NEW Flightaware Dongle

737mech · Mar 27, 2016

Has anyone tried one of these new dongles yet? https://flightaware.com/news/articl...nary-USB-ADSB-and-MLAT-receiver-announced/221

Questions: 1 Does it work with ADSB# ?
2 Does it work for VRS?
3 Does it improve as advertised?

I'm using a R820t2 and doing fine. I'm confused about this new dongle. Filter or no filter needed? I kinda like the sma connector better. I can eliminate a short coax run.

Anyone using one please post any improvements or observations.

eorange · Mar 27, 2016

It says the dongle is using the R820T2. Since the picture is showing the miserable stock antenna, I'm sure the built-in RF amp helps. I use a homebrew colinear antenna built for 1.090 GHz, and I bet I get the same performance with my T2. That said, this dongle isn't bad for the price, as long as the RF amp is quality.

kma371 · Mar 27, 2016

Looks like it's just their way to make money off selling the dongles. I'm sure it's the same on the insides.

N1SQB · Mar 28, 2016

It s main selling point is the built in amp. I prefer having a separate external amp / filter ( if needed) , personally. My Nooelec dongle doesn't have a built in amp but it has a TCXO with .05ppm. I find THAT to be a better choice for me in a dongle. Just my $.02 worth.

737mech · Mar 28, 2016

ppm

Just curious is ppm at 1090Mhtz really that important? What changes?

DaveNF2G · Mar 29, 2016

ppm is a ratio. With bigger numbers, the solution gets bigger, so the receiver will be farther off tune the higher in frequency you go.

N1SQB · Mar 29, 2016

DaveNF2G said:
ppm is a ratio. With bigger numbers, the solution gets bigger, so the receiver will be farther off tune the higher in frequency you go.

What he said!.

Manny

737mech · Mar 30, 2016

Adjusting ppm

I ran sdr sharp and the signals are showing .075 below 1090Mhz on the screen for my R820t2. What is the ppm adjustment value -1?

DaveNF2G · Mar 30, 2016

I think it would be a positive number if the signals are too low on the waterfall. The usual way of finding the ppm is to adjust it while a signal is being received on a known frequency.

dave3825 · Mar 30, 2016

What is the freq range on those? Is it just for the 1090?

737mech · Mar 30, 2016

I just use it for VRS at 1090Mhz. I tried it again and the waterfall centered up when I was +75 ppm? Running a new plot on VRS to see if that helped? Pretty busy here right now tracking 100 aircraft. I also read it could change if the dongle heats up.

N1SQB · Mar 31, 2016

In case anyone is interested, this is the one I use:
NooElec - NooElec NESDR Mini 2+ 0.5PPM TCXO USB RTL-SDR Receiver (RTL2832 + R820T2) w/ Antenna and Remote Control - SDR Receivers - Software Defined Radio
Results have been very good so far when compared with my previous dongle WITHOUT the tcxo.
@25-1700 Mhz coverage. I don't favor this particular company over any other, I just happened to get it from them.

Manny

737mech · Mar 31, 2016

New Prostick

Just installed new Flightaware Prostick. Hot little dongle for sure. I use ADSB# and at first could not find it. Then installed Zadig drivers. Then tried again. ADSB# took several attempts to actually find the device. BTW I have it at the end of a powered USB extension so the dongle is at the antenna. My initial ADSB# settings of decoder confidence 3 RTLAGC off and Tuner AGC off makes the program kick it off after a few seconds. I Turned on both AGC and dialed up the confidence to a 10 value. Holding firm on for now with VRS 2.3.1 I just ordered the 1090 filter from flightaware I hope that helps?
Initial report compared to my R820T2 the range seems the same? I'm still tracking average 100 aircraft. I will let this thing plot for a few hours and post a screenshot later.

737mech · Mar 31, 2016

Shuts off

Running the new Flightaware Prostick for a few hours now. So far the range is great the number of tracked planes is great. My only gripe it shuts down after a while and I have to restart ADSB#. I experienced this same probem with every NooElec stick I tried. What is the difference between the NooElec and the DVB-T? I run it under Win 7 on the end of a powered USB cable. I have set the system properties to never shut off the usb device under custom power profile. And still this thing shuts off??? I never get this problem with the DVB-T+FM+DAB 820T2 stick. How can it be so different? Running zadig latest drivers. I also see the new Prostick is probably needing the 1090 filter. I have to slow down the data by increasing the confidence value and turning on AGC. The older stick did not require this. I understand this new stick has an amp. The USB power handling is a mystery to me?

N1SQB · Apr 1, 2016

On my sticks I have not had that problem. I've left the software running so long sometimes it looks like wallpaper after a while.

