Defective RadarBox?

[Santi]

After waiting almost two months for the RB to arrive after purchase, I feel quite frustrated since it appears to be quite deaf.
I live close to a quite busy airport (about 5 NM away), have a clear horizon for the operations of the airport and far beyond (sea horizon), live in a penthouse and the antenna sees any flying object until it dissapears beyond the horizon.
The matter is that my RB only detects "my traffic" now and then and only within about 10 NM around my home, arcraft appearing and dissappearing from the screen even when I (and the antenna) have it in sight at short distances. Antenna connections etc. checked for good connections.

[Allocator]

Santi,

Welcome to the forum!

Is your antenna located inside your apartment behind the windows or have you got it outside?

Where about in the world are you, there might be another RadarBox user nearby who can compare the traffic that they are receiving.

Regards

Allocator

[Santi]

Living in Barcelona, Spain. Antenna located outside.

[Allocator]

OK Santi, you should be getting traffic OK there I would have thought.  Do you get more than 10 aircraft showing in the MyFlights aircraft list, or are you saying that you get plenty of aircraft in the list but only 10 give you positions?

If you look at the plug on the end of your antenna lead, is the centre pin sticking out far enough to go into the socket on the Radarbox receiver?

If you look at the Hardware properties for RadarBox, do you see the correct driver installed? - see this video on the AirNav support page for an explanation:

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

[Allocator]

A screen shot of traffic in your area as showing via the network right now.

[malc41]

Santi is it possible for you to take your radar box mobile, and see if that is any better?

[AirNav Support]

Santi,

"The matter is that my RB only detects "my traffic" now " Not sure what you mean by that. Are you saying your can't see network traffic?

[Santi]

Santi,

"The matter is that my RB only detects "my traffic" now " Not sure what you mean by that. Are you saying your can't see network traffic?

I ment "The matter is that my RB only detects "my traffic" now-and-then", meaning in a discontinuous way (intermitently)

[atcukmatty]

have you got any filters set...just as a possibility? Check by going to the Filter bar, then advanced and click range make sure the box is unticked

[fatkat]

as suggested you need to take the unit and a computer to a location that has a good clear alround view ...  and see if the box works..

check to make certain the aerial is connecting properly ....the gold pin is in place ..

make certain the small aerial is sat on its metal disc   and is as high as you can get it ....

[malc41]

as suggested you need to take the unit and a computer to a location that has a good clear alround view ...  and see if the box works..

check to make certain the aerial is connecting properly ....the gold pin is in place ..

make certain the small aerial is sat on its metal disc   and is as high as you can get it ....

usually find this sorts out the good box from the deaf one

[Santi]

Back home from holidays.
I have checked the continuity of the center lead of the antenna cable and found it open (infinite resistance). Is there any capacitor in serial connection to this lead in the base of the antenna? or, simply, have I a broken antenna cable? 
 
 
 

[Santi]

I have had enough guts and have the antenna base opened: EUREKA!!!
Ihave found the inner lead of the cable was not soldered to the antenna attachment piece. It was not long enough to keep in touch to the antenna piece.
There was a tiny ball of soldering material at the bottom of the antenna piece but it didn´t enclose the core lead of the cable. I have made a tiny extension of the lead by soldering some copper wire to it,  just to reach the soldering point at the base of the antenna attachment. Now I have a good electrical connection between the antenna and the SMB connector. I expect that tomorrow will see what other people see with their RB´s.
.... No capacitors in there....
I guess these are not good news for Airnav Systems and, particularly, for its Quality Control department.

[Fenris]

I have had enough guts and have the antenna base opened: EUREKA!!!
Ihave found the inner lead of the cable was not soldered to the antenna attachment piece. It was not long enough to keep in touch to the antenna piece.
There was a tiny ball of soldering material at the bottom of the antenna piece but it didn´t enclose the core lead of the cable. I have made a tiny extension of the lead by soldering some copper wire to it,  just to reach the soldering point at the base of the antenna attachment. Now I have a good electrical connection between the antenna and the SMB connector. I expect that tomorrow will see what other people see with their RB´s.
.... No capacitors in there....
I guess these are not good news for Airnav Systems and, particularly, for its Quality Control department.

I expect that they buy in the antennas from a supplier, so actually it's their supplier that needs to be made aware of these faults. It may be that they have already done this.

[73TORANA!]

Also If you suffer from the box droping out try another USB lead I had to keep removing my lead then refit it to the USB port to get it going again . A new USB lead fixed it.