PowerFLARM Range Issues - Part Two with info from todays flights

I am sure I have seen Flarm traffic much more than +/- 1000 feet or even 1000m. So not sure if it is a typo or a new restriction. Hopefully the former as it is very helpful to be able to detect gliders at much more than 1000 feet difference when buddy flying.

Ramy

$debug_out,fat,scheduler|config|baro|rf|gps|pffsm, all

PowerFLARM can log to the internal file system (4 megabytes)
or directly to SD card (Portable) or USB stick (Brick); which typically
is above one gigabyte.

$debug_out,.... activates the second option.
$file,dump dumps the content of the internal file system to the
SD/USB, in binary ('gibberish') form.

If you send me the gibberish, I can analyse it.

Best
--Gerhard

--
Dr. Gerhard Wesp
Development Manager, Avionics
FLARM Technology GmbH
Switzerland
CH-020.4.033.059-8

On Saturday, October 6, 2012 12:11:32 PM UTC-4, bumper wrote:
For those of us who don't relish the "opportunity" to dive in and experiment with config files and such . . . Butterfly has a free config file builder that does it for you using a multiple choice format that even I can figure out.



http://www.butterfly-avionics.com/in...core-config-en



bumper

Bumper,

thanks for the pointer. I used this site just now to generate a config file, and it works GREAT!

TA

On Oct 6, 5:51*am, FLARM wrote:
You do NOT need to set the ICAO ID, unless you carry a Mode S transponder (where it helps to suppress your own transponder signal).
So yes, PowerFLARM WILL work 'straight out of the box'.

OK, I stand corrected (and happily so).

Bonus points to Butterfly for the "configurator" tool!

--Noel

On Oct 5, 9:19*pm, "noel.wade" wrote:

YOU MUST NOT USE THE PowerFLARM UNITS (Brick or Portable) RIGHT "OUT
OF THE BOX". You *MUST* apply a configuration file, with your
aircraft's ID value in the config file. This is CRITICAL!!!


Nonsense!

The default configuration assumes you gave no transponder and your
unit is identified it's own unique FLARM ID.

In big letters so you read it - EVERY FLARM HAS A UNIQUE ID

Only if you have a mode S transponder do you need to change your ID
from the default FLARM ID to the mode S ICAO aircraft address.

GY

Mark and everybody,

The range defaults in PowerFLARM 2.40 are as follows:

FLARM: unlimited horizontal/1000ft vertical (*)
PCAS: 4NM horizontal/2000ft vertical
ADS-B: unlimited

(*) The vertical FLARM range cannot be changed.

Additional sensitivity restrictions for both FLARM and PCAS/ADS-B apply.

All values can be reset to the defaults using

$pflac,defaults

There was no "flarm range" in my original config file. With the file I used today the "flarm range" config was set to maximum with the statement below. I had several flarm detections that occured around 4 miles. This is between 2x and 3x what I experienced before so this is a noticable improvement. Still not 6 or 8 miles, but a nice improvement.

That's a strong hint that there was something wrong with your configuration.. Glad that
it works better now.

After I put the glider back in the hanger I received one ADSB signal from an aircraft that was 8,000 feet higher and over 10 miles away. Since ADSB comes in on the same antenna that the PCAS receives on I think it's likely that the radio circuit and antenna are working fine and that there is real potential to improve the PCAS via the software.

Yes, that indicates that your installation is otherwise OK.

The one pilot in our group who did not update his config file did not see the 4 mile Flarm performance so it appears that the "as shipped" settings in the brick may be limiting the performance.

See above for defaults.

$PFLAC,S,PCASRANGE,10000

This is above 5NM and will be ignored (note to myself: it should be set to the maximum
instead, will fix that).

$PFLAC,S,PCASVRANGE,1000

OK
$PFLAC,S,ADSBRANGE,65535

OK

$PFLAC,S,ADSBVRANGE,65535

OK, but I'd recommend to reduce it to values useful for traffic awareness
in order to reduce clutter.

$PFLAC,S,RANGE,65535

OK

More testing and reports as weather and opportunity present.

Thanks in advance!

One side note, the data dump file that appeared on my USB stick after flying appears to be corrupted. When I got early dump files when I had just received the unit the files appeared neatly arranged with no extra characters. Currently there is tons of gibberish in the file. Not knowing how that file is created or appended, is there a way to reset or clear the file within the brick and hope for less gibberish? Might also just be my USB stick too.

Can you send my your original flarmcfg.txt and the dump file by personal mail?

Best
--Gerhard
--
Dr. Gerhard Wesp
Development Manager, Avionics
FLARM Technology GmbH
Switzerland
CH-020.4.033.059-8

Dump file figured out. It appears that I inherited a bad command for creating the dignostic file, possibly it's a different command for the European Flarm. Anyway, with the correct command, the output is back to gibberish free...