Anyone here anything about the Pucks? I wounder if they where part of a magic trick?
Later
I reckon they are going to be launched at the annual Puck Fair in Co Kerry which takes place on August 10th-12th. :D
http://www.puckfair.ie/index.php
Well after seeing how the Xmas competition was extended into January,and the two winners have not mentioned how they perform - i'm not expecting an answer soon.
Dongles coupled with Planeplotter seem to be becoming very popular in the meantime though.
Radio User have samples for Review and we will announce release date as soon as we have it.
If you PM the competition winners maybe they will tell you what they think.
Happy Easter all
6 months after the promotion of the product and no real news.
I'm not inclined to PM people, they'll share when they are ready.
I have to say it seems like a bad idea to promise and not deliver, that alienates me.
Add in the cheap dongles now available and I see a problem for sales of the puck.
I'm not doubting it will be a good product, but late to market and overtaken by events is my opinion.
Keef
As a winner of one of the pucks, i will give a true and fair opinion of the puck when i have had time to spend with it. As i work i find that i dont have as much time as i would like at the pc.
You say that because the cheaper dongle has arrived and may have taken the lions share. You may find that people out there will buy quality, as in the car market, you will find that some people go for the cheap and cheerfull whilst some pay more and go for quality. I.E toyota yaris, against, Volvo.
Quote from: Chris-G0WTZ on March 29, 2013, 12:10:15 AM
Radio User have samples for Review and we will announce release date as soon as we have it.
If you PM the competition winners maybe they will tell you what they think.
Happy Easter all
So three / four months later we're still really none the wiser - and i have to PM a stranger with no connection to Kinetic,who would 'maybe' answer any questions put to them.
::)
Quote from: Keef on March 29, 2013, 12:40:35 AM
I'm not doubting it will be a good product, but late to market and overtaken by events is my opinion.
If the Puck had been on sale 3 or 6 months ago, it would have had no influence on the competitive threat of cheaper alternatives.
Personally, I see the cheap DVB-T receivers as an entry point to the hobby. But they require a lot more effort to setup and, in my personal experience, don't perform as well as a specialist Mode-S receiver with complimentary software.
Both products can cohabit in the same market. The challenge is for Kinetic, AirNav and other specialist receiver manufacturers to raise their game and persuade us to invest in their products by adding value, be it in the hardware or the complimentary software.
I've used all the specialists receivers and associated software. I've also used PlanePlotter and adsbScope. My preference is to use a specialist receiver and it's included software. I may be in the minority and others are happy to experiment and I applaud their efforts. It pushes the boundaries and, hopefully, the competition to up its game.
The success of the Puck is in Kinetic's own hands. What I'd prefer to see is a new version of Basestation, incorporating many of the items on the Wish List I prepared years ago plus an integrated ACARS option. The lack of software development by Kinetic and AirNav won't help them in a competitive market place.
The Puck doesn't address this.
I agree with most of your comments above and your opinion regarding Basestation, Mike. I have just bought an SBS-1er and am using it in place of the Beast because the Basestation software is so good. I can live with the 15/20nm reduction in range so that I can use Active Display to update my database.
Strange to relate, I'm actually getting about 20% more aircraft from the 1er than from the Beast Mk2, despite the latter showing almost double the message rate in PlanePlotter. I'm getting 4 blues a lot of the time, something I didn't get in this neck of the woods even with the SBS-3, so I think I've got a very sensitive example of the 1er.
I think the main gripe here is that many posts on the various forums regarding the release of the Puck remain unanswered - and the latest post from the dealer does not shed much light on things either.
I'm very happy with my SBS-1 and have used it daily since 2006,and am very interested in getting a Puck to marry up with my netbook for out and about.It is the lack of communication that annoys me (and others it seems)
I have just bought 2 antennas from Chris Taylor to go with my SBS1 and the Puck.
The first days use of the sbs1 antenna gives very good results, This is the one that Anmer tested and gave his report.
I am going to use the UHF / VHF antenna on the puck. This report will be coming when tested. I can highly recomend the radio antenna for radio comms as i have used it on my scanners and works very well on both bands.
