Pro Stick Plus
FlightAware is excited to announce the next evolution of USB SDR sticks for ADS-B reception! The new Pro Stick Plus USB SDR builds on the popular Pro Stick by adding a built-in 1090 MHz bandpass filter. The built-in filter allows for increased performance and range of reception by 10-20% for installations where filtering is beneficial. Areas with moderate RF noise, as is typically experienced in most urban areas, generally benefit from filtering. By integrating the filter into the SDR stick, we are able to reduce the total cost by more than 40% when compared to buying a Pro Stick and an external filter.
Key features
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Higher performance for installations that benefit from filtering
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A filter is generally recommended for users in urban environments or with known high power radio transmitters nearby such as cell phone towers. Filtering is generally not recommended for users in rural environments. Filtering benefits may vary and are dependent on the installation location.
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Includes the same low noise amplifier as found in the Pro Stick
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Native SMA connector allows easy installation
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Less expensive than buying a separate external filter (40+% savings)
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As with the Pro Stick, the Pro Stick Plus is made available to the ADS-B community at-cost.
Availability (updated 11-May-2017)
The Pro Stick Plus is available on Amazon in the USA (USD $18.95). Amazon Canada and international availability via WiFi Expert on eBay, ModMyPi (UK), MyHamPlace (China), RTL-SDR Blog (China) and GPIO Australia.
Q&A
- Is the original Pro Stick (without a filter) still available?
Yes, we are making available both products in parallel.
- How can I easily distinguish between the Pro Stick and Pro Stick Plus devices?
The Pro Stick continues to be manufactured with an orange plastic case. The Pro Stick Plus is manufactured with a dark blue plastic case. The product silkscreen labeling also reflects the respective product name, version number and functional parts.
- Can the filter on the Pro Stick Plus be turned off?
No, the filter is built-in and cannot be disabled.
- Will the Pro Stick Plus work for receiving UAT 978 signals?
No, the filter is not designed to pass the 978 MHz signal.
- If I already have a Pro Stick and external filter, should I upgrade to the Pro Stick Plus?
Our testing shows that, in general, you may achieve 10-20% more messages received with a Pro Stick Plus. This is a personal decision that you may make in order to further tweak and optimize your PiAware setup if you wish. We cannot guarantee any particular level of performance or performance improvement compared to other configurations.
- Do I still need an external filter if I use a Pro Stick Plus?
The way the filter is integrated into the Pro Stick Plus generally enhances the reception of weak signals. However, in high RF environments (with a high noise floor), such as most urban areas, the external filter may still be beneficial due to its ability to block strong interference from other radio sources. Unfortunately there is no easy way to predict in advance the exact performance of a Pro Stick, Pro Stick Plus and/or external filter in your particular environment.