Avare with uAvionix

[Michael Smith]

I installed the uAvionix echoUAT and got a successful performance report from the FAA. On my first flight targets on Avare would display for a while, then not display, then sometimes come back. They were targets in the Boston area (full ADSB and radar coverage), and they were in flight and not landing or taking off. When I flew again today I got NO targets at all, even though I saw a half dozen in the air, and watched a few land and take off. Not a single thing showed up on Avare. I looked at the text lines of the Avare I/O program and saw text indicating targets and their locations, but there were not being displayed on Avare.

So I'm wondering if I have some incorrect settings for the echoUAT. Any ideas on what? Some of the settings I left alone, but have no idea what they do:
 - COM1 Data = 81O
      - other options = 81N or NA
 - COM1 Phy = RS-485 Term
      - other options = RS232 or NA
 - COM1 Protocol = GDL 90 Traffic/Uplink
      - other options = TMAP or GTX or NA

Mike

[John W SBA]

> display for a while, then not display, then sometimes come back

I don't know about the Avare side of the issue you describe, but want to
mention something possibly related in case you or others aren't aware of
it. I helped with install of my Garmin 335 and it too easily passed the
ADS-B Out FAA validation test, but I too was getting sporadic Avare
ADS-B In traffic.

In my case it turned out that the Garmin setting for the outgoing ADSB
In Capability signal wasn't turned on by the installer who configured
it. After no reply from my call (they already had my money), I looked
it up in the online manual and changed the setting myself. Now it works
perfectly.

As you probably know, the "In Capability" signal must be sent by the
ADS-B Out transponder or the FAA UAT ground transmitter does not send
traffic reports for your aircraft. When it's turned on and working
correctly, they transmit on the local UAT all transponder-equipped
traffic within a specified distance and altitude differential. So when
we see sporadic traffic reports despite being near aircraft we know have
transponders, it's generally because the FAA UAT ground transmitter
doesn't recognize us as having ADS-B In capability.

> Avare I/O program and saw text indicating targets

In the Avare app itself, these are my settings:
Map/Menu/Preferences/Display/Filter ADSB Traffic/10,000
So I don't see traffic more than two miles away even if the FAA UAT is
sending it. I started out with the 100,000 (maximum) setting, but
typically fly slow (~80kias) on flight following and don't want the clutter.

Please keep us posted on what you try and your ultimate solution.

Happy Flying -j

[Michael Smith]

I am going to run your observations by uAvionix, but one of my comments was:

> I looked at the text lines of the Avare I/O program and saw text indicating targets and their locations, but they were not being displayed on Avare.

So that would seem to indicate that the information was getting sent to the I/O program, but then not making it to the Avare display. I have the same settings in Avare as you posted.

[jim Willer]

I am new to forum. Has anyone found a reliable adsb setup for Avare? I see a post on the "Dual" receiver. Other than that, I see a lot of other concoctions that do not seem to work. 

Tks

[Michael Smith]

So, an update. I flew yesterday and ALL the traffic was showing up on my tablet. I had the distance set to maximum so I was even seeing the airliners flying at +35,000' above me! I'm not sure why I was not seeing traffic that last time I went out, but it was all there this time. I was getting some traffic even sitting on the ground with my antenna 6" above the pavement. The uAvionix was simple to set up; about 7 hours total. Installation starts here: http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_log.php?user=mikesmith&project=698&category=5538&log=249578&row=4

[John W SBA]

> Has anyone found a reliable adsb setup for Avare?

Only if you have ADS-B Out, in my experience. I have the "$10 In" HIZ
solution using the setup I described on the website, and it worked great
on 1090 or when there's an Out-equipped device near my aircraft. The
trouble there is, 1090 is mostly only on airliners and I seldom get
anywhere near them and of course that lacks wx/etc. On UAT you get the
wx/etc. but traffic appears and vanishes very annoyingly when relying on
other Out planes to trigger the FAA transmitter.

Now that I've finally equipped with Out it's excellent. I recently got
a power split cable from Amazon for <$10, and though the tablet doesn't
charge at least it's no longer powering the receiver so I can easily fly
longer than is physically fun (3 hours w/65% charge left on my tablet at
comfortable brightness). It's cool to see traffic ATC never reports,
and to have already noticed them before they call me. Sadly, ATC
apparently doesn't yet have ADSB so I need to have visual or they'll
sometimes vector me off course (problematic when they're approaching
near my 6). I also notice some delay, so that I may need to look ahead
of the displayed location to spot traffic. By far the best <$30 total
I've ever spent. I've not yet tried ADSB In via Avare I/O, but people
seem to love it and a Stratux box may be the best cost/benefit for that.

> I see a lot of other concoctions that do not seem to work.

I wonder if that's because people having problems tend to post here for
solutions, since I know several pilots flying Avare w/Stratux who have
no problems and probably get better reception in remote areas than I.
My cheapo SDR is outdated, only 1-channel (1090/UAT) at a time, and has
a non-tuned antenna with sub-optimal placement. Still, it worked
flawlessly flying VGT<->SBA the other day still showing nearby ADSB
traffic when ATC briefly couldn't see me (or them) on radar at 8.5k'MSL
between TRACONs. The only "problem" was a couple of times "own ship"
showed up, but usually w/tail number and obviously not another aircraft
dogging my track.

Hope this helps, and that others with good solutions will chime in their
experiences.

Happy Flying -j

[Chip Davis]

On 12/4/2017 4:44 AM, John W SBA wrote:
> > Has anyone found a reliable adsb setup for Avare?
>

> Now that I've finally equipped with Out it's excellent.  I recently
> got a power split cable from Amazon for <$10, and though the tablet
> doesn't charge at least it's no longer powering the receiver so I
> can easily fly longer than is physically fun (3 hours w/65% charge
> left on my tablet at comfortable brightness).

[snip]

>   By far the best <$30 total I've ever spent.  I've not yet tried
> ADSB In via Avare I/O, but people seem to love it and a Stratux box
> may be the best cost/benefit for that.

Shouldn't you add the cost of ADS-B/Out to that <$30, John?

-Chip-

[John W SBA]

> Shouldn't you add the cost of ADS-B/Out to that <$30, John?

Excellent point, Chip. Also the minor investments in aircraft purchase,
maintenance, insurance, tiedown, fuel... ;D

Before I coughed up for Out, the In was great for wx on long x/c and
useful for spotting 1090 aircraft like doing the LAX VFR transition.
Still worth the initial $15 or so it cost, and allowed me to get
familiar with using it in Avare.

Now it's all but inevitable that I'll build a Stratux to enable powering
my tablet and two phones running Avare and getting ADSB on all of them
(plus better reception and simultaneous 1090/UAT).

[John W SBA]

> I flew yesterday and ALL the traffic was showing up

Glad to know you have it working! Thanks for the update. Do you find
that it's comfortably fitting into your scan already? I was glad to
have a safety pilot for the first hour or so, but now it's already
second nature.

> distance set to maximum so I was even seeing the airliners

I'm using 10,000 now and in SoCA haze it's great for practice at traffic
spotting. Even picked out some jets in the Edwards MOA and that was a
fun addition to the flight.