Try contacting http://www.rojone.com.au/category/c-...oaxial-cables/ as mentioned by Kurt earlier in this thread, they may be able to help or advise on some options.

I've tried that. They have asked me for the dimensions of my cable but since then they didn't respond. Maybe I need to give them a call.

Today I have ordered an SBS-3. That's the new version of the ADS-B receiver from Kinetic Avionics. I hope to receive it soon. The receiver is also able to receive AIS messages from the ships. I think that's really cool as I am living in Coogee and then can see both planes and ships :-)

If you guys are interested I can post a review about it after receiving the SBS-3.

Hi Henning,

Please keep us updated on how you go.

There is a few of us here in Sydney with ADS-B setups that would be keen to follow your progress and to help you out with your setup should you so desire.

Cheers.

I gave Rojone a call and then I got a quote from them for fixing my cable. The quote was quite high and as I've ordered the SBS-3 from a shop in Germany (600AU$ including shipping costs, compared to 750AU$ from the Australian shop) I have just bought a new cable with connectors (same cable as I had before - Aircell 5) from that shop and it's now on the way to Australia together with the SBS-3.
I guess that it will arrive next week. I am really exited about it. The SBS-3 can decode the ADB-S signals standalone so that external software can be connected directly to it without running a decoder software like the RadarBox software or the Basestation software the one needed to have running for older versions of the SBS.

Another question: Is it legal to use a scanner to receive the radio transmissions of planes and air traffic control?

Hi all,

Ive been running my radarbox for about 6 month, im located in far west Sydney and run a Radar Rama antenna, Ive just purchased some LMR400 from rojone, henry was very helpfull.

Im getting about 180nm range. Im on a pretty good peice of ground, only about 60mtr ASL but have about 324 degree view from the antenna with no obstructions. I put the poor distance down to my cell foil cable. Now I will get the LMR and should see a good range.

I also learnt that 1090mhz does not like coax being inside metal tubing...so im replacing my riser with plastic!

I look forward to sharing some info with you guys. I sure love my aviation..

Hi Brad, Let us know how you go with the LMR400 cable, it really improved my reception.

New Garmin ADS-B "Acadamy"
 

A somewhat grander name than the currently available content reflects (and US-centric in terms of the 2020 implementation references), but it could become a useful resource:
http://www.garmin.com/us/intheair/ads-b

Hi Mr G, I certainly will mate, I really feel my Coax was letting me down, im hoping with the LMR it will give me better Nth and South reception...E & W isnt too bad atm.

With our 2 stations we should give some pretty good coverage!

Brad, are you feeding PlanePlotter? If so what's your sharer code. Mine is "mb" located in the lower Hills area of Sydney.

Nope not yet, I want to but don't know how yet. I want to do it! Share the love I say!!!!

Brad looking forward to seeing your plots on PP when you are up and running.

Now is a good time to buy the PP licence (25 Euros) with the Euro up around the 85 cent mark.

If you have any problems setting up don't hesitate of ask.

I confirmed with AirNavSystems that the maximum range displayed on their Polar Plot is 300nm, the theoretical limit for line of sight reception of aircraft ADS-B transmissions.

Knowing that my setup was exceeding this range, my son set out to update the file driving the Polar Plot using all the received data, so that it was a true representation of the reception.

Left - Polar Plot highlighting the 300nm limit. _______________________________ Right - Polar Plot now using all received data
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...20120721-1.GIF http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...20120721-2.GIF

This is the same Polar Plot zoomed out so that the reception over 410nm can be
easily identified. Some great pickups out to the East and Northeast, and one out
to the Northwest.
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...20120721-3.GIF

wow! thats some good range! Im about to get up on my roof, pull the antenna down, replace the metal riser with plastic (as 1090mhz doesnt like coax inside metal tubing, it reduces the range) AND i WILL ALSO TAKE MY ANTENNA DOWN, GIVE IT A CLEAN WHILE I WAIT FOR MY lmr400 TO BE READY AND MY RADARBOX TO COME BACK FROM eUROPE (COPPED SOME STATIC DISCHARGE TO THE rx)

Damn caps lock, sorry guys!

Hey is anyone using a DC block to protect from static?? I killed my radarbox from static discharge to the receiver as I have no protection on the nantenna.

Also Grahame, are you using mast head amp?

Also how did you alter the plotting map?? ill do the same.