I will detail puck data later. when i have finished playing.
Anmer, do you have a link to your Basestation 'wish list'?
I know I've seen it before but can't find it now...
I have my SBS-1eR running 24/7 and its's never missed a beat, great hardware and I like the Basestaion software just as much. I wasn't out to have a go at the pucks in terms of hardware or capability as I obviously have no knowledge in that area, I just find it strange the way they were announced so long before they have become available for sale.
Cheers,
Keef.
Who won the ADSB version of the Puck?
If my SBS-1e went kaput tonight, a dongle would replace it running PlanePlotter. It has sufficient range for my purpose which is essentially visual range and considerable extra.
Maybe I would find some deficiencies (other than the networking ones I already know about). But they would have to be substantial to buy custom hardware again.
Ian
Quote from: Keef on March 29, 2013, 07:39:16 PM
Anmer, do you have a link to your Basestation 'wish list'?
I'll dig it out and post it under a different topic.
Thanks Anmer, much appreciated.
Quote from: IanH on March 29, 2013, 08:41:26 PM
Who won the ADSB version of the Puck?
Ian
The other winner was mike167 on sbs forum, i dont know what puck he won
Amner,
Did you get a chance to post that 'wish list' somewhere?
I'd like to have a read to see if my small list of issues have already been raised.
Cheers,
Keef.
If we all sing the praises of basestation and time has testified its capability and success despite its many guises, perhaps we have forgotton or was'nt aware that before its entry onto the market we were all somewhat oblivious to its value. Equally most of us will not know how much time in R&D went beforehand.
While its perhaps not the best sales pitch to whet our appetites only to be let down in the short term. I reckon most of us who choose to get a puck (and give a puck) will soon forget all this hyatus at present.
I think more the issue is that the cost will justify the our option to buy another unit to supplement what we alraedy have.
Many enthusiasts already use BS1er etc. mobile, so the puck would need to convince us that it has a better system along with a more powerful,valuable software package and long term support services.
The cynics will cut through all the hype and advertising and no doubt on one of the forums give their take on it. But who of us in the first instance knew what we were looking for until it arrived. Of course now we are all more informed and therefore more demanding of any new or evolved technology and Kinetic and others will be aware of that and hopefully match or supercede our expectations.
I recommend 12 months from now after its general release we revisit this issue to see how right/wrong we were on our feelings etc. Joowlz
Quote from: Keef on April 28, 2013, 12:16:38 AM
Did you get a chance to post that 'wish list' somewhere?
I forgot but am doing now in a new message thread that I'll post a link to from here.
Link here (http://radarspotting.com/forum/index.php/topic,2521.msg11829.html#msg11829)
Thanks Anmer,
I'll keep an eye out for it...
Cheers,
Keef.
<<As a winner of one of the pucks, i will give a true and fair opinion of the puck when i have had time to spend with it. >>
MHM,
After having it for 5 weeks, any thoughts on your Puck?
P
Awaiting some new software off Chris. Will let you know my feelings when tested fully
Not heard anything from the other winner yet
Quote from: mhm on May 04, 2013, 11:03:40 AM
Awaiting some new software off Chris. Will let you know my feelings when tested fully
Not heard anything from the other winner yet
Just help me out a bit here - does the thing even work at all with the existing software?
I assumed it was a small portable replacement for the SBS,no requirement for anything additional.
There are two versions of the Puck.
One is a Mode-S receiver, the other a Software Defined Radio which, I think, is the one that mhm won.
Imagine an SBS-3 cut in half.
Quote from: MIXISM on March 28, 2013, 09:52:16 AM
Anyone here anything about the Pucks? I wounder if they where part of a magic trick?
Later
The "Punk" have arrived in WSSS - erh .... the Wi-Fi version ...
[Attachment deleted by Admin to save file space]
<<Awaiting some new software off Chris. Will let you know my feelings when tested fully>>
mhm,
Do you have an ADS-B Puck, or an SDR Puck?