Mine does NOT have a built in amp. I'm running a separate external filter preamp combo from Airspy.I also have the Flightaware filter too. Both work very well and as I mentioned before, I run the program continuously for hours without a hitch. That is one of the reasons I like running separate components. When there are issues, you can go through the process of elimination much easier.

Manny

dbakerfa · Apr 1, 2016

kma371 said:
Looks like it's just their way to make money off selling the dongles. I'm sure it's the same on the insides.

Hi -- in fact, we sell them at our cost and do not make any money, which is why they're so much less expensive than any other dongle out there. Our goal is to improve flight tracking data, not make money selling dongles.

The internals are different since we include a built-in amp optimized for 1090MHz. Additional details here: https://flightaware.com/news/articl...nary-USB-ADSB-and-MLAT-receiver-announced/221

We started shipping this week and the initial reviews can be read here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D1ZAP3C?tag=fligh01-20

Daniel
FlightAware

N1SQB · Apr 3, 2016

Welcome to RadioReference Daniel!

dbakerfa said:
Hi -- in fact, we sell them at our cost and do not make any money, which is why they're so much less expensive than any other dongle out there. Our goal is to improve flight tracking data, not make money selling dongles.

The internals are different since we include a built-in amp optimized for 1090MHz. Additional details here: https://flightaware.com/news/articl...nary-USB-ADSB-and-MLAT-receiver-announced/221

We started shipping this week and the initial reviews can be read here: Amazon.com: FlightAware Pro Stick USB ADS-B Receiver: Electronics

Daniel
FlightAware

Quote from the link you posted:

"Small edit... not enough to drop a star, but definitely worth noting. The oscillator appears to be less stable than the NooElec model. We experienced lower than usual overnight lows last night, and the offset shifted approximately 5PPM, whereas the NooElec dongle would fluctuate <2PPM overnight, and the RTL-SDR.com dongle would fluctuate <0.5PPM no matter what temperature it was operating in"

You may want to consider adding a TCXO which other manufacturers have already done.When given a choice of either a built in amp OR a stable TCXO with <0.5PPM , I'll take the latter any day. Just a suggestion. If you could manage to make them BOTH work in a single dongle, then that really would be the best of both worlds, in my opinion. Right now I'm running separate components and it's working, but to combine the two and eliminate 1 set of connections, that would be ideal. Again, just my opinion. You guys make great products.

P.S.- I love the SMA direct connectability! I HATE MCX connections! LOL...

Manny

SCPD · Apr 6, 2016

I received my Flightaware Pro Stick today from Amazon and it works very well. I use a Mini-Circuits 1090 Mhz filter plus the DPD Production ADS-B antenna (LMR-400) and it's a pretty amazing setup. I just wish I could get my antenna up on a 40ft tower for an unobstructed view of the sky. (I'm on the southern slope of a hill so that's why my northern plots are so limited.)

Here's my plot from roughly 5pm to Midnight. My previous maximum range was 146 Miles. My frame rate was ~3000/min and is now well over ~5500/min using ADS-B# and SCOPE.

PS.

1. The SMA connector is a nice touch but I am so use to the stupid MCX connectors that I had to order a couple of SMA jumpers. Luckily I had a SMA M-M adapter to get it up and running today.

2. The housing is plastic and there's a pretty bright LED that lights up when it's connected to the USB. As long as it's plugged in, the LED may actually keep the TCXO stable as long as there's no major temp change in the room.

SCPD · Apr 6, 2016

dbakerfa said:
Hi -- in fact, we sell them at our cost and do not make any money, which is why they're so much less expensive than any other dongle out there. Our goal is to improve flight tracking data, not make money selling dongles.

The internals are different since we include a built-in amp optimized for 1090MHz.

Daniel
FlightAware

Thanks for the improvements Daniel. I just hope the FAA doesn't try to shut down ADS-B monitoring. With our current administration, it'll probably be deemed illegal in the next few months...

Now you've given me no excuse not to start up a Piaware system... damn... another project to complete!

Cheers,
-Nick

dave3825 · Apr 6, 2016

dbakerfa said:
Hi -- in fact, we sell them at our cost and do not make any money, which is why they're so much less expensive than any other dongle out there. Our goal is to improve flight tracking data, not make money selling dongles.

The internals are different since we include a built-in amp optimized for 1090MHz. Additional details here: https://flightaware.com/news/articl...nary-USB-ADSB-and-MLAT-receiver-announced/221

We started shipping this week and the initial reviews can be read here: Amazon.com: FlightAware Pro Stick USB ADS-B Receiver: Electronics

Daniel
FlightAware

What is the freq range on those? Is it just for the 1090?

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