Radarspotting

Mode-S Receivers => Other Mode-S Receivers => Topic started by: Anmer on April 01, 2016, 08:31:15 AM

Title: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 01, 2016, 08:31:15 AM
My thanks to acarslogger for spotting this yesterday.

If it were this morning one might think it's an April Fool's joke.

http://www.kinetic.co.uk/Trilby.php

Typical of Kinetic's teasers, I'm still trying to work out if it's a bowler or trilby?  I prefer flat caps myself.

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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Graham Bell on April 01, 2016, 10:57:03 AM
An article of apparel often used by Kinetic to communicate via? ;)
Regards-
G.B.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 01, 2016, 11:08:38 AM
Surely that's a fedora?

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/brand-thats-not-a-fedora-and-stop-wearing-it/

And love the description of a trilby - probably not what Kinetic meant  ;)

QuoteTrilbies, using less material and being more forgiving of poor fabric, are cheap to make and thus have become widely available.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 01, 2016, 11:19:24 AM
Quote from: IanH on April 01, 2016, 11:08:38 AM
And love the description of a trilby - probably not what Kinetic meant  ;)

QuoteTrilbies, using less material and being more forgiving of poor fabric, are cheap to make and thus have become widely available.

;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Arno01 on April 02, 2016, 09:33:06 AM
Would be nice if they put some effort into Basestation 2 for all the loyal supporters who have been waiting many years
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 02, 2016, 09:37:24 AM
Quote from: Arno01 on April 02, 2016, 09:33:06 AM
Would be nice if they put some effort into Basestation 2 for all the loyal supporters who have been waiting many years

I agree.  Mode-S receivers are no longer a USP but software is and BaseStation is still a very good product.  Kinetic should have monetised it years ago.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 02, 2016, 12:01:24 PM
Interesting description of RPi "Hats".

https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/introducing-raspberry-pi-hats/
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 04, 2016, 07:33:37 AM
Let's hope the Trilby Hat is more accurate at "monitoring, recording and analysis" that Kinetic's website.  ;)

Just visited it today, 4th April 06:32 UTC.

Perhaps the first one in the office each day turns over the page?

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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 04, 2016, 09:43:00 AM
QuoteInteresting description of RPi "Hats".

Hadn't seen that before but realise now I have just bought one: a DAC to enable my music collection on hard disk to be played via amplifier and speakers.

But the biggest issue with any of these "hats" is the need for a customised case at whatever price the market can bear.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 05, 2016, 08:34:10 AM
I'd swear that yesterday, Monday 4th March 2016, the Trilby Hat countdown clock said 4 days to go?  I could be wrong.

Today it's showing 11 days and 16 hours.

More teasing from Kinetic or do they need a calendar?  Yesterday they didn't know what day it was.  ;)

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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 05, 2016, 08:56:07 AM
Back to 3 days 16 hours now.  :-\

Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 05, 2016, 09:03:07 AM
Thanks Ian.

Mine i still showing 11 days to go.  Try refreshing the page?

But you have confirmed my recollection.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Bethsalem on April 05, 2016, 09:12:44 AM
Well, let the speculation begin!

Two SMA connectors, one for 1090, the other for SDR, presumably.

Do I see a battery compartment in the right hand corner? So MLAT capability.

Possibly a FPGA chip too? So high-end capabilities.

It has to be cheaper than a Puck, so sub 249.95 then.

SBS-3 performance on a Pi 3 platform?
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 05, 2016, 09:29:46 AM
Quote from: Bethsalem on April 05, 2016, 09:12:44 AM
SBS-3 performance on a Pi 3 platform?

I would expect so but at what price?

But I'm now getting marginally better performance using a GBP £13 FlightAware Pro Stick plus £16 filter than my GBP £500 SBS-3 plus GBP £100 masthead amp setup.

The Pro Stick has free MLAT via PiAware whereas the SBS-3 requires a PlanePlotter licence.

But the Pro Stick needs an RPi which adds another GBP £30.

I reckon the Trilby will have to retail at less than GBP £60 to compete with a Pro Stick combo.  But it depends what else is included and the demand for audio.

If Kinetic had launched Trilby a couple of years ago it might have got itself a slice of the FR24, Planefinder, FlightAware and, wash out my mouth, RadarBox24 free receiver business.  But it's possibly too late as all four have sourced receivers elsewhere.

Kinetic were the first to offer a specialist, high quality Mode-S receiver with a well respected interface, BaseStation.  I can't help thinking they took their eyes off the ball.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 05, 2016, 09:41:57 AM
Quote from: Bethsalem on April 05, 2016, 09:12:44 AM
Do I see a battery compartment in the right hand corner? So MLAT capability.

Not sure where you saw that?

Do you mean the Ethernet socket?





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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 05, 2016, 12:22:37 PM
Should have gone to Specsavers!

Can see the battery now.  Top right, near the corner.  ;)

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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Bethsalem on April 05, 2016, 04:04:34 PM
Not on the Pi itself. On the HAT there is what looks like a holder for a button cell battery, implying that it has a built in clock for accurate time stamping for MLAT
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 05, 2016, 04:07:19 PM
Quote from: Bethsalem on April 05, 2016, 04:04:34 PM
Not on the Pi itself. On the HAT there is what looks like a holder for a button cell battery, implying that it has a built in clock for accurate time stamping for MLAT

Yes, spotted it after I made the first reply.  See my later post.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Bethsalem on April 05, 2016, 04:11:55 PM
Sorry, Mike, posted my reply before I realised there was a page 2 to the thread :-[
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 05, 2016, 04:29:14 PM
And if you look at the gallery in the drop down menu from Trilby HAT, the battery is visible in picture 6.