Brad, I am not using a mast head amp with my ADS-B, and the process of updating the AirNav Systems Polar Plot is partly manual at present (may have a program to do it in the future).

roger that!

I recall sometime ago there was some consideration given to a group order of these aerials from the States, but the logistics of it didnt workout. Seeing as its now possible would there be any interest in getting this going again. I for one would be interested.

im always interested in getting a better antenna!

Has anyone grounded their antenna or using a DC block, my box got smacked with static, had to be repaired.

Brad, Just a couple of points to consider.

If you are going to go with an LNA for extra gain then the one you want is the Kuhne electonics product out of Germany.
http://www.kuhne-electronic.de/en/pr...1090-a-tm.html
I use their products in my amateur radio satellite antenna set up and can verify the quality of their stuff...very solid compared to some of the others out there.

The second point concerns your static problem...something I also have to deal with since I use both pre-amps and LNA's with my satellite stuff and my radio equipment on the other end is very sensitive to static discharges..particularly from nearby lightning activity...the corona from lightning discharges can hit as far away as 18 miles and can put enough electricity in the air to blow out all of the electronics that might be connected to any nearby antennas. What you need is a good grounding system so that the static discharges go to ground and not to your equipment..a DC block will not work in that application..its used to stop voltages going up the center conductor of coax to antennas where its not needed (to power mast mounted equipment for example that does not have/need a dedicated dc 2 wire feed).

I have extensive docs available on how to build good grounding systems that will provide the protection your looking for...(keep in mind though that nothing will protect against a direct hit) They are too large to post here so you can contact me by email if your interested and I will send them your way. The link below covers many different references on this subject.
http://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Techni...nce/Grounding/

Regards

MS

I should have also added in my last response that static electricity can also be generated by high winds/dust build up across antenna and coax surfaces thus providing that accumulated voltage potential that can end up getting to your receiver if not adequately protected. Make sure the receiver is directly grounded at your desk location...and if you want to go the extra mile get yourself a wrist strap (connected to a ground of course) and use that attached to your wrist any time you handle the receiver. All of the above may seem like a pain but not as big a pain as your going to have (both down time and $$$) if you have to keep getting your equipment repaired/replaced etc.

Regards
MS

thanks Mike, i8ll email you, im happy to run a grounding system at the antenna but have no idea how!

thanks :)

check out this range today, on crappy coax, antenna mounted 3' off the roof.

LMR arriving tomorrow.

Hi Brad,

Looking forward to your progress when you get the new coax up.

Any chance you could increase the size of your attached images. My eyes are deteriorating :)

Also, would you mind checking your database and advise what a/c were giving you those distances to the west? I had a similar looking display on my plot this morning, only to find out they were spurious position reports produced by E8023E LAN Chile A-340-313X CC-CQE :(

LAN are a regular offender for incorrect position reports, I have had some with West Longitudes.

I had one pickup yesterday in the far southwest of NSW, way past my normal reception, and will have a look at the logs tonight to see which aircraft it was.

hmm not sure, ill check the logs...just about to do a format c:\ so may be a day or 2 before im back on-line!

Good news is, I got my LMR cable today, terminated both ends, 12 mtrs for 95 bux...cant complain with that :) The cable is mega!!! hope i can fit it in the cavity I have drilled!

I dont know why my screen shots are so small, i might host them instead of attaching.

CHECK MY CABLE OUT!

ADS-B could end up encrypted ...
 

This article highlights a flaw in ADS-B that might be closed sooner than you think:

http://phys.org/news/2012-07-hackers...ffic.html#nwlt

meh, they encrypt, someone de crypts it ....game on again i say :)

Here is a my antenna and latest plot map with a few hours of scanning and new LMR400 cable.

http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0324.jpg

http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0323.jpg

Brad, I think that you've forgotten to attach the plot map. :-)

I have received my SBS-3 on Thursday and I have also registered for PlanePlotter now. Before I only used the RadarBox software with my RadarBox. But with the SBS-3 PlanePlotter seems to offer a lot of nice features. At the moment I am trying to create a radar.txt file so that I can make use of the mode A/C receptions.
Does anyone of you already have a radar.txt file?

I am also trying to get the SDR scanning functionality of PlanePlotter working with my SBS-3.

Does anyone else here also have an SBS-3?

