[karlbown]

Just ordered one and wondered how critical the positioning is? Does it need to be away from other electronic gear etc?

[Paul_Sengupta]

It depends. The main thing is that the antennas have a good view of the sky.

The PilotAware transmits once every 1.8 seconds or so, so you might hear a click at that time if it's too near to something else.

I put mine on top of the dashboard.

[flybymike]

How do you secure it? And does it not interfere with the view out of the window, thus negating at least some of its benefits?

[Paul_Sengupta]

How do you secure it?

I have some rubber feet on it. And I also wrap the power wire around the compass! Yes, it also surprised me that it doesn't affect it.

And does it not interfere with the view out of the window, thus negating at least some of its benefits?

Window? I have Sky Demon...

(and answer is no, it's only little!)

[flybymike]

It must do a lot of dangling and swinging in turbulence......

[Paul_Sengupta]

No, it sits firmly on the dashboard with its rubber feet.

If I don't wrap the wire around the compass it falls off during take-off, but that's all.

I have plans to try another case with suckers on the bottom, but the small ones I bought from e-bay are pretty useless. The Christmas hanging stuff suckers from Poundland looked just right for the job, but unfortunately I didn't buy any, so will just have to wait until next Christmas. I have looked in both Poundland and Poundworld for such suckers but haven't been able to find any. I might have to take my chances with e-bay again!

[flybymike]

What about Velcro? My dash is not smooth. Suckers wouldn't work.

[Paul_Sengupta]

It would work. I don't want to stick stuff to my nice shiny dash though (I resprayed it some years ago).

[flybymike]

Hmm, think I might take the plunge and buy one then. I presume we are now at a "plug and play" stage and we don't just get a box of bits and a welding torch?

[Paul_Sengupta]

Well, you need to do some basic setup such as entering your reg, hex code and licence number, but apart from that, it's been plug and play since it went on sale as a unit.

[karlbown]

I ordered one of those dashboard anti slip mats as well. 99p off ebay. See if that holds it and the power bank

[GrahamB]

I clamp the PAW to the top of an EasyAcc power pack with a couple of those velcro strappy things, and there is a enough weight and grip for it to remain on the AA5's coaming without sliding around. A self-adhesive velcro pad stuck to the bottom of the Mode S/ADSB antenna base holds it nicely to the top of one of the velcro strappy things.

I may cut the Mode S antenna down to half length, so I can slide it further forward on the coaming, but it doesn't really need it.

[PaulB]

BlueTack... seems to work! May invest in a remote antenna and extension for GPS so the box can be positioned anywhere.

[ChrisRowland]

I may cut the Mode S antenna down to half length, so I can slide it further forward on the coaming, but it doesn't really need it.

Reducing the length of an antenna is a bad idea because the length defines the wavelength that the antenna is sensitive to.

[Paul_Sengupta]

I may cut the Mode S antenna down to half length, so I can slide it further forward on the coaming, but it doesn't really need it.

Reducing the length of an antenna is a bad idea because the length defines the wavelength that the antenna is sensitive to.

Ah, you haven't been following the discussion. The length as it is at the moment isn't optimised. The antenna is made for the TV band. To optimise it for ADS-B it needs to be cut down. There are discussions on the PilotAware forum on this. People have measured from the screw where the centre coax attaches and given dimensions to create a 1/4 wave whip. It should then really be mounted on a ground plane.

In real life, transponder transmissions are so powerful that it doesn't really matter. For collision avoidance, you don't need to see traffic 200 miles away!