Pre-built PiAware now available for sale

If you or someone you know wants to build a PiAware but want someone else to assemble it to you, the units are now available for sale through a FlightAware reseller via Amazon (US only) and eBay (worldwide shipping). If you buy via Amazon, use the discount code H5HN648W for 5% off.

Hi,

Is this compatible with PI 3?

Thanks,

Yes

I noticed no lightning surge arrestors on that outdoor kit. For t hose of you who are planning on purchasing an outdoor system, I strongly recommend that you place one in the system to your ground.

Reference for installation: l-com.com/images/Coax_Protector_Diagram.jpg

Depending on the gender terminations you need here are some examples:
amzn.com/B01E2URC8G
amzn.com/B00L286C1U

You can now buy the bundle with a Lightning arrester: amazon.com/dp/B01GIHIL3Q
Also here is the lightning arrester by itself: amazon.com/dp/B01GIHKO40

Lovin’ the bundle, cool package. :slight_smile:

Received the made up kit from USA, plugged in USB dongle, the SD card the LAN cable and switched it on, outside aerial, NIL ZIP nothing green light on dongle very little else.
I am not a Linux junkie and need to find a hi def video monitor to follow flightawares instructions.
These boxes are not for novices or newbies.
No instructions and have no idea what the IP address is that it has that talks to my ADSL modem, so not surprised Flight Aware did not find it.
The other items I have been experimenting with are the 5890 dongle and it works fine to show me local traffic but wont network for me.

If someone would care to post full newbie setup instructions here I would appreciate it…

And YES
Have the bandpass filter in
and outside 5db aerial which is seeing out to 150km.
I’m in country 300k from most traffic on air-routes that are 30-40000 feet above

1000 MHz aerial?

A co linear on roof top at 3 metres unlikely to be zapped by static.

Anyone can argue that just because it hasn’t happened to them means it’s unlikely to happen to someone else but being that I live in a very lightning active area, I have no questions about if I should put lightning protection on my system, the only questions I have are what and how many protections.

I’ve even gone so far as to set my system up so that when it moves to mast mounted antenna outside, the entire assembly is outside and only fiber optic cable comes back into my house from it.

Lightning will strike when & where it wants to. No equipment has been invented yet to prevent lightning from striking. When there is a direct lightning hit, it is your life and house which are the main victims. Think of protecting your life & house, rather than protecting your equipment.

https://i2.wp.com/www.capturedlightning.com/frames/human_LF2.jpg . https://i2.wp.com/www.geekologie.com/2009/02/04/lightning-cow.jpg



Photo of Lightning Bolt by bidgee

That’s the theory that I am using. The equipment is all going outside and no new copper will come inside the walls of my house, only fiber optic cable will be new to bring the signal in. Last thing I want is the insurance company complaining that it was improperly installed and denying a claim (of course this is even on the backburner when it comes to safety of the occupants).

By discussing lightning protection in this thread, we have diverted it from its topic. See the post linked below. Lets discuss ligthening in that thread:

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIGHTING PROTECTION OF BUILDING, AND SURGE/LIGHTNING PROTECTION OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

All it takes is wind to create static to zap your radio.

http://discussions.flightaware.com/post183532.html#p183532

Use an HD TV plugged into the HDMI socket on the Pi or a 3.5mm jack to phono to plug into an low def TV

Try the ‘fing’ application on your smartphone to find the Pi IP address, or you could go into the management pages on your router to find it

This is US / Canada centric, but if it’s outside and and comes into a building - anywhere in the world, the cable - coax or otherwise - has to be bonded to ground at point of entry.
Freebee interpretation of NEC 810 that explains it pretty well. kraycablinginc.com/uploads/ … e_Holt.pdf

So, what you said is true. It’s unlikely that adding an antenna is going to increase the chances that the building will be struck by lightning, and if it were, the existance or lack thereof of a grounded antenna really will make no difference. The reason for grounding - and what they refer to as the “discharge unit” - is to peel off charges induced by nearby strikes, static in the air for strikes that were trying to happen, but didn’t (google field mill), and wind. If that antenna isn’t of the DC short variety - that is, it’s a stick on the end of the coax - dry day wind can build up 1000’s of volts between center conductor and shield if there’s no bias applied, or resistive termination. That can pop the front end of the receiver. For something like this, it’s better to use a low voltage, diode based protector than a gas tube like is in the package to reduce the peak voltage that is seen by the receiver. Same for satellite / CATV. To do this right with an external antenna, you have to run the coax past the point that the CATV, Telephone, and power is all bonded.

In a post further down, there’s a comment about this discussion belonging in a lightning forum. I disagree given the limited scope of this discussion surrounds proper installation of an antenna for ADS-B.