Rtl_test -t Failure

hi, i need help:
rtl_test -t
Found 1 device(s):
0: Realtek, DVB-T Dongle, SN: 00000991
Using device 0: Dexatek DK DVB-T Dongle (Logilink VG0002A)
usb_claim_interface error -6
Failed to open rtlsdr device #0.

lsusb
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 1d19:1101 Dexatek Technology Ltd. DK DVB-T Dongle

rtl-sdr is already the newest version (0.5.3-11+rpt1).

sudo systemctl stop dump1090-fa
ok

rtl_test -t
Found 1 device(s):
0: Realtek, DVB-T Dongle, SN: 00000991
Using device 0: Dexatek DK DVB-T Dongle (Logilink VG0002A)
Found Fitipower FC0013 tuner
Supported gain values (23): -9.9 -7.3 -6.5 -6.3 -6.0 -5.8 -5.4 5.8 6.1 6.3 6.5 6.7 6.8 7.0 7.1 17.9 18.1 18.2 18.4 18.6 18.8 19.1 19.7
Sampling at 2048000 S/s.
No E4000 tuner found, aborting.

why i can’t choose the DVB-T Dongle. The Radio-Button is yellow …

The Fitipower chip is the reason.
You need a dongle with Realtec chips:
RTL2832U + R820T2

The tuner chip should be R820T or R820T2.
The Fitipower tuner chips FC0012 & FC0013 do NOT cover 1090Mhz

● dump1090-fa.service - dump1090 ADS-B receiver (FlightAware customization)
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/dump1090-fa.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Sun 2019-01-27 11:00:58 CET; 17min ago
Docs: PiAware - ADS-B and MLAT Receiver - FlightAware
Main PID: 487 (dump1090-fa)
CGroup: /system.slice/dump1090-fa.service
└─487 /usr/bin/dump1090-fa --net-bo-port 30005 --fix --device-index 0 --gain -10 --ppm 0 --max-range 360 --net --net-heartbeat 60 --net-ro-size 1000 --net-ro-interva

Jan 27 11:00:58 piaware systemd[1]: Started dump1090 ADS-B receiver (FlightAware customization).
Jan 27 11:00:58 piaware dump1090-fa[487]: Sun Jan 27 11:00:58 2019 CET dump1090-fa 3.6.3 starting up.
Jan 27 11:00:58 piaware dump1090-fa[487]: rtlsdr: using device #0: Dexatek DK DVB-T Dongle (Logilink VG0002A) (Realtek, DVB-T Dongle, SN 00000991)
Jan 27 11:00:58 piaware dump1090-fa[487]: Detached kernel driver
Jan 27 11:00:59 piaware dump1090-fa[487]: Found Fitipower FC0013 tuner
Jan 27 11:00:59 piaware dump1090-fa[487]: rtlsdr: enabling tuner AGC

based on Realtek 2832U Chip, that ist not the problem

What is the output of this command?

sudo systemctl status piaware  

abcd is correct. The problem is not the 2832 (all these dongles have a 2832), the problem is the FC0013 tuner chip. The FC0013 can’t tune to 1090MHz.

1 Like

sudo systemctl status piaware
● piaware.service - FlightAware ADS-B uploader
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/piaware.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Sun 2019-01-27 11:09:24 CET; 2h 19min ago
Docs: PiAware - ADS-B and MLAT Receiver - FlightAware
Main PID: 1113 (piaware)
CGroup: /system.slice/piaware.service
├─1113 /usr/bin/piaware -p /run/piaware/piaware.pid -plainlog -statusfile /run/piaware/status.json
├─2097 /usr/lib/piaware/helpers/faup1090 --net-bo-ipaddr localhost --net-bo-port 30005 --stdout --lat 5x.xxx --lon 1y.yyy
└─2110 /usr/lib/piaware/helpers/fa-mlat-client --input-connect localhost:30005 --input-type dump1090 --results beast,connect,localhost:30104 --results beast,listen,3

