Radarbox faulty? low "my flights" count

[knight01]

I got my box back about a week ago and the engineers comments were "dry joints on saw filter, resoldered".
I upgraded to v3.13 and reset the polar diagram.

The first screenshot (taken 03 Nov. 09) shows the polar diagram before I noticed the drop in flights.

The second screenshot (taken 19 Dec. 09) shows the latest polar diagram.  This diagram has been building for about a week.

As can be seen the reception area has reduced, could this be related to the reduction in flights.  I'm now only getting around 60-75 flights.  When I reported the problem and stated earlier in the thread, I was getting around 100-110 flights, when I purchased the box in Aug. 09 I was getting 180+ flights.  
I think the box may be defective (i.e. saw filter), and its gradually getting worse.  

As Canonjohns40D said in a earlier post, has the sensitivity been reduced in the new software.  I don't really want to send it back to W&S second time, as it costs £6 postage and I have a feeling nothing will be done.

This is a great product and its true when people say its addictive.

What are my options, do I wait and see what happens or do I send it back again and hope it gets fixed.

I've e-mailed support and await their reply.

Thanks

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi

i did wonder about sensitivity but never really got an answer. If the spikes disappered then how was it achieved??

Here is my polar diagram reset 11 December it is very good coverage i think. see 1st polar diagram.

However pre 3.13beta and 2010 3.13 i had the polar diagram out to and beyond both the inner and outer white dotted max range lines. see second polar diagram

Again not a complaint just interested to note that there does appear to be a reduction in range and number of aircraft some users are getting.

John

[skyking44]

I had similar problems to those being discussed here.  I bought a RB earlier this year and it lost sensitivity suddenly one day.  I was seeing 1,200 to 1,300 aircraft per day and then it just dropped to 400 per day.   Customer service told me to return it but when I went to UPS they told me it would cost me $120 in shipping to the UK (wish they had US support facility).  I purchased another RB in the mean time and the number of aircraft shot back up to the previous numbers of 1,200+ per day.

[bratters]

The difficulty here is that there is no "standard" performance to measure a box against. You get what you get and you try for improvements by changing position or aerial or whatever, but you have no way of knowing whether your actual box is working properly or not.
I get 1500 flights a day; you get 600 flights a day but who can say whether it's location, aerial or box?
When things go pear-shaped and the box needs repair then subsequently you might identify any improvement or deterioration. Obviously Airnav know how many - or more likely how few boxes are subject to repair but nobody knows how many boxes are out there working below par - and with owners in total ignorance of anything wrong.

Bit of a conundrum this one.

[EK01]

The difficulty here is that there is no "standard" performance to measure a box against. You get what you get and you try for improvements by changing position or aerial or whatever, but you have no way of knowing whether your actual box is working properly or not.
I get 1500 flights a day; you get 600 flights a day but who can say whether it's location, aerial or box?
When things go pear-shaped and the box needs repair then subsequently you might identify any improvement or deterioration. Obviously Airnav know how many - or more likely how few boxes are subject to repair but nobody knows how many boxes are out there working below par - and with owners in total ignorance of anything wrong.

Bit of a conundrum this one.

Don't forget to add the natural reduction in flight schedules from the summer to the winter season.

[Canonjohns40D]

Hi

i did wonder about sensitivity but never really got an answer. If the spikes disappered then how was it achieved??

Here is my polar diagram reset 11 December it is very good coverage i think. see 1st polar diagram.

However pre 3.13beta and 2010 3.13 i had the polar diagram out to and beyond both the inner and outer white dotted max range lines. see second polar diagram

Again not a complaint just interested to note that there does appear to be a reduction in range and number of aircraft some users are getting.

John

Hi  I reset my polar diagram a week ago and just noticed today mid afternoon a single spike. (Screenshot included) This is much further than any other points on the diagram. However it is in an area and distance I was achieving before 2010-3.13.

Just wondering if it is a change in weather etc conditions or a freak one off spike??

John

[bratters]

I occasionally get a single spike John. Got one at present from a week or two ago which runs for about 280nm bearing app.175 degrees from EGXN - Newton - and petering out near LFRM - Le Mans.

It's in a favoured direction for me so I would put it down to a very high altitude flight. Unfortunately didn't notice anythng until too late to look into it in more detail.

[jannuh]

Hi
i did wonder about sensitivity but never really got an answer. If the spikes disappered then how was it achieved??
Just wondering if it is a change in weather etc conditions or a freak one off spike??
John

I have also some spikes to the West, England East Coast, a further direction which is very low on distance; never seen a plane "inside"the spike area.
To the south I've seen a lot of planes in Switzerland, but since about 6 weeks don't see any activity overthere.
Don't know if it has to do with lower air activity, less dx possibilities on SHF freq. or???

[donburrows]

they said the same to me its been away nearly 3 weeks now

[KevinB]

I experienced the same as many others, reduced range and reduced number of flights. Sent the Radarbox back 3 weeks ago and am still waiting for it to come back. I still think it is strange that so many of us experienced similar symptoms around the time of 3.13 installation. Maybe just a coincidence or not? Have been lost without the box over the extended holiday period!

[Allocator]

RB V3.13 did correct an error that was introduced with some beta versions where the Polar Diagram produced a diagram that included some of the Network tracks and appeared to almost doubled the 'range' of hits.  If you had used any of the beta versions, you might have though that this was normal and the corrected version 3.13 may have given the perception that range had decreased?

[AirNav Support]

Purely coincidental KevinB. Version 3.13 has no affect on the firmware of the hardware and hence would have no affect on it.

There have been some parts which we have been short of and the holiday period has also meant a few delays. Once things open up fully next week you should have your Box back as soon as possible.

[KevinB]

I was comparing the 3.13 polar diagram with that I'd obtained from the original 2009 disc version when I purchased the RadarBox last March. I must have only noticed it when I installed 3.13 and reset the polar diagram. I also noticed that at about the same time I stopped receiving US Military transmissions on the GAPLI-GITUS-MAM route which is what really alerted me to the reduced range. As AirNav Support have said it must just be coincidence. I will have to remain patient and wait for my box to come back. Strange how addictive this hobby becomes!

[CoastGuardJon]

Hello AirNav Support,

Is there anybody there?

My RB came back from W&S under ticket no. 61599 first week of December, died again 22/12, got home Tuesday 29/12 and re-checked RB - still U/S on another standard antenna - neither of which have been used outside - no chance of external/weather static discharge.

I've requested a Returns Ticket no. now 3 times - Tuesday, Wednesday evenings and again last night - nothing heard from you yet.

[bratters]

Jon - why not send it direct to W&S?

Enclose copy of your "proof of purchase" receipt, copy of the last repair note and brief explanation of what's up with it. Post guaranteed delivery by lunchtime tomorrow @c£5 in a good Jiffy bag and I'll bet it's back within 5 working days.

Happy New Year mate and better luck to both of us with reliability.

John