rain problems..

[bratters]

yep thanks , wait and see once the rain goes, i have spoken to the retailer who says if still a problem we can take it and connect to his set up and see what we get otherwise he will have to send it back for repair, thanks anyway

That's the right move. Hope it turns out OK.

BTW what's the problem with cost of an external aerial? Is it purely postage or do you have to pay some sort of import duty? We can ship to UK from the States at quite reasonable prices.

[springbok]

for instance the radar rama antenna is 50 pounds which in Rand is nearly R600 and the cost of postage is around another 35 pounds so in rands it starts to get expensive, and to courier it costs around 125 pounds... my sister is visiting in the UK in july and the idea will be for her to bring it back which should be a cheaper option..

[CoastGuardJon]

Hi Springbok, I also used the standard supplied antenna outside and it only lasted a couple of months, when I took it apart, water/damp had penetrated the base, the copper wire hads corroded badly and disintegrated, chopping the doenlead into 6" sections, the damp penetration had gone right down to the SMA plug.   Resultant effect on the RB was exactly what you're experiencing, so I would suggest if the first instance to dis-assemble the antenna base, peel off the sticky back plastic, and prise out the magnet/screen, and have a look!

I've since dis-assembled another 2 standard antennas, soldered them up properly, pumped them full of electricians' silicone grease (NOT silicone sealant, which'll eat copper) and one of them, has now been outside for some 8 months, and is providing superb signals.

I did write up a post on how to weather-proof the standard antenna, and will find the link if you want it, but before worrying about the Box have a good a look inside the antenna base.

[springbok]

thanks will check that, i have brought the antenna down and still no great shakes, although i had rapped a plastic sandwich bag around the base to try to keep it dry and unfortunately it was all very wet... will have a look inside....

[AirNav Support]

springbok,

Sorry to hear of your issues. There was a mistake in earlier manuals and if your box is suffering from issues they will be no problem it getting it repaired by us. It will be covered under warranty.

[Allocator]

Hi again - from what you say I think the damage may be more serious. The fact that you can only see aircraft virtually overhaed suggests that the SAW filter in your box has been damaged. There has been chapter and verse about this on the forum with long discussions about cause - static from non-earthed external aerials etc. - but the supplied aerial being used outside is one of the prime suspects.

It's happened to me (a window ledge) and it's happened to others.

I'm surprised the (latest?) instructions say it's not an internal antenna - strange, because it is.

If the filter's blown you need to send the box back and get it replaced. The best course of action is to contact Airnav Support and explain what's going on and they will advise you what to do. They monitor the board anyway so will possibly already be aware.
Mention the "external use only instruction". Something radically wrong there..

Good luck.
John

 This is what the V4.03 Help file says about the antenna:

· The supplied RadarBox antenna is not intended to be mounted permanently outdoors.

· The antenna should ideally be positioned with a clear view of the sky and clear of obstructions.

· The higher the antenna, the better the performance.

· Performance is enhanced by a "ground-plane" which is simply a metal disk the size of a CD or larger. Attach the magnetic antenna to the center of the disk

· The longer the feed cable, the poorer the performance.

[springbok]

springbok,

Sorry to hear of your issues. There was a mistake in earlier manuals and if your box is suffering from issues they will be no problem it getting it repaired by us. It will be covered under warranty.

thanks, i will be returning to the local dealer on tuesday who will return it for the repair, unfortunately living in south africa it is a rather long distance to send it back for repair...also as a person just starting out with this hobby when you see in the manual ....This is not an internal antenna.... you take that as meaning that there is no problem with it being outside, anyway i have managed to find a company in SA which can make an external antenna for about half the cost of importing one so whilst the box is being fixed i can get that made up and installed..

[Allocator]

I must admit that I interpreted the manual guidance to say that you wouldn't get decent performance if you had the antenna on top of your PC in a basement flat - rather than 'You must mount this antenna outside 24 hours of the day'.

Mind you. I did use the standard antenna outside on a Velux window for 6 months without any issues.

I suppose in this day and age when you have to put messages like 'Don't set fire to yourself' on a box of matches, then it all becomes clear - lol

[springbok]

the manual i got with my box says

 

Antenna Positioning
RadarBox comes with a small magnetic base antenna and this antenna has been selected for its
excellent performance when used with the hardware receiver and AirNav software. Correct positioning
of the antenna is essential in order to gain maximum performance as ADS-B signals are transmitted in
the 1090 MHz Ultra High Frequency band, which is eight times higher than VHF aircraft voice
communications.  In order to achieve
maximum performance and to ensure good range and coverage, the following points should be noted:
· The RadarBox antenna is not an internal antenna.
· The antenna should ideally be positioned outdoors and clear of obstructions.
· The higher the antenna, the better the performance.
· Performance is enhanced by a "ground-plane" which is simply a metal disk the size of a CD or
larger. Attach the magnetic antenna to the center of the disk
· The longer the feed cable, the poorer the performance.

so to accept this and use it outside is understandable if the manufacturer says it is okay to do so...

[orkney]

the manual i got with my box says

 

Antenna Positioning
RadarBox comes with a small magnetic base antenna and this antenna has been selected for its
excellent performance when used with the hardware receiver and AirNav software. Correct positioning
of the antenna is essential in order to gain maximum performance as ADS-B signals are transmitted in
the 1090 MHz Ultra High Frequency band, which is eight times higher than VHF aircraft voice
communications.  In order to achieve
maximum performance and to ensure good range and coverage, the following points should be noted:
· The RadarBox antenna is not an internal antenna.
· The antenna should ideally be positioned outdoors and clear of obstructions.
· The higher the antenna, the better the performance.
· Performance is enhanced by a "ground-plane" which is simply a metal disk the size of a CD or
larger. Attach the magnetic antenna to the center of the disk
· The longer the feed cable, the poorer the performance.

so to accept this and use it outside is understandable if the manufacturer says it is okay to do so...

hello

here is an extract from the manual we got. It advises against outdoor mounting

Andrew

[Runway 31]

I think we have already established that there is an error in some manuals and that is why Airnav have stated the warranty will cover the repair.


Alan

[springbok]

finally got it back today and it was the saw filter that was the problem..