Status PowerFLARM USA

[ursus]

FLARM has developed a potential solution for the reduced range
experienced with some PowerFLARM at the Seniors and Perry. To test
this solution, a small number of modified PowerFLARM portable and
PowerFLARM “Brick” units will be available for testing during the
Mifflin contest. FLARM expects to have one or two representatives at
Mifflin to help with testing.

After the fix is verified, PowerFLARMs already delivered will be
updated, and “Brick” production will commence (it is otherwise ready
to go). To be certain that the fix works, FLARM asks that pilots
flying with these PowerFLARM units at Mifflin:

- Comply with detailed installation instructions to be provided,
especially regarding antenna installation,
- Load diagnostic software to be provided,
- Provide diagnostic log files to FLARM after each and every flight.

With the results from these tests, FLARM hopes to validate the fix and
put this issue behind us ASAP…

If you are flying at Mifflin and have time to help with this
(including time to make a proper installation before the contest),
please contact your dealer. If you are not flying at Mifflin, please
do not inundate the dealers, Dave, and Lee with questions. We are well
aware that we need to a better job of communication and documentation,
but getting the initial installations running well has highest
priority !

Thanks again for all your help and support !
Best Regards, The FLARM Team

Reminder
US PowerFLARM ‘A’ and ‘B’ port do NOT have the same connector due to
an unfortunate FCC requirement. If you screw in incorrect antennas
(with incorrect SMA sex), you *will* damage your PowerFLARM.

[Alpha Eight]

"US PowerFLARM ‘A’ and ‘B’ port do NOT have the same connector due to
an unfortunate FCC requirement. If you screw in incorrect antennas
(with incorrect SMA sex), *you *will* damage your PowerFLARM."

What is the nature of this damage? The conector is damaged or the
elecronics?

John

[Darryl Ramm]

On Monday, April 30, 2012 8:22:59 PM UTC-7, Alpha Eight wrote:
> "US PowerFLARM ‘A’ and ‘B’ port do NOT have the same connector due to
> an unfortunate FCC requirement. If you screw in incorrect antennas
> (with incorrect SMA sex), *you *will* damage your PowerFLARM."
>
> What is the nature of this damage? The conector is damaged or the
> elecronics?
>
> John

The SMA connectors that will be damaged -- essentially screwing together an outer male/female pair but with both connectors having internal male center pins. The inner pins will either bend/break or spear into the teflon insulator of the other connector and break off there, never pretty. These things should never be hard to tighten up using fingers only, so if they seem anything more than that stop and look. And before connecting make sure that the SMA connector inner pins are always opposite gender. Reverse SMA connectors are a stupid pain in the ass....

Darryl

[Dave Nadler]

On Monday, April 30, 2012 11:41:41 PM UTC-4, Darryl Ramm wrote:
> Reverse SMA connectors are a stupid pain in the ass....

Required by USA FCC - USA only - total idiocy.
PowerFLARM in other countries do not have this issue.

[Papa3[_2_]]

On Monday, April 30, 2012 7:59:03 PM UTC-4, ursus wrote:
> FLARM has developed a potential solution for the reduced range
> experienced with some PowerFLARM at the Seniors and Perry. To test
> this solution, a small number of modified PowerFLARM portable and
> PowerFLARM “Brick” units will be available for testing during the
> Mifflin contest. FLARM expects to have one or two representatives at
> Mifflin to help with testing.
>
> After the fix is verified, PowerFLARMs already delivered will be
> updated, and “Brick” production will commence (it is otherwise ready
> to go). To be certain that the fix works, FLARM asks that pilots
> flying with these PowerFLARM units at Mifflin:
>
> - Comply with detailed installation instructions to be provided,
> especially regarding antenna installation,
> - Load diagnostic software to be provided,
> - Provide diagnostic log files to FLARM after each and every flight.
>
> With the results from these tests, FLARM hopes to validate the fix and
> put this issue behind us ASAP…
>
> If you are flying at Mifflin and have time to help with this
> (including time to make a proper installation before the contest),
> please contact your dealer. If you are not flying at Mifflin, please
> do not inundate the dealers, Dave, and Lee with questions. We are well
> aware that we need to a better job of communication and documentation,
> but getting the initial installations running well has highest
> priority !
>
> Thanks again for all your help and support !
> Best Regards, The FLARM Team
>
> Reminder
> US PowerFLARM ‘A’ and ‘B’ port do NOT have the same connector due to
> an unfortunate FCC requirement. If you screw in incorrect antennas
> (with incorrect SMA sex), you *will* damage your PowerFLARM.

[Jim[_31_]]

Say what???

On Tuesday, May 1, 2012 9:15:47 AM UTC-4, Papa3 wrote:
> On Monday, April 30, 2012 7:59:03 PM UTC-4, ursus wrote:
> > FLARM has developed a potential solution for the reduced range
> > experienced with some PowerFLARM at the Seniors and Perry. To test
> > this solution, a small number of modified PowerFLARM portable and
> > PowerFLARM “Brick” units will be available for testing during the
> > Mifflin contest. FLARM expects to have one or two representatives at
> > Mifflin to help with testing.
> >
> > After the fix is verified, PowerFLARMs already delivered will be
> > updated, and “Brick” production will commence (it is otherwise ready
> > to go). To be certain that the fix works, FLARM asks that pilots
> > flying with these PowerFLARM units at Mifflin:
> >
> > - Comply with detailed installation instructions to be provided,
> > especially regarding antenna installation,
> > - Load diagnostic software to be provided,
> > - Provide diagnostic log files to FLARM after each and every flight.
> >
> > With the results from these tests, FLARM hopes to validate the fix and
> > put this issue behind us ASAP…
> >
> > If you are flying at Mifflin and have time to help with this
> > (including time to make a proper installation before the contest),
> > please contact your dealer. If you are not flying at Mifflin, please
> > do not inundate the dealers, Dave, and Lee with questions. We are well
> > aware that we need to a better job of communication and documentation,
> > but getting the initial installations running well has highest
> > priority !
> >
> > Thanks again for all your help and support !
> > Best Regards, The FLARM Team
> >
> > Reminder
> > US PowerFLARM ‘A’ and ‘B’ port do NOT have the same connector due to
> > an unfortunate FCC requirement. If you screw in incorrect antennas
> > (with incorrect SMA sex), you *will* damage your PowerFLARM.