pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo systemctl status dump1090-fa
● dump1090-fa.service - dump1090 ADS-B receiver (FlightAware customization)
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/dump1090-fa.service; enabled; vendor pres
Active: active (running) since Wed 2020-06-24 09:44:15 BST; 1min 54s ago
Docs: PiAware - ADS-B and MLAT Receiver - FlightAware
Main PID: 341 (dump1090-fa)
Memory: 4.6M
CGroup: /system.slice/dump1090-fa.service
└─341 /usr/bin/dump1090-fa --device-index 0 --gain -10 --ppm 0 --max-
Jun 24 09:44:15 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Started dump1090 ADS-B receiver (FlightA
Jun 24 09:44:15 raspberrypi dump1090-fa[341]: Wed Jun 24 09:44:15 2020 BST dump
Jun 24 09:44:18 raspberrypi dump1090-fa[341]: rtlsdr: using device #0: Generic R
Jun 24 09:44:18 raspberrypi dump1090-fa[341]: Detached kernel driver
Jun 24 09:44:18 raspberrypi dump1090-fa[341]: Found Fitipower FC0012 tuner
Jun 24 09:44:18 raspberrypi dump1090-fa[341]: rtlsdr: enabling tuner AGC
Jun 24 09:44:18 raspberrypi dump1090-fa[341]: [FC0012] no valid PLL combination
Jun 24 09:44:22 raspberrypi dump1090-fa[341]: Allocating 4 zero-copy buffers
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo systemctl status piaware
Unit piaware.service could not be found.
Unsure what to do as this is a clean install of piaware.
That’s the major reason for poor performance. Unoptimized stick, poor performance antenna for that specific topic. This can likely result in bad reception.
In addition the stick is obviously not what you have bought. Fitipower inside, but RT820 printed on the case. Seem to be a fake stick
Before you write fresh image, from existing install, copy-paste feeder keys in Notepad on your desktop/laptop and save notepad:
Plane finder key:
The sharecode is in the file /etc/pfclient-config.json Scroll right to see it in full. Your Planefinder sharecode is the last item in this long line.
Do not download old image v 3.8.0 from step 1 of guide
Follow steps 2, 3, and 4 of the QuickStart Guide. Do NOT follow steps 5 to 10 if you are not using 978 Mhz UAT. The 978 UAT is available in USA only and requires an extra dongle.
STEP (3): Install Feeders
(3.1) FR24 feeder
$ sudo bash -c "$(wget -O - https://repo-feed.flightradar24.com/install_fr24_rpi.sh)"
## Caution: During configuration of fr24feed, never choose “Receiver DVBT”.
## Choose Receiver: ModeS Beast(TCP), host/port: 127.0.0.1:30005
(3.2) Planefinder feeder
$ wget http://client.planefinder.net/pfclient_4.1.1_armhf.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i pfclient_4.1.1_armhf.deb
## Go to page IP-of-PI:30053 to complete configuration
(3.3) RadarBox24 feeder
$ sudo bash -c "$(wget -O - http://apt.rb24.com/inst_rbfeeder.sh)"
$ sudo rbfeeder --setkey xxxxxxxxxx --no-start
## Replace xxxxx by your actual key
## Press Ctrl+C to break log output.
$ sudo systemctl restart rbfeeder
When you say … " mid-way", it suggests you’ve installed raspbian and adding PiAware to it?
That will work (with the right receiver), but I still recommend burning the PiAware image and it’ll “just work” (with the right receiver).
Yeah, I hope so too. I’ve bought a different model now and have been re-assured by the seller that it is the R820 chip. They’ve shown me that is has a yellow circuit board and has R820 and R2832 printed on the chips. Hopefully, a better outcome. Will update the forum when it arrives.
The seller has now provided me with some images showing the Antenna and the Receiver. This time it has markings saying ‘820T2’ on the USB tuner, hopefully things are looking up.
If it is working in general, you can improve it by changing the antenna.
I started with it and followed a recommendation to remove the tip of the antenna and replace it with a hard wire in the correct length. This improved my reception by 30%
Many years ago I cut whip to 52 mm and got 25% improvement. On another one, I unscrewed the whip and used a 52 mm wire in its place, and again got 25% improvement.
Recently I went one step further (click here), and got another 50% improvement.
Place mag-mount whip over a food can or metal plate.
The whip is too long. Its optimum length is 1/4 wavelength, which at 1090 Mhz is 67mm. Unscrew the whip of mag-mount, and replace it by a 52 mm length of thin steel tie wire (inside the base metalic stud length is 15 mm, so total length will be 52+15=67 mm)
(1.1) WHIP REPLACED BY 52mm STEEL TIE WIRE (1.2) USING FOOD CAN AS GROUND PLANE