Static - earthing antennas - specifically earthing Magmount types.

[malc41]

Ed

You certainly seem to have a lot of bad luck!!! with your box.

Thought of moving into W&S?

[flightchecker]

You buy spark gap thingies with PL259/SO238 connectors so that you can introduce them into a feedline but I'd be surprised if such a simple assembly would work at 1090Ghz.

Ed,

Your Virtual Radar Receiver might have gone to haden (or heaven if you prefer) long before a "spark gap" (e.e.lightning protector) fires after overriding its "predifined threshold voltage", that is probably situated well above the receivers maximum input voltage capability. They are supposed to be what they are called: "lightning protectors", not "static discharge protectors".

Of course you can purchase them specified for 1090 MHz, they will work fine as you've even experienced at lower frequencies, as "lightning protectors".

I won't follow your inner - outer - coax - static bleed - theory as described in the above. "All discussed in a lenght before". (as AirNav usually says) Maybe to look it up if you're interested.

Kind Regards, and good luck with the deaf unit.

Karl

[Speedbird London]

Bad luck for sure!!  I'm waiting for them to charge me some council tax as my 'box has been there so often.  I'm very dissapointed though, It's a great system but frustrating too as there are other flaws as well as the apparent static sensitivity problem.

The system, for no apparent reason, will often lose lock with the computer and all the flights and data dissapear until I find the USB connector, pull it out, wait a few seconds, plug it back in, it will then begin working again as if I'd just booted it up.  It will do this sometimes if I switch something on in the vicinity, a mains powered power supply for example.

The software does odd things from time to time too, but I can live with all that, I just want it to keep working!

[daveg4otu]

The system, for no apparent reason, will often lose lock with the computer and all the flights and data disapear until I find the USB connector, pull it out, wait a few seconds, plug it back in, it will then begin working again as if I'd just booted it up. etc .etc.

This is far more likely to be a  fault with the PC or the mains supply rather than the RB ....particularly if switching   something remote on/off  causes  glitches.

 For a start of it might be as well to thoroughly check your USB   software
( System/Hardware/device manager/USB etc ....

Check the properties for each item ...

Try using different USB slot, different USB cable.

You could  try reinstalling  the USB software.....


Go into device manager
Select a USB controller, right click, select delete.
Dothis for each controller.
Shut down the computer.
Start up computer.
The drivers will load or reinstall themselves automatically.
 You will see the progress of the reinstallation on the task bar.



Check the mains sockets, and  equipment mains plugs for loose connections ( turn  off Mains breaker of first if checking the wall sockets.)

Lastly the PSU itself may  be the cause - it may not be fully capable of supplying the required  load...it may be dieing or unstable.

Download and install Motherboard Monitor (Free - Google it)- this will give you a readout of voltages ( + text log_) ,.... all voltages (12V/5V/3.3V) should at all times remain within +/- 5% of nominal.

[flightchecker]

The system, for no apparent reason, will often lose lock with the computer and all the flights and data dissapear until I find the USB connector, pull it out, wait a few seconds, plug it back in, it will then begin working again as if I'd just booted it up.  It will do this sometimes if I switch something on in the vicinity, a mains powered power supply for example.

Not shure, if your PC and its periphery itself is the "troublemaker", Ed.
I suffered a similar problem originated by a tiny lamp, with its halogen bulb connected to a transformer, whose inductance !!! sent its transients into the surrounding mains when connected. (switched on)

Consequently  I've added a lot !!! of "ferrit - clamps" to all those USB etc. cabling, entering the PC.

"Silence since then"

Give it a try,

Karl.

[flightchecker]

Unbelievable Dave !!!

both of us posting almost simultanously, even argueing (arguing?) similar. Good ideas, your additional.

Karl 

[imropes]

I had exactly the same problem when i started with rb. Itwas a nasty cheap lamp bought from a high street catalog shop. took me a couple of weeks to work it out. Keep them away from computer and dont use off adapter computer is using !

[juangelb]

Hi people.

