My Pi3 died a year ago and finally got my hands on a Pi4. Did a fresh install of adsbexchange imagine and added the flightaware feed. I can't get any data with my outdoor antenna. When I hooked up a small indoor antenna, it works. Is there a gain setting or something I'm missing for an outdoor antenna? Hardware: Pi4 NooElec NESDR Mini 2 USB https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00PAGS0HO 1090 MHz Band-Pass SMA Filter https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B010GBQXK8 Outdoor antenna https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00WZL6WPO I bought a new cable, thinking I kinked the old one over the past year of pulling cables through my chase tube to the attic. I tried with and without the bandpass filter. Before I go buy a new antenna, wondering if there is something else I can check ?
Sure sounds like the antenna. Do you receive absolutely NOTHING or is it just really poor? Have you tried tweaking the gain setting?
A few graphs pop up, but no planes appear. I tried 44.5, 42.1, 59, 28, 33 for gains. I ordered a AirNav outdoor antenna https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07K7YW1XJ Good thing with amazon, if it still doesn't work, free returns.
water in the antenna or the connector? I had that happen with this antenna. maybe connect a tin-can antenna on the same cable just to check it. They are quick and easy to make.
Dang, you are right!! I went up on the roof tonight and took the antenna off, I could hear water sloshing around. Pulled things apart and the wires were rusted and broken. Wow, I'm surprised, the unit was nicely sealed up. I have no idea how water could of got in. Condensation maybe? The construction of that antenna was top notch, very surprised about the water. I never would of guessed that.
The cap comes loose, at least that's what happened on mine. Driving rain, ice, etc I guess got up in there and couldn't get out. That was my guess. Others may have a better thought. But the end result is you need to replace it. I used self-amalgaming tape (aka blue line tape) starting from the cable and going up over the connector on the base. wrap from bottom up so that water can't run down between the layers, and follow the instructions on that tape for overlapping turns. ....that's what I did at any rate. I forget what I did on the top. Maybe just sealed it with a bead of marine silicone, or maybe tried to wrap that too. It’s dark here now so I can’t go look at it.
there is a sponge like material inside that antenna. In mine it was near the bottom so if water got in around the base it would wick upwards and corrode things.
I checked it today and I did indeed wrap the cap in tape too. Touch wood, it’s lasted for two years so far!
I don't have any long-term results, just started all of this a few years ago. But this is what I use to waterproof my antenna connections: https://www.amazon.com/Coax-Seal-Moisture-Proof-Sealing/dp/B00075J4J6 and it seems to work well. My ADSB antenna is self-made. See profile pic.
