Hi! I’m wondering how everyone ran their cable to the outside, and how everyone is keeping their antenna upright (even if it’s indoors)
Are you using the mounting brackets?
Did you drill a hole in your wall?
Is your antenna held up with duct tape?
I’d love to see images of the setups!
The information will be used to create suggestions for beginners setting up their piaware or flightfeeder.
First the ugly ones. Good ones will be posted by others
Hanged till death…
Using nylon tying twine
Extensive use of adhesive tape & nylon tying twine…
Darn forum software won’t let me post a pic. Here it is…
dropbox.com/s/2bxwpr4jvbzv1 … .jpeg?dl=0
Cable goes into the attic via a roof vent. Then a small hole into the ceiling of a closet and the Pi is mounted to the wall in the closet.
@Jranderson777
It is not “darn forum software”. It is darn dropbox.
Hot linking from Dropbox is not straightforward. Here is your image hot linked from dropbox after a workaround
https://photos-4.dropbox.com/t/2/AAC_JHxPnBTPmHFbGl3vKmmbs4QmwnzEcX7XNGuq1Ani2Q/12/42479319/jpeg/1024x768/3/1483596000/0/2/File%20Jan%2004%2C%208%2042%2008%20PM.jpeg/EPeQuyAYtAcgAigC/fYSQ19LmpROi_jx7xOewb_JFO3UXvnhBUcD6VWDut6Q?size_mode=3&size=1024x768
EDIT:
DRopbox hotlink no more valid.
Uploaded image to postimg.org, and hotlinked from there.
https://s30.postimg.org/d9nsezowh/John_Anderson_Antennas.jpg
Thank you abcd567!
The mounting hardware with the FA antenna is designed for a thicker pole than what I have; I removed the mounting plate and zip-tied it to a trellis on my apartment balcony.
Previously I was using a magnetic mount antenna that came with the NooElec SDR; the steel side shelf of the barbecue made a great ground plane.
Thank you, these are all very creative ideas!
So far from scanning the discussions and these examples
Running the Cable
Drill a hole in the wall
Drill a hole in the ceiling/roof
Drill a hole in the windowsill
Run through a roof vent
Ways to Install the antenna upright
Attach to a pole using the mounting bracket
Using a Tripod
Chimney mount
Clamp
TV tripod with foot mast
Hung by string
Taped to wall (scotch, duct, packing, etc.)
Wire or metal straps holding a 90° shelving brace to a pipe, metal or wooden extension added then antenna attached
Zip tied the mounting plate; example to a trellis, a pole, etc.
I currently have my FlightAware antenna attached to a 2 in diameter, six foot Schedule 40 PVC pipe, attached with two straps to my chimney.
Unfortunately, it is apparent that I have a water issue between the antenna and the LMR cable coming down from roof. I am in the midst of re-designing.
Using information in this link:
[
I plan to have a base of 10 foot 2" PVC, and within that a 5 foot 1 1/2 inch pipe, and on top of that a 10 foot 1 1/2 inch pipe, giving me a 15 foot “mast” to which the FlightAware antenna will be attached with U bolts. Enclosing the pipe will reinforce the base. I live in hurricane country and have to keep that in mind.]([flexpvc.com/TechArticles/PVC-Telescoping-Pipe.shtml/url])
No antenna or Ethernet cable necessary with the Raspberry Pi3. All that’s necessary is the power cable.
$1.45 + tax at Home Depot
Are the cables run through a crack in the balcony door to the inside?
[quote=“jcinnb”]
I currently have my FlightAware antenna attached to a 2 in diameter, six foot Schedule 40 PVC pipe, attached with two straps to my chimney.
Unfortunately, it is apparent that I have a water issue between the antenna and the LMR cable coming down from roof. I am in the midst of re-designing.
Using information in this link:
[
I plan to have a base of 10 foot 2" PVC, and within that a 5 foot 1 1/2 inch pipe, and on top of that a 10 foot 1 1/2 inch pipe, giving me a 15 foot “mast” to which the FlightAware antenna will be attached with U bolts. Enclosing the pipe will reinforce the base. I live in hurricane country and have to keep that in mind.
]([flexpvc.com/TechArticles/PVC-Telescoping-Pipe.shtml/url])
I’ve added this to the list, could you share how the cable is run inside?[/quote]
Wow, the funnel must function really well to keep water out. Could you share where the power cable goes?
this is my FA antenna i installed it on the top of my 3 storey house roof , the mast was already there i just mounted the bracket and the antenna , i covered the terminal ports using special all weather tape to avoid rust and corrosion
[, on Flickrhttps://c8.staticflickr.com/1/629/32123909415_a1f5cb906d_c.jpg20161217_102329Ali Talla]( by )
[, on Flickrhttps://c4.staticflickr.com/1/599/32123961635_33607d5fb0_c.jpg20161217_102538Ali Talla]( by )
This is my setup (change the blue DVB-T stick for the FA Stick Pro and Filter).
