstanding results with the standard antenna on the roof of the car away from buildings :-)
You could have a problem with the antenna, the pre-amp, the co-ax, or the adaptor. Do I read you right when you say you have a mast head amp and another amp where the cable goes into the hardware receiver? Isn't that a little overkill?
Well I tried it without the Jim Amp and the results were much worse than with it on.
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OK
Then I can only assume that your box is picking up EHS all the time and ES some of the time. Not necessarily a fault with the box but interferrace etc. I notice this when tracking an AA flight out of STN.
Ahhh finally a diagnosis we can work with. Thanks! Is there anything that can be done about this?
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Storm,
I refer you to my earlier suggestion. By removing one of your 2 pre-amps, this really hasn't proved anything. You need to go back to the basic setup - PC, RadarBox and standard antenna.
I would also suggest change of location now if you think that it might be external interference. Have you got a laptop, or a friend with a laptop. You can install RB on as many PC's as you like, as the software will only work when it's connected to the hardware receiver.
When I'm using the laptop with RB at work, moving the standard antenna on the windowsill as little as 5 cm can make a significant difference to my coverage and number of contacts.
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Thats going to be my next test once I have time. Ill keep you posted. I have tried it on the window sill in the loft a few times I just get much less traffic but I do get traffic on the screen just not as much as with the external antenna.
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One question that nobody has asked Storm is: Where are you located?
In North America, where I am, there's still a lot of aircraft that show up on the 'my flights' screen, but not on the map because they are not required to report all of the details (i.e. position).
Just my 2 cents to try and help...
Regards,
Tony
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OK. I have just figured something out. The RB is connected to my computer via a USB Extender going to a powered USB hub to my computer.
I connected the RB via the extender directly to my machine and I got 40-70 msgs/sec more than when using the hub. The problem is that it disconnects from the RB after about 20 seconds or so. So I guess its better to connect it directly to the computer. But how do I avoid the disconnect to the box when its connected directly to the RB? Maybe its a power issue with the hub? Or could it be something else? Anyone know how I can fix this?
BTW I removed everything from the USB ports on the comp and the RB still disconnects after a few seconds.
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One question that nobody has asked Storm is: Where are you located?
In North America, where I am, there's still a lot of aircraft that show up on the 'my flights' screen, but not on the map because they are not required to report all of the details (i.e. position).
Just my 2 cents to try and help...
Regards,
Tony
Kuwait
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OK. I have just figured something out. The RB is connected to my computer via a USB Extender going to a powered USB hub to my computer.
I connected the RB via the extender directly to my machine and I got 40-70 msgs/sec more than when using the hub. The problem is that it disconnects from the RB after about 20 seconds or so. So I guess its better to connect it directly to the computer. But how do I avoid the disconnect to the box when its connected directly to the RB? Maybe its a power issue with the hub? Or could it be something else? Anyone know how I can fix this?
BTW I removed everything from the USB ports on the comp and the RB still disconnects after a few seconds.
It's amazing that your poor RadarBox even speaks to the PC - you've got so much rubbish between the box and the antenna and now you are telling us that you've got a USB extender and a powered hub between the PC and the box - just a joke, honest :-)
Am I reading this right that you still have the USB extender going from the PC to the RadarBox hardware. What sort of extender is it, how long is it and is it providing enough power to run the hardware?
I'd still go back to basics - standard USB lead to hardware and standard antenna. If there are no problems with this, then add the other bits into the system one at a time to see where the problem is.
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Well. Problem solved it was the external USB hub that was the problem. I installed a new internal USB 2.0 and viola! Picking up traffic the way I used to now!
Thanks all for the help.
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Good work Storm. It's worth working through these problems and reporting back so that other users can learn :-)
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Indeed. Do not use external hubs!