Hello guys,
I bought an AeroTracker just a couple of days ago and managed to test it today in a real flight. I’m very satisfied with the data transmitted to SkyDemon — compared to the SkyEcho2 — so big thanks to you guys! It’s far superior to what I initially expected.
Anyway, I have a few small remarks, maybe you could share some tips that would help a lot.
Before my flight, I do the following steps:
Start SafeSky → Connect via Tracker
Then go to SkyDemon → Fly → Use AEROE8*****
Is this the correct approach for using both SafeSky and AeroTracker together?
I’m asking because sometimes I can see my own “ghost” in SkyDemon, even though I have set up my HEX code in SkyDemon (it used to work fine with the SkyEcho2). Do you have any workaround for this, please?
Lastly, I noticed that sometimes all traffic disappears from SkyDemon — literally zero airplanes. Could this be due to a bad LTE signal, either from my phone’s data connection or from the tracker’s LTE connection?
Thanks a lot for your feedbacks and encouragements, it’s truly appreciated
Regarding your workflow, if you’re using both SafeSky and SkyDemon in Split View, that’s exactly the right setup. In this configuration, both apps connect to your Aero Tracker via Bluetooth.
If you’re using only SkyDemon, then there’s no need to start the SafeSky app, simply connect directly from within SkyDemon.
As for the configuration of your own aircraft, do you have any other eConspicuity devices on board, such as a FLARMor PilotAware? If so, please make sure that these devices are configured with the same HEX code as your transponder, and that the address type is set to ICAO so they are recognised as the same aircraft. You can find more details here: ( Frequently Asked Quest... | SafeSky Library )
Regarding your one time with no traffic on SkyDemon, mind the vertical filters in SkyDemon, and also your Aero-Tracker capabilities: 8 - FAQ | SafeSky Library . It could be that for the period there was no traffic to see?
Regarding the first topic (ghost) — I don’t have any other eConspicuity device on board apart from the AeroTracker and, of course, the ADS-B (Mode S) transponder of the airplane. I went through all the FAQs and other topics here on the forum.
As for the second topic (disappearing traffic) — it happened more than once. All traffic disappeared within seconds (from the whole map, even those which were close to me). To get it back, I had to wait a couple of minutes or restart the device. Therefore, I thought it might be caused by a lack of LTE signal. Is that correct?
I have been testing the Tracker for about 6 months now. It is very good and far superior than the SE2.
Regarding you suddenly not seeing any aircraft on SkyDemon, this is strange.
Do you usually detect ADS-B OUT aircraft as well as MLAT aircraft? To check, I suggest you set the option of setting the registration prefix of “sy” for aircraft received via LTE (generally MLAT aircraft).
That way you will know if your issue is LTE connection related or not.
Where abouts are you flying with your Tracker?
As Tristan mentioned, if you only want to use the Tracker with SkyDemon then you don’t need to start the SafeSky app at all.
thanks for your feedback. Yes, I’m using the option with the “sy” prefix. But honestly, so far all the traffic I’ve seen had the “sy” prefix only. Air-to-air traffic is probably quite rare in my case — I’m mostly flying in the Czech Republic. So this still leads me to think that the LTE signal was lost.
If I use SkyDemon with my Tracker, I should still see the same traffic as if SafeSky were running in the background, right?
“sy” prefix indicates traffic received via LTE. If you set the SkyDemon filter for 35000 ft (and possibly a SafeSky filter) then you should detect ADS-B OUT from airliners. A useful testing facility.
Are you always testing your Tracker in the air? There is a timer running on the Tracker that stops LTE data if you are not moving. From memory, I think the timer is set to 10 minutes. Simply restart the Tracker to start LTE data flowing again. This is useful for testing the Tracker and SkyDemon at home.
Tony, Tristan, I confirm that all testing is being done only in the air.
Anyway, to make this thread a bit more interesting, I’d like to ask one final question related to LTE/data traffic for SkyDemon.
As I understand it, the “sy” (SafeSky) traffic is received by the AeroTracker and transferred to SkyDemon via its internal LTE connection (SIM card). Therefore, no data connection on the personal mobile/tablet is required.
However, if the AeroTracker loses LTE signal (e.g., at higher altitude), would it be possible to substitute that LTE connection with another data source? Let’s say the personal mobile/tablet still has LTE/5G connectivity — would I still see the “sy” traffic in SkyDemon in that case?
The reason I’m asking is that I’ve started testing Starlink on board. Naturally, I’ll have an internet connection even where LTE is lost. My personal mobile/tablet is connected via Wi-Fi and could therefore provide an internet connection for SafeSky. So my question is: would I still see the “sy” traffic in SkyDemon while remaining connected to the AeroTracker?
I really appreciate your help and the time you’ve taken for me.
I don’t think that is possible. I am not aware of any capability to allow for an alternate data source for the Tracker.
Also, a further limitation is with SkyDemon in that it can only use one data source at a time. Bluetooth for the Tracker or GDL90 for data from the SafeSky app. SkyDemon won’t allow concurrent data source connections.
Try testing you Tracker at home to see if you can reproduce your issue, but don’t forget about the Tracker’s “not moving” timer”…
