Picked up a pi 3, pi zero w, 32gb sd, FlightAware pro (blue one), The uptronic filtered preamp (cheaper one), 1 LNA, FlightAware Filter and the FlightAware antenna.
I want to play with the combo and see the numbers. I seen some people posting graphs of their setups showing data. How do i do that? How best to maximize this setup? Currently running the 7.1 Image, stock and getting 120 aircraft. Would love to get the most out of this mostly for fun.
Also is there other sites i can send my data to?
Thanks yall.
Prinler
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Picked up a pi 3, pi zero w, 32gb sd, FlightAware pro (blue one), The uptronic filtered preamp (cheaper one), 1 LNA, FlightAware Filter and the FlightAware antenna.
You only need one Pi. Either of those should work. The FlightAware Pro Plus dongle already cotains a filter and LNA and it doesn’t supply a bias-T voltage to power a second LNA, so to use your Uputronic filtered LNA you would need an external bias-T power supply.
I seen some people posting graphs of their setups showing data. How do i do that?
Install graphs1090. Search the discussion forum to find installation instructions.
How best to maximize this setup?
I couldn’t tell you as there are many variables for which you haven’t provided information, such as the coax you’re using, the antenna’s height above ground, whether the antenna has a clear 360 degree view of the horizon or if it’s blocked by nearby buildings or trees.
Also is there other sites i can send my data to?
Of course. There are many. Search the web for ADS-B and scroll through the results and you’ll find several aggregator’s websites. ADS-B Exchange, FlightRadar24 and Opensky Network are three that come to mind but there are a few more.
You shouldn’t change the decoder on the piaware image and obviously you’re not looking how to write an image.
The rest of the steps will apply though: https://github.com/wiedehopf/adsb-wiki/wiki/Raspbian-Lite:-ADS-B-receiver
I purchased the 2 different pi’s because I was in disbelief that the zero w could handle it… and now that ive tried it… the cpu goes only to 60% and works extremely well. I swapped over to the pi3 and its only at 10% load. Currently I want to do some tests with a UPtronics powered fliter preamp, the extra FA tube filter and another amazon 5v LNA and see the differences. I do have access at work to a $50k spectrum analyizer but its been so long since ive even turned it on. I also have a Ansitsu sitemaster I can also use. I would rather use some other methods of seeing the noise floor and such in real time use senario. I could have sworn I seen it somewhere YT or Reddit. Cant find it anywhere.
The ADS-B Signal Level graph in graphs1090 will also show your noise floor. On my system the mean medial signal level is -21.8dB, the peak signal level is -1.3dB and the average noise level is around -36dB. This is with 12 meters of LMR-240 coax and an RTL-SDR Blog triple-filtered LNA below the antenna (which is a PCB flat 4-element colinear in a plastic case, from China), using a Nooelec NESDR SMArt dongle with an outboard bias-T supply board between the dongle and coax to power the LNA. I have no additional filters or amplifiers. The antenna’s around 9.8 meters high on a mast next to my house. I’m receiving a maximum of 240 nautical miles away with a median distance of 69.8nm (I live near an international airport so there’s lots of nearby low-altitude air traffic here.)
Search the discussion board for heywhatsthat to find out how to use that website to find the maximum theoretical range of your location and antenna height based on the local geography, not counting man-made obstructions or trees, then you’ll be able to see what range your setup is capable of in ideal conditions. Unless you’re in a particularly noisy location such as near a cell tower you shouldn’t really need a bunch of extra filters, and if your coax is low loss and fairly short you shouldn’t really need the LNA either, although having a filtered LNA just below the antenna will improve your S/N ratio. As your SDR dongle also has its own LNA be sure to lower your gain setting in dump1090-fa so you don’t overload the SDR or cause signal distortion, especially if you also use your Uputronics LNA. Most people either find the ideal gain for their system by trial and error over several days or enable dump1090-fa’s autorange and autoburst (or whatever they’re called, I use readsb now so I don’t remember) features.
Hello Everyone, Sorry if I am posting this in the wrong place, this gives you a hint of how new I am here. Can someone please send me to the correct place to purchase everything needed to plug into ForeFlight to see ADS-B stuff. Never built anything before and I am using a Mac, Ipad and IPhone. Thank you in advance, I love electronics but new at it. Have a fantastic day. Pilot4hire
If you’re specifically looking for something to use in the cockpit for situational awareness, Stratux is probably what you’re after.
Thank you. I am looking for something I can built to put one at home or at the hangar to also provide or help ForeFlight to use what I pick up to share with others. Thanks for that info.
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