Loss of Range

[9M-ISJ]

So is it just ACW367 and I who are down (seriously!) on numbers??

I have looked over all the connections in my set up and nothing looks broken.

I have tried connecting the 'stock' aerial (with it sitting on my window ledge - from where you can see LHR with the naked eye) to the Radarbox and basically the only pings on the screen are from LHR. Nothing in the holds, nothing going through the zone.

So the unit is giving rubbish returns with both ariels. Therefore I have to conclude that its either atmospherics or something wrong with the unit itself.

Only way to prove/disprove that I can think of would be for me to put my Radarbox into somebody elses rig and see if it returns less than their unit. Anybody willing to help?

[bratters]

Atmospherical interference to that extent seems unlikely in the extreme. 

[Allocator]

9M-ISJ,

Did you plug the RB back into the smae USB port when you came back from the states?

When you look at My Computer > Propertive > Hardware > USB devices, is AirNav RadarBox listed?  If so, when you right click on RadarBox and look at the driver properties, are you actually using the correct driver?

See this video:

http://www.airnavsystems.com/radarbox/video/Drivers.wmv

[bratters]

Further to the above, my numbers are normal and include an Easyjet at distance 150nm FL38 which is approaching max. range for me.

[9M-ISJ]

OK, so what else could be strangling my range?

The unit is working, up to a point (my outter limit of pick ups seems to be 35miles now which is down from about 200miles prior to my trip).

Logic says that something must have worked loose, or no longer making full connection.

The SMA on the back of the unit, seems to still be attached to the unit as it should be. The female part of the inner stub of the unit is flush with the plastic drum in the middle. I believe this is in order?

I would have expected the unit to stop working totally if it was damaged??

Really stressed out now! I love my RB, it helps me to make so many numbers... I hate to think of life with it working no better than this

[jgrloit]

The centre pin should protrude to the level of the lockdown surround.
Being flush tends to imply that the braid or screen is not connected electrically.

the centre pin MUST make contact with the inner section of the socket.

[Allocator]

did you read this, what can you see for the driver?

9M-ISJ,

Did you plug the RB back into the same USB port when you came back from the states?

When you look at My Computer > Properties > Hardware > USB devices, is AirNav RadarBox listed?  If so, when you right click on RadarBox and look at the driver properties, are you actually using the correct driver?

See this video:

http://www.airnavsystems.com/radarbox/video/Drivers.wmv

If you plugged RB into a different USB port and let Windows install the wrong driver, this would be a problem.

[9M-ISJ]

Hi,

Allocator...

I didnt pull the USB wire out of the desktop. I left it plugged in, and used another wire to connect up to the laptop while traveling.

Jgrloit...

Looking at the SMA connector on the back of the RB unit. The brass female plug is flush inside the white plastic drum. It is neither stucking out nor is it pushed into the white plastic.

The white plastic drum itself is sitting about 4mms lower than the surface of the threaded barrel onto which the male SMA goes.

[viking9]

But is the centre pin protruding about 2 mm from the plastic insulator?

BTW, as you have a laptop, why not take it and the RB out to some high ground, plug the whip antenna in and see what reception is like.

Tom

[Allocator]

Hi,

Allocator...

I didnt pull the USB wire out of the desktop. I left it plugged in, and used another wire to connect up to the laptop while traveling.

OK, but it's still worth checking that you are running the correct version of the driver - but it's up to you if you don't want to check it.

[Allocator]

This is what the centre pin in the antenna plug should look like.

[9M-ISJ]

OK Allocator,

Done that and all is in order. It reports driver version 2.2.4.0

Viking 9,

I will take the unit out with me to work tomorrow (there is no high ground round here, but I know what you mean)

When you say the center pin sticking out 2mms, I take it you mean in the coax coming from the aerial?

In which case yes it is. Both on the loft mounted one, and on the stock one which came with the unit.

For what its worth I think it is significant that when testing with the stock aerial i get even less pick ups on the screen. (Currently down from 15 to 6) and going back to when I first got the unit there wasnt much difference between the two aerials.

It seems to me that something inside the unit seems to have come loose and is stopping nine tenths of the signal getting through.

[bratters]

Haven't seen inside the box myself but understand that the connector is not securely fastened to the frame of the box by a couple of threaded nuts but attached inside the box by solders - in the opinion of my informant a surprisingly weak and insecure connection that can easily be broken by undue pressure on the brass connector when attaching/detaching aerials or placing any strain on the connector - this results in reduction and loss of signals. Is there any movement in the brass connector/sidewall? if so, that's probably your answer.

(If this all a load of horlicks I apologise in advance and Airnav will no doubt intervene)

[viking9]

Well, if you get it out in the clear and you are still only showing a small number of flights then it would indicate it's the box.

Tom

[9M-ISJ]

Haven't seen inside the box myself but understand that the connector is not securely fastened to the frame of the box by a couple of threaded nuts but attached inside the box by solders - in the opinion of my informant a surprisingly weak and insecure connection that can easily be broken by undue pressure on the brass connector when attaching/detaching aerials or placing any strain on the connector - this results in reduction and loss of signals. Is there any movement in the brass connector/sidewall? if so, that's probably your answer.

(If this all a load of horlicks I apologise in advance and Airnav will no doubt intervene)

Hi,

There seems to be no play in the SMA connector at all.

I set up and broke down the unit twice per day while I was away (we had the unit running in the hire car all the time we were spotting),, so I am guessing this could be the root of the problem.

The unit was never dropped, and was transported in my hand luggage.

However it is hard to get away from the point that the aerial was screwed in and out 20 or more times during the trip, where as at home it would never have been touched