Quote from: 100arw on May 07, 2013, 09:32:42 AM
<<Awaiting some new software off Chris. Will let you know my feelings when tested fully>>
mhm,
Do you have an ADS-B Puck, or an SDR Puck?
SDR
Just changed to a win 8 laptop so will try and install it on there.
<<As a winner of one of the pucks, i will give a true and fair opinion of the puck when i have had time to spend with it. >>
MHM,
After having it for almost 2 months, any thoughts on your Puck?
Quote from: Chris-G0WTZ on March 29, 2013, 12:10:15 AM
Radio User have samples for Review and we will announce release date as soon as we have it.
If you PM the competition winners maybe they will tell you what they think.
Happy Easter all
Well Chris,it's been a while since you posted the above.I don't suppose we're any closer to getting some answers to the many questions asked since the 'arrival' announcement and the subsequent delayed Xmas competition??
How long does it take to figure out how these Pucks perform?
I wonder if it's a question of pricing?
We've all discovered the wonders of 10 quid TV dongles.
Perhaps in order to justify a price of hundreds of pounds there's been a frenzy of adding value to them, hence the seemingly unreasonable delay.
At Christmas I would have bought a Puck without hesitation. Now in the light of the dongles, I won't....unless they can give me something the dongles can't.
Just my tuppence worth's
Think Kinetic now need to be looking at Hardware & Software as two separate products. There would be a good market for BaseStation Lite on its own working with third party hardware.
The they can sell cheaper hardware (puck) that has its own version of BaseStation Basic with either more features than the stand-alone. Follow this up with the full blown package of SBS-3 and BaseStation Enhanced
I agree but the tracking websites are are eating into the software market too.
Flightradar24's RadarView is a good example.
QuoteI wonder if it's a question of pricing?
We've all discovered the wonders of 10 quid TV dongles.
Perhaps in order to justify a price of hundreds of pounds there's been a frenzy of adding value to them, hence the seemingly unreasonable delay.
At Christmas I would have bought a Puck without hesitation. Now in the light of the dongles, I won't....unless they can give me something the dongles can't.
Just my tuppence worth's
I think that you have hit the nail squarely on the head.
I've just looked at the invoice for my SBS-1 bought in November 2007.
I paid £389.23 (inc VAT) and shuddered as I did so. I believe that, up until then, the price had been £499, the reduction being a response to Airnav's box appearing on the scene.
I like my SBS-1 and being able to choose various add-ons, outlines etc has allowed me to tailor it to my requirements. However, nothing lasts forever so in the event of it expiring, I won't under any circumstances buy anything as costly again. I think that a £10 dongle, despite the complicated configuring required, would be about as much as I would pay.
Quotedespite the complicated configuring required
Not so complicated IF it all works ok. Install USB drivers (Zadig), run ADSB software of choice to collect signal from dongle (on Windows: RTL1090 or ADSB# ) and set up display software (PlanePlotter, GlobeS, etc).
If Zadig fails to install the USB drivers, that's where it can all fall apart but I've only had that on one of about half a dozen test installations. For the rest there are walk throughs and videos to help.
Looking at the pleas for help on various forums, it seems that people buy the dongles expecting them to work out of the box and sometimes not even sure what they can do.
So a Puck with software ready to go will suit those people (maybe even a Radarbox!).
Or has been suggested previously a version of BaseStation for sale to work with a dongle to provide the decoder and display in one package
Thanks for your response, Ian.
After my posting yesterday, I thought that it might be worth having a go so I splashed out £11.99* on one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009VBUYA0/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'll give it a whirl and see how it goes.
All the best,
W-W
* That should get the economy back on its feet. :-\
Quote from: Watson-Watt on June 09, 2013, 10:59:27 AM
After my posting yesterday, I thought that it might be worth having a go so I splashed out £11.99* on one of these:
When it arrives, carefully follow these "instructions" and avoid installing the wrong drivers.
http://www.flightradar24.com/dvbt-stick
Thanks for that, Mike. I've had a quick look and it seems just the job!
Much obliged. ;D
W-W