Yeah ... I really do not understand the reason for several persons having problems With RBs ... static from antennae or whatever else
I have 3 Rbs, two off them are from the first one manufactured and the third one from almost one year ago.
Did lots of kind testing situations, have they catch rain letting the window open.., never disconncted from antennae even when a lot  of bolts were overhead, and the only time disconnected antena was (handred of times) for connecting another antenna for testing purposes.
Have let them remotely using Ubox, first from a whole year at buenos Aitres, and now let one RB + Ubox on the top of a 6 NM away building (snif, snif.... stayed there alone... far from my hands..) and connecting to  RB trough Ubox + Internet...
Even in one of my testing, connected Ubox to a 6 Volts battery, and it was very charged, so the voltage was around 7 Volts !
Well, I can say that i exposed 3 RBs to a wide variety of uncommon situations, and till now the 3 RBs are working fine.
Also I understand that between the sky and the earth, there are lot of things that perhaps we do not understand....
So I wish a better luck from here for all that already had problems with RBs.

Best wishes - Juan

[flightchecker]

Congrets Juan, lucky guy!!! Will cross fingers that everything remains as is until now.

Karl

[juangelb]

Hi Fligh Checker,

Thanks a lot for the crossed fingers, but a cool analize of how I handled 3 RadarBoxes till now... it is possible to suppose that I worked a lot trying to destroy at least one of them... without success.....

Ok, Ok.... I did not try to threw one of them trough the window yet....
As I live at 15th floor....  I think that it probably will not survive ... hahhhahhhha

Maybe.... if I´ll find an enemy of mine walking at groud level...... Who knows..
probably if I´ll dont find anythigh else......  I still can trow to his head an SBS ...
Shure I will fell less .....   Hqahahhhhhha


NOTE : nothigh against SBS-1 ... I also have one....


Cheers....   Take it easy .... Ok, Ok maybe I should not joke with this....
Since there are several people frustrated with the reported RB failig....
But it is needed to analize the overall environment.... for instance :
1- What is the quality of Your electic cabling at home ? (Even when in 1st world it should be not an issue)
2- What the quality of Your groundig in electic cabling at home ?
3- How You handle the RB, computer, etc ... I read about one guy that inedvertily destroyed RB that falled to ground and broke the usb connector....
4- And so on..... OK, OK I am a suspected guy since i worked for 23 years for IBM and more 10 years in networking, internet etc, etc.....
Bur, You can believe.... I don´t think that it is needed  to cross the fingers for something to work or something do not stop working.... It is pure technology,
no need of miracles, no need of praying.... etc...


Note : I do not inted with this to joke with the problems of an frustrating experience of someno.ne had ..
I only (as I stated on before posted) That there it is more things that wee are able to see or analize...
So, Believe it or not, in my opinion, RB is strong, neddless to say the anvantage on being very user friendly...

Abviously I would prefer that everyone RB owner would be as happy as me with his own adoult´s toy !!

But... as wee know... the world is not as perfect as wee would like...

Best regards. Juan

[flightchecker]

But... as wee know... the world is not as perfect as wee would like...

Agree Juan !

Cheers Karl

[Roadrunner]

Have been reading this thread with interest as my box is S/n 000099 which is definately one of the first batch!.

I have had it nearly 2 years now and had no problems with static. However, I still only use the supplied aerial on a windowsill with very occassional taking over my "other" devices" loft aerial with no bad effects whatsoever. What does worry me know is if I do have any sort of static problem with it would I have to pay for the repair and would it have to go back to the manufacturer as I got mine long before agents existed in the UK.

Regards

Mike

[AirNav Support]

Hi Mike,

Any static issues with the first batch would be fixed free of charge by us, regardless if its in warranty.

[CoastGuardJon]

Any static issues with the first batch would be fixed free of charge by us, regardless if its in warranty.

Can't say fairer than that!!!    Well done AN.

[Speedbird London]

"Can't say fairer than that!!!    Well done AN"

Shouldn't happen in the first place though,  especially more than once...