RadarBox filter kinda butchers my range

[finchang]

Let me preface this by saying that I'm using RPi4 with the RadarBox stick with rather great results. However since I live in an apartment my effective range is just around 180 degrees, however after switching from a generic DVB-T to the RadarBox stick I noticed a big difference in messages from even directly behind the building.This made me want to try to get just a little more range behind the building because I'm just barely reaching the main airport hub in the country - so I ordered the RadarBox filter.

However it seems that the filter only makes things worse. I ran the tests (images below) before and after, and while it does seem that the filter does reduce the GSM signal and boost the message rate a little it also seems to have massive impact in most non-direct flights making them not show up at all. Flights that come directly at me seem to work out rather well, just a little decrease in rate compared to before, but I feel that the message rate has increased a little.

Is there anything I can do about this or should I just not use the filter in the first place?

[Runway 31]

I note you said you were looking for an increase in range but the filter will not increase your range it will just cut out the GSM crap and should hopefully allow you to see more plots and messages

What do you mean non-direct flights that don't show?

It also looks like the interference is around 950, well clear of 1090, was it a 1090 filter you ordered

Alan

[finchang]

I see, however what I'm seeing is a great decrease in range (planes start dropping out/appearing at 250km, where before they could go well over 300km) while maybe having slight increase in the message rate.

What do you mean non-direct flights that don't show?

See the image, those are my ranges with a generic DVB-T dongle and then replacing that with the green RB stick, no filters. What I mean is that with the filter installed I no longer seem to get much more than 10km range behind the building, and all the flights on the sides are getting picked badly or practically not at all if they are outside of the "original" range.

And yes, it was the 1090 filter. I don't even see any other filters on the store page.

I think I'll let it run for today to make sure as there was pretty much no traffic last night anyway, but so far it seems that I'm getting overall much better results with just the green stick alone.

[Runway 31]

Please note that the Flightstick already has a filter within so adding another filter will cause issues, don't use the additional filter use only the Flightstick

Alan