The gallery also shows a later version and now includes an FTDI chip.


Further to the count down timer, once I refreshed the page I got 11 days. Not much point counting down seconds if you get the initial time wrong by 8 days. So it's going to be released at 0100 on 17 April? Must wait up for that  ;)


Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Bethsalem on April 05, 2016, 07:17:27 PM
www.kinetic.co.uk/

There's now more info on the Trilby HAT on Kinetic's website
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 05, 2016, 08:14:14 PM
That's been there for several days - perhaps when the HAT was first noticed?

It tells me that I can try out my software or hardware skills, "to explore" - no mention of what it can do out of the box.

Hopefully that is still under wraps and they are not just waiting for 3rd parties to produce the useful bits for the rest of us.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 05, 2016, 08:26:36 PM
Quote from: IanH on April 05, 2016, 08:14:14 PM
Hopefully that is still under wraps and they are not just waiting for 3rd parties to produce the useful bits for the rest of us.

Kinetic has been quite innovative in the past so we may get a pleasant surprise.  Then again........
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 07, 2016, 09:53:55 AM
Kinetic has now published a reference guide to the Trilby Hat connectors.

For a description of each connector:

http://www.kinetic.co.uk/Trilby_connectors.php

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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 17, 2016, 08:39:07 AM
I see the countdown clock has disappeared but there's no mention of Trilby Hat pricing or availability.  Nothing about it on the Kinetic forum either.

Bit like a North Korean missile launch  ;)
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 17, 2016, 10:23:26 AM
Countdown clock was there yesterday with around 12 hours to go. So 0030 today was the launch. Like you suggest, self destructed?
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 17, 2016, 10:28:52 AM
The clock was still there when I went to bed with just a couple of hours to go.

Bit of a damp squib.

But I saw some additional Gallery pics earlier in the week showing a box full of boxes.  Doesn't mean there's anything in em though.

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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 17, 2016, 12:36:15 PM
Doing a Google search to see if mentioned anywhere else and I found the Kinetic page mirrored at http://www.aviation-database.co.uk.  :-\

Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 21, 2016, 11:32:46 AM
Anyone heard the expression "I'll have to eat my hat"?  :)

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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: mt007 on April 21, 2016, 01:51:25 PM
Hi guys,
Anyone can explain me what product is Trilby?
Is a complete adsb radar? Airband voice? What is his function?
I can't understand in kinetic website.

Thanks very much.
Regards,
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 21, 2016, 02:31:09 PM
Quote from: mt007 on April 21, 2016, 01:51:25 PM
Anyone can explain me what product is Trilby?

This is my guess.

It looks like a Raspberry Pi with a SDR board "on top".  Similar to a separate RPi and DVB-T SDR as used to run FlightAware's PiAware.

http://www.kinetic.co.uk/Trilby_connectors.php

The diagram on the above link shows an SMA connector for VHF/UHF and another one for HF.  Maybe one for Mode-S, the other for audio signal input?

But I could be wrong.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 21, 2016, 11:20:25 PM
More info on the Kinetic web site tonight.

No pricing and appears to be aimed at developers not end users. No mention in the documents about 1090MHz, just VHF and UHF radio from SDR.

Suggesting Kinetic has lost the plot or thrown in the towel. They do not seem to be interested in the end user or competing with the low cost dongles.

Trilby forum still locked.

Time to sell the SBS1e and SBS-3 while there is still a market?
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: mt007 on April 21, 2016, 11:56:43 PM
Guys,
this is the price:


Only £149.99 (Inc VAT)


Regards,
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 22, 2016, 07:47:28 AM
Quote from: IanH on April 21, 2016, 11:20:25 PM
More info on the Kinetic web site tonight.

Hmmm, I wonder if my "choice" words to Chris Taylor had an affect?

Quote from: IanH on April 21, 2016, 11:20:25 PM
Time to sell the SBS1e and SBS-3 while there is still a market?

Maybe, if you don't plan to keep them.  Then again, they could go up in price as collector's items.

I sold an Argos catalogue for £73 and averaged £40 for all the ones I sold.  :)
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 22, 2016, 08:23:29 AM
Quote from: mt007 on April 21, 2016, 11:56:43 PM
this is the price:

Only £149.99 (Inc VAT)

Is this for a bare unit, no cables or power supply?

And compare the two websites!

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Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 22, 2016, 10:12:25 AM
QuoteThen again, they could go up in price as collector's items.

Like RadarBoxes?  ;D
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Anmer on April 22, 2016, 04:51:21 PM
The more I read about the Trilby Hat, the more I'm convinced the RPi isn't included in the price of GBP £149.99.

All you get is the Kinetic board that fits on a suitable RPi model.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: IanH on April 22, 2016, 05:08:28 PM
That would make sense since the blurb says it can be used standalone without a Pi.
Title: Re: Kinetic's Trilby Hat
Post by: Bethsalem on June 08, 2016, 10:58:31 AM
Anybody bought one???