RadarBox FlightStick vs. FlightAware Pro Stick Plus

You might be right, hard to see, looks something with “504”, it might not be a LNA but a transistor?

Anyway, in this case, looks like it’s a good deal indeed.

Find the LNA on this picture of a uputronics amp:

Apart from the SAW filter in the signal path and the voltage supply coming in from the top, the part with the biggest number of legs has 4 :wink:

So yes i believe there are LNAs which come in these packages.

Also they specify it in their product description:

Includes an integrated Amplifier, Filter and Static Protection for maximum reception range.

You’re correct.
The three legged at input is the static protection diodes. Then the next black thing it’s the LNA (or transistor, don’t know, this days they make all kind of things), and then the silver thing is the SAW.

This is the LNA in my amplifier (SOT-89 package):
https://www.qorvo.com/products/p/TQP3M9008

Another LNA by former Philips in SOT-89:

From 11:10 am to 11:40 am: FlightAware Pro Stick PLUS

From 11:40 am to 12:10 pm: RadarBox24 FlightStick

FOR BOTH DONGLES, NO EXTERNAL FILTER WAS USED

dump1090-localhost-aircraft-1h

.

dump1090-localhost-local_rate-1h

.

dump1090-localhost-range_imperial_nautical-1h

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Don’t you have enough pis and other small computers that you can test them side by side?

You could swap antennas after an hour so everyone can cancel out any antenna differences in their heads :wink:

Also which gain is that on? Seems in your location every stick needs an external filter …
The advantage using two rigs is also that you can tweak each to its optimal gain.

Apart from that thanks for the comparison but you know me, i have to nitpick!

That needs everything (Antennas, Antenna Locations, Coax type & length, gain settings etc) to be identical for both systems.

In the method I have used, the only uncontrolled variable is Air Traffic. At this hour of day here, the air traffic is fairly constant, so this practically eliminates that uncontrolled variable. Rest of things (Antennas, Antenna Location, Coax type & length, Pi and its software, gain settings etc) are common for both dongles.

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You can just swap the coax connections after 1 hour.
So if one outperformed the other in the first hour should the antenna/coax be a disadvantage, the next hour will reverse or not.

My experience is that traffic and other factors are very fluent, just as the graphs show by the way.

The gain setting could be optimal for one, not for the other dongle. So the same gain is not always a fair comparison.
(Also i guess this was pretty much maximum gain, maybe a gain of 40 or 42 would be different with the noise maybe not drowning the mixer so much)

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COMPARISON OF SCANS FOR NOISE / CELL / MOBILE / PAGER & OTHER COMMUNICATIONS SIGNALS

NOTE: EXTERNAL FILTER WAS NOT USED WITH ANY OF THE TWO DONGLES

800 Mhz ~ 850 Mhz

Pro Stick Plus
scan-pro-plus-1

FlightStick
scan-flight-stick-1

.

850 Mhz ~ 900 Mhz

Pro Stick Plus
scan-pro-plus-2

FlightStick
scan-flight-stick-2
.

900 Mhz ~ 950 Mhz

Pro Stick Plus
scan-pro-plus-3

FlightStick
scan-flight-stick-3

.

950 Mhz ~ 1000 Mhz

Pro Stick Plus
scan-pro-plus-4

FlightStick
scan-flight-stick-4
.

1000 Mhz ~ 1050 Mhz

Pro Stick Plus
scan-pro-plus-5

FlightStick
scan-flight-stick-5

.

1050 Mhz ~ 1100 Mhz

Pro Stick Plus
scan-pro-plus-6

FlightStick
scan-flight-stick-6
.

1100 Mhz ~ 1050 Mhz

Pro Stick Plus
scan-pro-plus-7

FlightStick
scan-flight-stick-7

.

1150 Mhz ~ 1200 Mhz

Pro Stick Plus
scan-pro-plus-8

FlightStick
scan-flight-stick-8

.

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Look pretty similar, don’t they? And you need an additional filter, I guess.

(1) Yes, these scans are almost identical.

(2) I normally use FA external filter, but during comaparision test, I removed it. I get a bad reception without external filter as there are cell phone antennas of almost all cell/mobile companies of Canada on my building’s roof. GSM850 and GSM 950 are very strong even with interenal SAW filter of both the dongles, as you can see from the scans :angry::rage:

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The uputronics has a MiniCircuits PSA4-5043+, ”supplied in a super small SC-70 (SOT-343) MSL 1 package.” You can say that again…

https://ww2.minicircuits.com/pdfs/PSA4-5043+.pdf

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Received my RadarBox FlightStick yesterday. It took over a month to arrive. RadarBox was out of stock around the time I ordered it, late March early April.

After 24 hours of use, I think it was worth the $9.95 price. I noticed yesterday that it’s $14.95 now.

I got the radarbox flightstick is there anywhere where i can get information how i can get it to work on windows…

Regards Lino…

Just like any other rtl-sdr compatible dongle.
Check this thread:
How-to Install Pro Stick & DVB-T on Windows - #2 by abcd567

I believe airnav also offers some windows software but i’m not familiar with it.

Flightaware does not support feeding via Windows.

Has anyone tried this 978mhz dongle & 1090mhz filter?

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https://www.amazon.com/AirNav-RadarBox-1090-ADS-B-Filter/dp/B082WR1SDF

Dont need any of these, but the curiosity resulted in loss of $34.89

Note:
Purchased directly from AirNav site.
On Amazon it is costlier (higher shipping + Canadian sales tax, although sale is by amazon usa)

https://www.radarbox24.com/store

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I don’t understand it. How will it work having an 978 optimized stick with an additional filter for 1090 MHz which does the opposite?

Or is it a misinterpretation from me?

The two items dont work togather.

978 stick will be used for uat978. It has builtin 978 filter

1090 filter will be connected to a normal wide-band dongle which will be used for 1090

Got it, was a misunderstanding, i thought you want it as “one” installation

I am waiting until the filter becomes available on the german market. I wanted to give the FA Filter a try, but this one seem to be similar

FlightRadar24 Forum
Added filter. Gained flights on FR24, dropped on flightaware

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Flightaware forum
Added filter. Gained flights on FR24, dropped on flightaware