The Aero Thread..

[Confucian]

Interesting results. I'm getting random SDR# failures when running three at once, I get the usual unhelpful error message from windows which does seem to point to USB/Driver problem, I will post one next time it happens. It will be interesting to see if you suffer the same issue or not (hopefully) !
Keep up the good work , hope you feel better later .

had two SDR#'s drop out overnight has anyone any idea what this error message means ?
"
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: SDRSharp.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.1443
Application Timestamp: 56f99246
Fault Module Name: libusb-1.0.dll
Fault Module Version: 1.0.19.10905
Fault Module Timestamp: 539e0d04
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00009954
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
Locale ID: 2057
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789"

 

[Confucian]

Does this count as a lock? Please.

View attachment 97588 View attachment 97589 View attachment 97590 View attachment 97591

Chris1979 My eyes not focusing well enough at this time in the morning to be able to read your screen dumps. That is a version of "dump1090" so are you trying to decode "ADSB" on VHF 1090mhz ? if you are then have a read here it will get you going in no time, Installing and using a DVB-T Dongle on Windows – LowFlyingWales.co.uk

 

[Vipersan]

Well ..so far so good re the usb3 card.
It has worked fine overnight ...no crashes ..
All 3 Aero dongles still performing this morning ...still planes on the map ...
Which didn't happen previously as I had damaged motherboard ports I suspect.
Problem being that the ports dont have a set sequence ...so once intitiated and the dongle order set is best left to run undisturbed ..
and will remain in that order until power down ..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Well ..
certainly the whole system seems more stable now ...not had any crashes with the new card ..
but ..sadly the problems are still there ..
Basically ..
I start everything up ..one dongle at a time ...
then start the jaeros one at a time ..
then start plane plotter ..
planes start appearing ...and this builds.
I check back periodically ...and eventually there comes a point where there are no planes on pp ....
data is still flowing ...but jaeros report no tracking data ...just a long list of Bad RT packets ..
Looking at the SDR# screens clearly show that the vfos are on frequency ...there are data packets in evidence ...but jaero doesn't 'decode' anything useable.
So ..I stop each sdr# ..then start them again one at a time.
Not closing them down ..just hitting stop ..then start ..
Slowly planes start to appear again on PP ..
fwiw ..
This is either an SDR# issue ...or virtual cable issue ...or possibly an internal pc hardware issue ...
This is a new build so I can't blame the previous installation ..but the same software has been installed of course.

I shall try this again with just a single vfo per SDR # active in case this is the cause ..
have you seen anything similar confucian ?

 

[Confucian]

certainly the whole system seems more stable now ...not had any crashes with the new card ..
but ..sadly the problems are still there ..

No crashes is great news but your other issue is very strange and I cant say I have ever noticed that happening here. The only similar thing I think I get is when I'm resetting an instant of Sdr# via TeanViewer (sever is "remote") i get loads of bad packets on all three instances until I drop TeamViewer, if I then re connect all looks fine. I have had a look in the server box, loads of PCIe slots of various sizes but as I suspected no "loose" power cables of any kind which is problem if I want to fit a USB3 hub.

 

[Vipersan]

No crashes is great news but your other issue is very strange and I cant say I have ever noticed that happening here. The only similar thing I think I get is when I'm resetting an instant of Sdr# via TeanViewer (sever is "remote") i get loads of bad packets on all three instances until I drop TeamViewer, if I then re connect all looks fine. I have had a look in the server box, loads of PCIe slots of various sizes but as I suspected no "loose" power cables of any kind which is problem if I want to fit a USB3 hub.

Power cables are not a problem buddy ..
You can buy power splitter cables from China ..very cheap..
Are yours molex or 15 pin sata ?
You must have power to the hard drives of course...

..something like this for sata :-
15 Pin Male SATA to 2 Female SATA Power Splitter Y Cable & Latches 19cm - 29683A

 

[Confucian]

Power cables are not a problem buddy ..
You can buy power splitter cables from China ..very cheap..
Are yours molex or 15 pin sata ?
You must have power to the hard drives of course...

..something like this for sata :-
15 Pin Male SATA to 2 Female SATA Power Splitter Y Cable & Latches 19cm - 29683A

I wish it were that easy, the twin power units are bottom right and the hard drives hot swap" in caddies top right with no exposed/ spare cables. I might be able to do plug into the back of one of the empty bays with a male plug but would need two (or posibly) three of these to reach the PCIe slots top & middle left. 15 Pin SATA Male to Female Power Extension Cable Cord 20cm K6 . Where did you purchase the card from . ?