I did not want to drill any holes through bricks/walls/ceiling etc. so I had to use this piece of flat coax to go between the window and window frame.
Then it’s about 17 meters of Hirschmann KOKA 9TS to the antenna.
This cable goes between the roof tiles and roof insulation/construction.
This solar panel hook/bracket-thing is mounted on the roof construction;
the only thing sticking out the roof is the vertical piece of metal; I have also bend that bit of metal so it’s vertical (instead of perpendicular to the roof).
I’ve bolted a piece of PVC tubing to this and the FA antenna is mounted with the supplied bracket to this PVC tube.
Because of the PVC tube the bottom of the antenna is almost/entirely above the roof line.
The height of the antenna is about 7-8 meters above ground.
Is this the perfect setup? No, not by far. But it’s the best I could do for now.
To make it perfect I would drill a hole through the roof right below/next the antenna and mount the RPi3 + FA Stick (Pro maybe?) + filter directly in the attic.
This would result it a much shorter piece of coax (even though the 17 meters of KOKA 9TS results in only about 1.25 dB loss if I’m correct) but most of all; I would not have
to use that short piece of coax that results in another dB loss that’s probably about the same or even more then the 17 meters of KOKA.
But that would mean drilling holes through the roof; getting power to the attic somehow and hoping the Wifi is strong enough up there…
https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8508/29415609844_116b865fa5_c.jpg
ADS-B RPi3 PiAware 3 by Iemand91, on Flickr
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8542/29749362000_757d877c1c_c.jpg
FlightAware antenna by Iemand91, on Flickr
Any 5v DC, 2.5a, power source.
I found that with a long run, you may need to up the voltage at the source to get 5v at the Pi3.
A 12v battery with a 5v USB cigarette lighter socket adapter was what I used.
A creative person could set up a solar charged battery to provide power.
[quote=“Pinkeeee”]
[quote=“jcinnb”]
I currently have my FlightAware antenna attached to a 2 in diameter, six foot Schedule 40 PVC pipe, attached with two straps to my chimney.
Unfortunately, it is apparent that I have a water issue between the antenna and the LMR cable coming down from roof. I am in the midst of re-designing.
Using information in this link:
[
I plan to have a base of 10 foot 2" PVC, and within that a 5 foot 1 1/2 inch pipe, and on top of that a 10 foot 1 1/2 inch pipe, giving me a 15 foot “mast” to which the FlightAware antenna will be attached with U bolts. Enclosing the pipe will reinforce the base. I live in hurricane country and have to keep that in mind.
]([flexpvc.com/TechArticles/PVC-Telescoping-Pipe.shtml/url])[/quote]
I’ve added this to the list, could you share how the cable is run inside?
The cable is just zip tied to the pvc, run across the roof, then down a vent pipe with zip ties. I go in my house under a window with towells stuffed in the cracks
I did not try to route inside the PVC since the antenna is attached to the outside of the pipe. Depending on the pipe you use, you made need some alternative U clamps.
My system lost a lot of signal/range when I used those flattened cables to go under closed windows.
My wife’s patience is about up, so I am soon going through wall, and terminating in a cable outlet kind of deal on the interior wall.[/quote]
I have a 2" PVC vent pipe going thru the roof. I took a 2" coupling and glued a length of 3/4 " pipe to it and fitted it over the vent. I drilled a hole in the vent going thru the attic to run the rg6 cable. 4-leg spider nestles atop the 3/4" pipe w/ cable down thru the pipe. Sealed the hole drilled in the vent in the attic. Antenna just peeks over the roof and is too low for the HOA compliance police to see.
List updated:
Antenna
Using a Tripod
Chimney mount
Clamp
TV tripod with foot mast
hung by string
taped to wall (scotch, duct, packing, etc.)
Wire or metal straps holding a 90° shelving brace to a pipe, metal or wooden extension added then antenna attached
Zip tied the mounting plate; example to a trellis, a pole, etc.
Straps holding a PVC pipe to an object, such as a chimney
Base made out of PVC pipe, mounting attached to piping with U-bolts
Running Antenna Cable
Drill a hole in the wall
Drill a hole in the ceiling/roof
Drill a hole in the windowsill
Run through a roof vent
Run through a pipe that leads to the roof (If you drill a hole into the pipe be careful of sharp edges)
Through a window, leaving it cracked and using foam/cloth/etc to create insulation
Flat coax cable
I had some scrap 2x4 pieces and just made a quick mount for it with an aluminum pole and used some U bolts to attach the pole to the 2x4. Then I used the included mount with the FA antenna to mount it to the pole. It turned out to be a little crooked but I still pick up ~1000 flights per day with it.
http://i1043.photobucket.com/albums/b437/dferns/IMG_0312_zpsx2p3ql7k.jpg
