PowerFlarm and Mode C

What do you mean when you say alerted to every towplane departure? The Zaon showed the transponder and the PowerFLARM didn't? Or the PowerFLARM didnt show the transponder at all? If the towplane wasn't getting closer to the hangar on its takeoff why would you expect an alert?

The original poster does not understand the configuration of his Flarm unit. Target distance recognition and display are configurable.
When properly set-up for maximum display my unit will show every commercial jet passing overhead and every towplane in the area.

Read the manual.

My PF Core picks up all ModeC/ADSB targets perfectly well, while stationary in my city street in front of my house. Most of the traffic is on approach into a major airport at 3000ft, 3.5NM laterally displaced.
If I open up my ranges in the configuration file, I can see also departing traffic much further away and much higher.

There have been reports here on RAS from people evaluating the PF and MRX side-by-side, who have concluded that the latest PF firmwares outperform the MRX.

Do you understand what your $PFLAC,S,OWNMODEC,1 is for ? (I have mine set to 0)

3U.

On Thursday, May 28, 2015 at 1:02:44 PM UTC-7, wrote:
My PF Core picks up all ModeC/ADSB targets perfectly well, while stationary in my city street in front of my house. Most of the traffic is on approach into a major airport at 3000ft, 3.5NM laterally displaced.
If I open up my ranges in the configuration file, I can see also departing traffic much further away and much higher.

There have been reports here on RAS from people evaluating the PF and MRX side-by-side, who have concluded that the latest PF firmwares outperform the MRX.

Do you understand what your $PFLAC,S,OWNMODEC,1 is for ? (I have mine set to 0)

3U.

I also flew with Zaon for years, and then with both for at least a year, in which the Zaon out performed the powerflarm significantly at the beginning until my powerflarm went through couple of firmware upgrades and eventually I also replaced a faulty antenna, after that the powerflram consistently outperformed the Zaon, especially in altitude difference which the Zaon often did poor job. I eventually sold the Zaon.

As for what you noticed on the ground, this is in purpose. When powerfalm detects you are on the ground, it shuts off Mode C alerts completely. This was confirmed to me by Flarm support when I noticed this couple of years ago..

Ramy (over 1000 hours of flying with Powerflarm and Zaon MRX)