SkyRadar troubleshooting - iFly Owners Q&A

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SkyRadar troubleshooting

11/19/2011 3:00 PM

rvanpd

Joined: 1/8/2010

Posts: 55

Re: SkyRadar troubleshooting Modified By rvanpd on 11/20/2011 6:57:41 AM

I received my Skyradar today and hooked it up. No real problems and started picking up weather.

Weather information comes up on the weather mode. (Airports with reports have either a blue or a green circle) Zooming out shows a grey circle of the Nexrad coverage. It is now raining in San Diego and the rain shows up in different color levels depending on the intensity. I compared it to the Weather Underground site Nexrad screen. While blocky squares on the Ifly, it still gives enough info to let you know where the rain is most intense.

Questions:

1. Will there be an overlay of real weather returns on the Sectional charts in the future or do I need to switch back and forth to the Weather mode?

What map mode do I need to be in to see interrogated ADS-B traffic or can I use all of them including weather? I'm based in San Diego.

Do I need to be at altitude before I receive any traffic?

Wish the Ifly manual would be updated ASAP to answer these questions!!!!!

11/21/2011 12:16 PM

Walter

Joined: 7/8/2009

Posts: 2778

Re: SkyRadar troubleshooting

rvanpd: Weather is only shown on the weather mode, so currently you will need to switch back and forth. Traffic will be shown in all modes. But the FAA is goofy about how traffic works: As I understand it, only aircraft within 5nm +/- 3000 feet of an ADSB Transponder will be broadcast. So if you are interested in getting traffic information I suggest you get a full blown ADSB Transceiver.

And by the way...I just had a customer leave our office that is purchasing one of the NavWorx transceivers (http://navworx.com/index.asp). He was on-site at their lab and tested compatibility with the iFly, and it seems to work fine. We've been testing with their entry level device, which is not inherently compatible (we're working on that), but it seems the serial IO from their higher end devices works fine. So more to come on this when able.

Thanks,
Walter

Walter Boyd
President, Adventure Pilot

11/21/2011 5:14 PM

Dave K

Joined: 11/16/2010

Posts: 270

Re: SkyRadar troubleshooting

I posted a Quick Setup Guide....some how it ended up in the General Discussions forum. I don't know how to add the link but it's there.

Had some troubles but with the help of Ed (and access to a computer) it work very well on my return flight.

Fly safe..

Dave K

Dave K

11/21/2011 9:44 PM

David

Joined: 1/3/2011

Posts: 521

Re: SkyRadar troubleshooting

Dave K,

I have seen this problem several times now; the iFly showes that it is connected to SkyRadar as I taxi out, but once I'm airborne no data is being received. I then disconnect the USB cable, leave the SkyRadar energized, reboot the iFly, then reconnect to the USB and everything is fine.

I'm currently rewiring the power input to the devices, so I can depart with the iFly on, and once airborne then switch on the SkyRadar. I am hoping that I can get the two talking without having to start dealing with unplugging and then repluging USB cables while airborne! (I have all the available updates.) Thanks for your input very much, I will keep you posted how I make out.

That said, I know that it works, and not only with SkyRadar, but while driving an autopilot at the same time; I guess that just need to understand the "boot" sequence.

Dave Mc

C177RG: iFly 720, Stratux 978/1090 ADS-B in, AHRS, BMP, Stratus ESG ADS-B out. RV-3: 8" Samsung Tab A, Stratux 978/1090 ADS-B in, AHRS, BMP, Stratus ESG ADS-B out.

11/22/2011 9:47 AM

Alasdair

Joined: 10/12/2011

Posts: 411

Re: SkyRadar troubleshooting

Received my Skyradar from the 2nd group buy. Hooked it and it shows as connected under Connected Devices. Also noticed that Weater menu option now reads (live ADS-B) rather than (Preflight).

I have a little power wiring work to do before I can test it in the air. Anyway - question for Walter and team...

What I did notice is that:

(i) since I wasn't at altitiude I wasn't picking up any current weather (expected) but that (ii) in ADS-B mode when I viewed the weather screen the old (several days ago weather from a pre-flight update) was now being used and displayed (airports circled green etc)?

In Preflight (non- ADS-B mode) it seemed really old data just didn't show up at all, which I preferred. I don't like the false indication on the map. Am I missing something? or does the ADS-B mode (unlike Pre-flight mode) show weather reagrdless of how stale it is? I'd rather have it work the same was as I think pre-flight works and quit displaying weather that is 'too old' - some kind of threashold (configurable or otherwise). I'd rather see that I have no weather than a false indication from days old weather?

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