Jan 27 13:21:32 piaware sudo[2102]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed for user root
Jan 27 13:21:32 piaware piaware[1113]: Starting multilateration client: /usr/lib/piaware/helpers/fa-mlat-client --input-connect localhost:30005 --input-type dump1090 --results
Jan 27 13:21:33 piaware piaware[1113]: mlat-client(2110): fa-mlat-client 0.2.10 starting up
Jan 27 13:21:33 piaware piaware[1113]: mlat-client(2110): Using UDP transport to xy.42.6.191 port 5624
Jan 27 13:21:33 piaware piaware[1113]: mlat-client(2110): Listening for Beast-format results connection on port 30105
Jan 27 13:21:33 piaware piaware[1113]: mlat-client(2110): Listening for Extended Basestation-format results connection on port 30106
Jan 27 13:21:33 piaware piaware[1113]: mlat-client(2110): Input connected to localhost:30005
Jan 27 13:21:33 piaware piaware[1113]: mlat-client(2110): Input format changed to BEAST, 12MHz clock
Jan 27 13:21:33 piaware piaware[1113]: mlat-client(2110): Beast-format results connection with ::1:30104: connection established
Jan 27 13:24:59 piaware piaware[1113]: 4 msgs recv’d from dump1090-fa (1 in last 5m); 4 msgs sent to FlightAware

Apparently it can tune to 1090 MHz, the performance is just very very very bad. Comment on reddit:

After poking around Google for a few, it looks as if the FC0013 tuner is absolutely horrid at 1090Mhz reception, compared to a R820T one review shows it only being able to receive ~3 messages per second vs ~30 with a R820T and it also seems to have a lot of gain and noise problems, UHF especially.

You likely won’t be able to receive ads-b with that.
(from Reddit - Dive into anything)

That explains the very few messages you do seem to get, but you will never have good reception with that dongle.
In other words: get another dongle that works.

Preferably get a a blue Flightaware Pro Stick Plus.
(in Germany: https://www.rasppishop.de/FlightAware-Pro-Stick-Plus-1090MHz-ADS-B)

Or a rtl-sdr blog v3 dongle (and combine it with their LNA if you want really good reception)
(Buy RTL-SDR Dongles (RTL2832U))

Which antenna are you using? You might want to look into building one yourself:
(QUICK SPIDER - No Soldering, No Connector)

You could for example use this cable to build the mentioned antenna: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00A8FUX40/

It already has an SMA connector to connect it to the receiver.
Don’t bother with the small whip antennas with magnetic base, they are just bad.
Another alternative are printed circuit board antennas from ebay https://www.ebay.de/itm/1pcs-ADS-B-PCB-Antenna-1090MHz-Antenna-SMA-female-Antenne-CASE/253915016420
(needs a male to male SMA adapter though to connect it: https://www.amazon.de/adaptare-60337-Adapter-SMA-Stecker-auf/dp/B004NEHTIU)

Or of course the excellent Flightaware antenna is probably your best option, quite a bit pricier though.

Good luck :slight_smile:

FC0012:
22 – 948.6 MHz

FC0013:
22 – 1100 MHz

1090 Mhz is outside the range of FC0012

1090 Mhz is just at the upper border of FC0013, and FC0013 has proved to perform very poor for 1090 Mhz.

ok, here is a FC0013. At first i will change the antenna, then I buy an new dongle. I will see the first tracks.

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Another dongle option, AirNav sell a pretty cheap receiver with an amplifier/filter, nothing special but probably a bit better than those generic dongles.

The rtlsdr-blog dongle and 1090 lna - combo has worked very well for me. That is in combination with the FA antenna.

Although I dont need any more dongles (have enough spare ones), out of curiocity I ordered it last week.

As the stock at Amazon has finished, I had to order it directly from Radarbox24. Lost the advantage of Amazon Prime, had to pay $4.99 shipping in addition to $9.95 price. Two weeks delivery period by Royal Mail. Still waiting delivery.

https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/radarbox-flightstick-vs-flightaware-pro-stick-plus/44824/3

Well I just got mine, shipped from Milton Keynes. All I can say right now, it is quite small compared to the FA dongles, very green and has a bright white led. :slightly_smiling_face:

I mentioned it because the FA dongles are not sold via amazon in Europe and therefore rather expensive, eg the orange dongle costs 27$ + pp, the blue one 33$ + pp at an online retailer based in Germany.

So i assume AirNav ships to Germany? Where do they ship from do you know?

Milton Keynes, in the UK, so no customs cost or delay yet…

These were my comments as well, but only by seeing dongle’s photo. Still awaiting delivery by Royal Mail (if Royal Mail is UK postal service, then my dongle is also shipped from UK)

You could sell those to get an airspy mini :smiley:

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Ordered a RadarBox Flightstick. Just a few days for delivery. Comes in a very BIG box so will not fit through a UK letter box.

Initial impression is that it certainly more sensitive than an older RTL-SDR dongle. No time to do a direct comparison but for $9-95 plus $4-99 postage seems worth trying (=£12-04). Does run hot so maybe will not last long.