How about a Gain control?

[RodBearden]

Problem:

Now I’ve got my roof aerial up (literally) and running, MyFlights is crowded with planes, many of which aren’t broadcasting location information. I see a dot in the sky and think, which one of the bizjets, military aircraft or turboprops in the list is that?

Possible solution:

Would it be possible to have some sort of gain control in MyFlights, so that we could turn down the range of aircraft being detected? I realise that this might not be perfect – I assume that aircraft transmitters may vary in power, but it might possibly help in identifying local aircraft.

Any thoughts?

Rod

[Allocator]

Problem:

Now I’ve got my roof aerial up (literally) and running, MyFlights is crowded with planes, many of which aren’t broadcasting location information. I see a dot in the sky and think, which one of the bizjets, military aircraft or turboprops in the list is that?

Possible solution:

Would it be possible to have some sort of gain control in MyFlights, so that we could turn down the range of aircraft being detected? I realise that this might not be perfect – I assume that aircraft transmitters may vary in power, but it might possibly help in identifying local aircraft.

Any thoughts?

Rod

Rod,

You already have this function for the map, but not the aircraft lists.  So a number of ideas here:

- To restrict the range on the map, use Advanced | Range and set the position and range and click the range button.

- Click the ADS-B Only button to only show aircraft in the list with positions (The button is to the right of the Filter and Show All buttons on the MyLog tab - you might not see this if you have the map window too bog)

- To show aircraft not giving position information, set the MyLog Quick Filter to Latitude = 0 and this will show only those not on the map.

- To restrict the range of detected aircraft, try screening your antenna - not as good as a gain control, but this might work.

[RodBearden]

Many thanks for the suggestions, Allocator. My first thoughts are, and please correct me if I’m wrong:

Suggestion 1 surely works only with aircraft transmitting position information anyway. I want to identify the ones near me that aren’t transmitting it.

Suggestions 2 and 3 are useful, - I hadn’t thought of that Latitude = 0 trick - but at the moment, MyFlights is showing 80-odd aircraft: each suggestion just about halves that, still leaving about 40 possibilities for that anonymous dot in the sky overhead.

Suggestion 3 would require a long ladder, nerves of steel, and athleticism that left me years ago!

For now, I think I still want that gain control.

Any more ideas?

Rod

[Roadrunner]

Do What I do - keep the aerial on the Den windowsill which I know will only give me about 80 mile arc SW-W-NW-N - which just happens to be the main direction for approaching USAF Mil traffic :-)

I use ADS-B traffic to get the aerial position about right and then leave it running.

Mike

[RodBearden]

Hi Mike

I just invested in an external aerial - I'm on a hill anyway, and I'm delighted that without the network, I can now track aircraft from the North Sea to the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland, and from Edinburgh to Bristol.

I don't want to lose that, but I also want to occasionally restrict my reception to local flights. Perhaps I should just keep the other aerial next to the computer and swap them over. Fiddly, though... perhaps a switch?????

Rod

[Allocator]

Suggestion 3 would require a long ladder, nerves of steel, and athleticism that left me years ago!

Visions of you balancing on the roof wrapping tin foil around your new antenna - aggghhhhhh - don't do it :-)

I think that you are the first person asking how to get less traffic rather that more - I bet AirNav Development didn't think of that one!  Just imagine the sales pitch "RadarBox, it's so sensitive 
and picks up so many aircraft so you need the new attenuator function"  ha ha!

Yes you are right about the range filter, this only works with aircraft showing on the map.

Allocator

[Cumulus]

Hi Rod,

You could consider using a Manual Step Attenuator. Expect to pay £60-£100 for a reconditioned unit or maybe you could be lucky on an Ebay deal.

The problem is that at 1090MHz they don't come cheap.

http://www.weinschel.com/PRDMMSTP.HTM

PM me if you need more info.

Peter

[RodBearden]

Allocator - I see the Latitude = 0 tip has just appeared in the FAQ's - nice one! And I'll take your advice about not wrapping the antenna in foil - it's still pretty windy here today, and my own ladder doesn't reach it anyway!

Peter - thanks for the tip, but I've already spent enough on my current setup, and this manual step attenuator thingy sounds a bit tech-ie for me.

I wonder if AirNav will give us a clue whether they can give us a software gain control - I suppose it depends on whether the software can ask the RadarBox what each message's signal strength is.

Hmmmm... we'll see....

Rod

[AirNav Support]

It can't I am afraid. There is no signal details sent across to the software.

You are indeed the first to ask to reduce coverage :)

[RodBearden]

Ah, well, thanks for the answer.

I'll have to resort to the trusty binoculars!

Rod