I just picked up a pro stick plus to try out. I connected it to my PC and I got some great results. After a short time the dongle overtaxed my USB port and the port shut off. I’ve now tried the dongle on three different computers and all immediately show the warning “Power surge on USB port.”
Do I need a powered hub to run this dongle? I had been using a cheap rtl-sdr dongle to track ADS-b prior to this with no problems.
Sounds like a faulty dongle.
Dongle requires only 300 mA, which is well within the capacity of USB port of a PC.
As obj has already pointed out, most likely the dongle is faulty.
https://s20.postimg.org/6b4e77vel/Pro_Stick_and_Pro_Stick_Plus_Specs.png
Up till now I have not used my ProSticks in Windows Desktop or Laptop.
I have used these only in Raspberry Pi, Orange PI PC successfully.
I have also used these with stupid C.H.I.P. $9 board 
without success, because the CHIP board has a limitation of USB power.
Out of curiosity, I decided to try my ProStick Plus in my Windows PC.
On my Windows Desktop, I installed zadig-2.3.exe driver for RTL dongle, and jetvision’s RTL1090 Scope.
I then made a temporary Spider antenna for ProStickPlus from pigtail and paper clips, connected antenna to ProStickPlus, and plugged the proStick Plus in Desktop PC.
It is now about an hour it is still running without any problem.
Thanks for the replies. It looks like I need to return it and get another shipped. Thanks!
I’ve been using the Pro Stick Plus in a RPi and DragonBoard410c since November with dump1090. I’m waiting for the Onion $5 dll computer to arrive and will try on it.
Regards,
I’m pleased to announce that we now have a local retailer in the Australia market: GPIO Australia. They are carrying all four of our active products effective immediately, including the Pro Stick Plus.
Is ProStick Plus currently in stock? Do you have any UK based online retailers?
Maybe was already asked…
How critical is the temperature, I have the pro and pro plus and are really hot, should I try to active coll them or is not that important?
Thanks
They are self-calibrating for temperature. Noise does go up the hotter they get, so you should try to give them passive air flow and keep them out of the sun. Active cooling isn’t needed; the RF noise from a fan motor may in fact be detrimental.
I received my FlightAware Pro Stick Plus back in late May to replace one of my RLT-SDR.com dongles to use strictly for ADS-B reporting that’s plugged-into one of my dedicated Raspberry-PI 3’s. I’m using PiAware (SD Card) 3.5.0 on this RaspPI3.
I started using the new dongle on 5/30/17, and seen an increase of reported aircraft from 600 to 1000 per day, and average positions increase from around 21k to 47k per day. I’m also seeing a lot more aircraft reporting from 150-250+ range. Before, I wasn’t seeing much past 150 miles from my location in Arizona. The antenna placement is the same, as well as the antenna cable length, all I did was add the new dongle. Perhaps it’s the built-in bandpass filter that’s increasing my coverage, but I didn’t really think it would help a whole lot in a place like Yuma, AZ. I’m using a simple telescopic antenna extended to 10.3 inches (~1 wavelength of 1090 MHz), mounted inside with a cable length of 2.5 feet from my RaspPI3. I’d love to mount the PI outside on my 60ft mast, but the heat here in AZ would fry the PI, as well as my VHF/UHF/HF transmissions.
I know my math on averaging my results isn’t exact, but I’m lazy, and SWAGGED it. Check out my page FlightAware page here, and look at my stats for more exact results. I’ve tracked flights out to KLAX (Los Angeles), KLAS (Las Vegas), KPHX (Phoenix), KTUS (Tucson), and some places in Mexico 250+ miles out that I can’t pronounce, and don’t seem to have an IATA airport code for some reason.
I also have an SDR-PLAY SDR-2 attached to a discone antenna, where I can listen in on all the regional Air control traffic, which adds to the fun of tracking all the regional air traffic.
On a side-note, I’m sure all the drug smugglers love having people tracking their movements…if they aren’t smart enough to turn their beacons off. Yes, I’m trying to be funny, but this may be my last message. 
Folks,
Got mine running on a Pi Zero W - bit unhappy with the heat generated, the antenna connector gets quite hot to the touch, some might call it warm but I think, if the antenna connection is hot how hot is the component that generates the heat.
It is after all only 5v and apparently 300ma so under 2w - should it get that hot?
Geffers
I’ve just received mine and am too concerned about heat. My previous generic cheap tuner didn’t get hot and had chipset by same manufacturer, different chipset number but same manufacturer.
Geffers
Flightaware gave us Pro Stick … Thanks to Flightaware
Then they gave us Pro Stick+ … More thanks to Flightaware
Isn’t it time to get Pro Stick++ ?
This is just a proposal to Flightaware…
1 Like
modmypi.com in UK stock them.
Geffers
Dear all,
I just buy a Pro stick plus, but can’t use for PC, just you Pi only?
I try but don’t know how to use on my PC 
Hope someone can help me
Thanks a lot for your help!
Take look at this site for a start:
http://www.rtl-sdr.com/ads-b-decoder-dump1090-now-available-windows/
Active ventilation does not have to be harmful.
In my case, I live in a very hot area, these days we are with an average of 40ºc with peaks of up to 48ºc.
I have the PI and the dongle (PSP) inside a box on the outside, I had temperature problems, even blocking the dondgle.
I solved the problem as follows …
Remove the PI from its box, remove the dongle from its box, add a fan.
I checked the noise figure before and after placing the fan and I have not noticed difference.
The system is now fairly stable.
