New User - couple of problems/queries

[BlinkNFG]

thanks - yeah I had a look at the connector pin - looks fine to my (untrained eye).  It is a mm or so lower than the outer casing.  Is that how it should be?

I'll try the open air tomorrow.  How much space do I need.  Would my 4m back garden (boardered by high hedges) be ok or do I need wide open spaces?

Jon

[Allocator]

Jon, the clue here is 'line of sight' - can you see much of the sky from your back garden?  If you can't, then your reception is going to be less than ideal.

Using a laptop and the standard antenna on the roof of a car out in the open works really well.

[Southwest]

Hi Jon

The aerial is on top of a wardrobe in the PC room.  I'm not using any extension cables at all.  It's 8.25am and I have 12 My flights and 722 networks on screen.

If I could figure out how to post a screenshot I would but I have to leave for work now.

[Jeremy]

Where are you geographically?
J.

[tarbat]

Where are you geographically?

The clue is in Jon's screenshot ;)

Jon, here's current network traffic in your area, plenty of aircraft to your south that you should be seeing.



I would still advise that you check the connections inside the base of the antenna.

[BlinkNFG]

Sorry forgive my ignorance - what am I looking for in the antenna base?

Pic is attached of what it looks like.



[attachment deleted by admin]

[besty]

Hello mate you want to look at the end actually screwed into the radarbox, make sure that the centre gold pin is not pushed back into the connector or loose.

hope that helps.
Stuart

[BlinkNFG]

thanks Stuart.  I've looked and it seems fine.  The connector is about 1mm lower than the outer casing

Jon

[tarbat]

Sorry forgive my ignorance - what am I looking for in the antenna base?

Previous user who had a problem with the base of the standard antenna described it as "I checked the antenna and found the centre of the coax had become detached inside the base"
http://www.airnavsystems.com/forum/index.php?topic=3330.msg31562#msg31562

This may not be the cause, but worth checking.  Otherwise, how is your testing going in an alternative location?

[CoastGuardJon]

Hi Jon, apart from the non-existent front end SAW filter "problem", the quality of the supplied antenna is the one major let down for the RB.  The design and performance of the antenna is truly superb.   My original deteriorated very quickly as in the link given above by tarbat.   The spare that Glynh kindly let me have, was fantastic for the first week, then performance started dropping off.  I dis-assembled the antenna, cut back the co-ax and re-assembled, performance is still outstanding, a stainless steel whip would be the icing on the cake.  I also bought a spare antenna from W&S.  All 3 have had dry joints/interference fit on the screen.  The original and W&S replacement had poor quality screen in the co-ax, Glyn's had foil as well.  Here's a link to a post where I fully describe the mods in eply #8

http://www.airnavsystems.com/forum/index.php?topic=3554.msg34930#msg34930

ANRB Wish List - stainless steel whip!

[Southwest]

Hi Jon

Here is a screenshot showing my polar diagram.  It goes way north but spikes east, west and south.

[BlinkNFG]

Sorry forgive my ignorance - what am I looking for in the antenna base?

Previous user who had a problem with the base of the standard antenna described it as "I checked the antenna and found the centre of the coax had become detached inside the base"
http://www.airnavsystems.com/forum/index.php?topic=3330.msg31562#msg31562

This may not be the cause, but worth checking.  Otherwise, how is your testing going in an alternative location?

I tested in my garden and reception was a lot better (around 15 miles).  I will test at an alternative location tomorrow - maybe my flat is just poorly located for picking signals up.

We actually just found out that our rented flat is going to be sold so we are looking for a new place to buy - so should be able to put an external aerial up ... sadly my g/f shot down my idea of moving to Stansted village ;-) 

[Allocator]

You should still be getting more range than this.

Just out of interest, what happens if you disconnect the antenna completely - you can pick up aircraft that are close without an antenna!

[bratters]

Jon - if you bought the box locally, take it back to the dealer and get him to check it out. As allocator pointed out, you can pick up that much without an aerial.

[radarspotter10]

hi BlinkNFG
You have done you best, take it back to the dealer.
from pat