Just wanted to share an observation with those who use dongles.
I started my plotting last year with help from several of you using a microADSB stick and have i had fun, saw a video on how to set up a dongle so bought one to use in the car like a lot of you already do but here comes the surprise the dongle seems to outperform the microADSB now it might just be luck but on the PlanePlotter forum others have said the same.
Has anyone here had this maybe outperforming another receiver
Simon
What dongle did you buy.
Quote from: yarmouthshipping on January 28, 2013, 11:48:47 AM
Has anyone here had this maybe outperforming another receiver
I found it comes fairly close to the performance of my Beast Mk II so that would make it outperform everything else except perhaps the SBS-3.
Quote from: viking9 on January 28, 2013, 03:47:25 PM
Quote from: yarmouthshipping on January 28, 2013, 11:48:47 AM
Has anyone here had this maybe outperforming another receiver
I found it comes fairly close to the performance of my Beast Mk II so that would make it outperform everything else except perhaps the SBS-3.
I am in agreement with Tom on this one.
Stephen
I have an SBS-3 and have found the R820T dongle comes very close to the SBS-3 in the number of aircraft received using the same external antenna.
The max range on my SBS-3 is 240NM the R820T Dongle is 231NM and my Beast is 258NM
Thanks to Tom for informing me about the R820T dongle.
Agree with you Tom...the dongles come close to Beast performance range wise !
Of course at less than £10 a go we don't know how long they will last , but in the short term they are certainly giving outstanding performance and are introducing many new users to the world of Mode S.
Incidentally there are over 90 dongle Ground Stations
running on PP. :)
Hi John,
Thanks for that info. 90 in use with PP eh! I think the big boys are going to catch a cold with their high priced kit. I wouldn't part with my Beast but if it goes bang and is more than £100 to repair I won't be buying another.
The dongle also provides excellent vhf airband reception using software like sdr#
Quote from: mhm on January 28, 2013, 11:55:59 AM
Simon
What dongle did you buy.
Got it from Cosycave https://www.cosycave.co.uk/product.php?id_product=288 (https://www.cosycave.co.uk/product.php?id_product=288)
Simon
Quote from: satcom on January 28, 2013, 06:55:26 PM
Agree with you Tom...the dongles come close to Beast performance range wise !
Of course at less than £10 a go we don't know how long they will last , but in the short term they are certainly giving outstanding performance and are introducing many new users to the world of Mode S.
Incidentally there are over 90 dongle Ground Stations
running on PP. :)
As a disabled non worker i need it cheap as do many others so if they last 6 months for £10 great and it helps spread mlats on PP
Simon
Well said Simon
I suspect the legacy of the dongle will prove to be that it drove down the prices of dedicated commercial products to a sensible level.
Quote from: satcom on January 29, 2013, 07:21:51 AM
I suspect the legacy of the dongle will prove to be that it drove down the prices of dedicated commercial products to a sensible level.
In over 7 years I don't recall a mass lobby to drive prices down. I think most understood the research and manufacturung costs associated with low volume technical products and that the two main suppliers had invested heavily in software development, marketing and distribution.
The DVB-T dongle as a Mode-S receiver is the offspring of an accidental "collision" of one technology with another. I'm not too sure who sowed the first seed but I suspect Andy at Jetvision.de has made a significant contribution to the evolution of this new, low cost receiver with his RTL1090 decoding software.
I also suspect COAA is gaining most at the moment and perhaps we can look forward to a reduction in the price of its "dedicated commercial products" too? ;)
PS. Satcom, please note the "smiley". 8)
I would have thought that the more trafic going through a webserver would have cost more, as most service providers charge on data use.
Simon.
Thanks for the details of the dongle, i will order the same, and give it as whirl. i can always keep it as a spare if the others pack up.
The dongle trend started over a year ago in the US....Thats when I firt got my 4000E , but you are right Mike , Andy has pushed this along big time with all the work he has done.
Smiley noted.
I am not employed by COAA or indeed privy to any business info....however 25Euro for a piece of sw that outperforms anything else....anywhere in either the commercial or business world must be a fair price.You are buying the licence after all ...and get regular updates for free :)..........but still he continues to give a service second to none.
Bear in mind also that whilst there are many dongles in use , in the main , these are people who until now had PP but didnt have a receiver.
I agree about development costs for other manufacturers , but they no longer have the monopoly....and market forces will dictate that prices of hardware will have to fall now that users realise just how little in the shape of actual content these receivers have.
The original manufacters will have built their costs into the retail prices we have seen until now.
They'll either decide to give up , or compete.
Quote from: mhm on January 29, 2013, 08:46:47 AM
as most service providers charge on data use.
Mine doesn't.
I purchased two of my R820T dongles from Andy at Jetvision.de to ensure the author gets something back for developing the software. Other software is available but RTL1090 works well for me.
Quote from: Anmer on January 29, 2013, 08:32:47 AM
In over 7 years I don't recall a mass lobby to drive prices down. I think most understood the research and manufacturung costs associated with low volume technical products and that the two main suppliers had invested heavily in software development, marketing and distribution.
There may not have been a 'mass lobby', Mike - probably due to the fact that ADS-B was not widely known. However, the emergence of the PlaneGadget and other lower cost receivers points to a definite desire to enter the hobby more cheaply. Even the Beast was initially seen as a cheaper alternative to the two main providers.
Quote from: viking9 on January 29, 2013, 09:35:11 AM
However, the emergence of the PlaneGadget and other lower cost receivers points to a definite desire to enter the hobby more cheaply. Even the Beast was initially seen as a cheaper alternative to the two main providers.
And where is the PlaneGadget now?
My point is that the market was able to sustain a £500 price tag and, if Kinetic is to be belived, SBS-3 sales are still strong. I wonder if many "dongle" customers will upgrade to "specialist" receivers and whether the long overdue Pucks make it to market?
Interesting times ahead.