 

[Vipersan]

Well ..
fwiw ..here is the link ..
slightly higher price now but still cheap ..
4-Port USB 3.0 PCI Express Controller Card Adapter 15-pin SATA Low Profile UK

 

[Confucian]

Well ..
fwiw ..here is the link ..
slightly higher price now but still cheap ..
4-Port USB 3.0 PCI Express Controller Card Adapter 15-pin SATA Low Profile UK

Well ..
fwiw ..here is the link ..
slightly higher price now but still cheap ..
4-Port USB 3.0 PCI Express Controller Card Adapter 15-pin SATA Low Profile UK

Vs thanks for the link and they do free post to Ireland :-) most appreciated.
The eastiest way to pick up power on the server would be to plug into the socket on an empty hard drive bay but the cable would have to come out of the front and be routed externally to the PCIe slots at the back, about 2 feet.

The other alternative would be to power the dongles seperatley, either direct or via a hub. Are you using individual cables to you dongles and how far are they from the Dell. ? . I have mine in a separate room away from the server to minimize any interference.

Posty left me a pressy today, I think I will soak test them on my current setup before I take them to bits and mod them.

 

[Vipersan]

Yes I have them usb extension wire linked ...each approx 15 inches long..
rgds
...and the screening on your new dongles should be more than adequate to stop interference..

 

[Vipersan]

So far so good ...
I have a strong suspicion that my problems with my Aero setup are virtual cable based ..
So ...alongside VAC I have installed VB-Cable ...and donated via paypal to get the other two cables ..
making a total of 3 VB cables ..
These I have designated instead of VAC cables to port left and right SDR data to L & R multiplexed Jaero inputs ..
Well firstly was surprised I could install VB-Cable(s) without removing VAC (Virtual Audio Cable)
and secondly that so far ..there has been no sign of Inmarsat channels refusing to pass data and effectively shutting down ?
I'm going to try the VAC repeaters with VB inputs instead of VAC inputs ...assuming this is even possible - tomorrow....in order that I might actually be able to listen in on the virtual channels passing that data ...which under VAC produce this odd helicopter-ing of the audio background noise ..which in turn I believe is the root of all my problems.
I am gutted however that more VB cables cannot be purchased so am restricted to 3 ...
I really need a minimum of 4 ...and would have liked at least 6 .
cest la vie
I'll know by tomorrow if substituting VB for VAC has solved my problems.
It will either still be functioning when I get up tomorrow ...or will have once more stopped piping data ...in which case ...
I've run out of ideas..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

..oh and whilst I remember ...can anyone tell me why the circle with an X in it in the above picture is not located over manchester UK ?
my long and lat co-ordinates are correct ...and I correctly set my location in Plane plotter when I installed it ...but google maps gets it wrong ?
I know not why ?

 

[Confucian]

..oh and whilst I remember ...can anyone tell me why the circle with an X in it in the above picture is not located over manchester UK ?
my long and lat co-ordinates are correct ...and I correctly set my location in Plane plotter when I installed it ...but google maps gets it wrong ?
I know not why ?

I think it will move to Manchester if you zoom in, mine is like that to.

 

[Vipersan]

I think it will move to Manchester if you zoom in, mine is like that to.

So ..not something I'm doing wrong ...and not a bug in PP ..but a bug in google maps ?
Cheers Mick

 

[Vipersan]

Still fully functional this morning ..so I can reasonably safely say VAC was the reason the data ceased to flow..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

So ..having decided to go with VB cable ..I lost the ability to listen in on the audio from SDR# > Jaero ..
A most useful thing to be able to do ...and the very thing that identified my problem ...after hearing the helicopter chuffing noise that developed in the background over time when using VAC.
..and since I could not get VACs audio repeater to connect to VB-cable ...that abilty was denied me..
Until that is I found this very useful bit of software
:- Sound Tap
bottom of the list >>
K3PGP - Experimenters Corner - Software
It works just great if you need to 'earwig' on your piped signals ..
rgds
VS

 

[Archive-8]

First confirmed lock



confirmed by flightradar24

 

[Confucian]

V3 Dongles may give access to the clock pins but connecting to them is fun.
RTL-SDR Blog V.3. Dongles User Guide - rtl-sdr.com

RG405 semi rigid coax, heat shrink and kapton tape seem to be the answer but need to find a way to restrain the cable.

 

[Vipersan]

Something simple perhaps like a narrow cable tie ?
to prevent it being pulled loose ?

 

[Confucian]

Something simple perhaps like a narrow cable tie ?
to prevent it being pulled loose ?

Good idea, may need to enlarge the holes as the smallest I have are a tad to wide or visit hardware shop :-)