I am really impressed of how much more data you can receive and display compared to the RadarBox. One thing that I like is that the targeted altitude is shown and not only the current one. I need to continue playing with it now :-D

Lol yeah I wanted to build the map for a few hours before I post a screen cap.

I just formatted my PC so screen shot will have to wait :)

That SBS3 box sure sounds cool, I'll have a bit more of a look at that! I love features!

G'day Henning, I'm also a happy SBS3 owner here in lower Hills area of Sydney and feeding PP with MLATs using sharer code "mb".

Hi Noel,

my sharer code is M6. But I am still waiting to be validated as a GS.
Do you use any other plugins or addons?
And do you have a radar.txt file? I didn't have any success so far in setting it up. The results that I get by recording and analyzing Mode A/C data don't seem to be correct. Or maybe we are unlucky and there are no uniquely identifiable radar station in our area... Sometimes the beams that are shown go perfectly through the selected aircraft but sometimes they go to completely wrong directions.

I was just happy a couple of minutes ago when I got the first NMEA message from a ship out of the SBS. It's encoded but I could enter it on a website that decodes those messages and it showed me that the ship is near the entrance to Botany Bay facing west and having a speed of 8 knots :-)

It's cool to be able to track both ship and planes :-) The next feature I will need is tracking trains and buses. And then all the cars and people :-D

Geez time to don my tinfoil hat so you can't track me lol

G'day Henning, I've giving up trying to setup the Beamfinder etc., in PP. I don't think we have enough radar sites to make it work here.

I noted your PP M6 location in the eastern suburbs and looking forward to seeing your contribution to the local MLAT fraternity.

The main add ons I find most useful is SBSPlotter, AD Lite and Mike Simpson's ACARS program.

Are you feeding ShipPlotter? I'm sharer "o0" and from my location feed the upper reaches of the Parramatta River and occasionally vessels around the Harbour Bridge and in Botany Bay. The SBS3 makes picking up the NMEA messages so much more convenient and not having to fiddle with setting up the sound card to decode the NMEA input.

With AD Lite (is it Active Display Lite?) I have the problem that it reports that BaseStation is not running when I am using PlanePlotter to access the SBS-3 directly. Do you have BaseStation running?

I have to google the ACARS program. Never heard of that before.

I don't feed ShipPlotter. I only receive messages from ships from time to time (rarely). So it's not worth spending 25 Euros on a software that shows them. I'm hoping that Kinetic will release a version of BaseStation that also shows the position of ships.

But you are right. The reception of both NMEA and ACARS messages is so much easier with the SBS-3. No need for additional receivers! I really love it!

I am proud to be able to say that I am an MLAT groundstation now on the PlanePlotter network! Have just been validated a couple of minutes ago.

Henning, have sent you a PM re setting up Active Display Lite with BaseStation and where to find Mike's ACARS program.

Grahame, any chance you might also request to become a master-user for 'qR' for the purpose of MLAT?

Unfortunately, the airnav radar box is not mlat capable. Something to do with an incompatible time stamp I think.

Ah, that would do it! Thanks Donald.


Henning, are you just using your GP1090 to receive AIS plots? Do you have a secondary antenna plugged into the the other SMA plug on the receiver?

Because you can purchase any decent Airband antenna to not only listen to ATC through the SBS3, but the same antenna will give you much better input signals for ACARS decoding and ship plots, all in one. Much better than a 1090mhz tuned antenna.

The SBS-3 comes with a throw out aerial for the AIS and ATC signals and I am using that one to receive the AIS plots. I know that I could buy a better one but to be honest I don't really need it. I can receive the plots of the ships that I can see outside my window and that's enough for me. I'm more interested in the planes :-)
And the throw out aerial isn't that bad anyway. Yesterday I received plots from a ship about 25NM away until it disappeared behind the horizon.

As the AriNav System polar plot is restricted to 300nm, my son wrote a Google based App where you can select the range you want. When I entend the
range out to 700nm, my polar plot looks like this. There is a definite straight line across the northeast, where the Brisbane-Auckland flights are being
tracked.

http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...ot20121020.jpg

Also interesting was the number of transmissions received since I setup the AirNav Systems RadarBox in March this year. My RadarBox has received
1,144,729,694 (1.1 Billion) transmissions, that's an average of 64 per second over this period. I have seen peaks of around 450 transmissions per second.