Stratux vs stratus vs SiriusXM

[FBCK]

Eric do you have a link to the board on amazon?

[gsengle]

Stratux AHRS Sensors and Fan Controller / Raspberry Pi MPU9250+BMP280 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZCHBHT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YHDKzb15B5W3D


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[midlifeflyer]

Interestingly, at least on app, Aerovie, actually tracks and downloads Stratux updates. When connected to the Internet, the app informs you there is an update and asks if you want to download it. If you do, next time it connects to Stratux, the app asks if you want to apply the update.

But @SkepticalJohn's point is well-taken. There are those who are happy to tinker and build. None are "wrong" any more than it's wrong to fly a Mooney instead of a Glasair.

[DonMuncy]

57 minutes ago, EricJ said:

FWIW, I recently added the AHRS board to my Stratux.   The board was $16 from Amazon and it took maybe a half hour to install it AND download and install the latest rev of the software.

Did the seller provide step by step instructions that even a dodo like I could figure out?

[EricJ]

11 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

Did the seller provide step by step instructions that even a dodo like I could figure out?

It's pretty easy.   Take a look here:

https://www.everlastconcepts.com/products/stratux-ahrs-board-fan-controler

Basically, open the case, move the one antenna cable out of the way, put the board in as shown, replace antenna cable, plug fan into board (careful about polarity, which is shown), close up case.

If you need to update the software, you can follow the instructions to do that or buy a pre-loaded flash card and just replace the one that's in there.

Edit:   Board is also available on Amazon for $14.99:

https://www.amazon.com/Stratux-Sensors-Controller-Raspberry-MPU9250/dp/B06ZZCHBHT

There are good installation pics there, too.

 

Edited August 14, 2017 by EricJ

[gsengle]

And reminder, you can buy these prebuilt still $700 less than a Stratus, if you don't "tinker"

 

Hell, send me $250 and I'll build ya one and send it out.

 

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[Dream to fly]

I just flew to NY from ND with the Stratux that I built with AHRS for 150.00.  It took a bit to get everything to fit in the case but it works slick.  Only problem I ever had was every once in a while I'd get a ghost of myself and it would cause a traffic alert.  But it was easy to see it was me when it was at either 12,3,6 or 9 o'clock at same altitude and 0.0 nm out.  The weather is good not as good as a storm scope or active radar but still kept me away from the bad cells.  It does use some current but I used a portable jump pack from Interstate battery and it powered it for 6hrs plus no problems and gave me a secondary power option if I needed it.

[kpaul]

20 hours ago, SkepticalJohn said:

I haven't had to perform any upgrades or load any updated software

I have the Stratus 2.  I have had to do one update on it.  You do the updates through foreflight.

[TTaylor]

I have used an ilevil for a few years. Works well, flawless wifi connection.  Would go with the Stratux today just because of the cost difference.  The ilevil has a small solar panel, but I have it connected to the cigarette lighter outlet in the plane.

[bradp]

Look at the newest all in one portable antenna from Garmin MSRP is something like $1200-1300 bucks.  Yikes. 

[jaylw314]

FWIW, I use a 10,000 mAH rechargeable lithium battery with a USB port to power the stratux.  That way I can put it in the back seat out of the way.  The battery lasts at least 8 hours continuously.  The antenna has a magnetic base, so I stickied one of those metal plates from a magnetic cabinet latch onto the window, so now I can just pop the antenna on the window when needed.  Don't have to worry about any magnetic interference with the compass with everything in the back seat

[N131MA]

I have been using a Stratus 2 since three years: Very reliable, one compact box with no external antennas, easy update through FF, records GPS tracking separtely. Downside: Works with FF only.

I built a Statux (with the AHRS board and external GPS mouse) some weeks ago: Works great as well. GPS and ADS-B reception better than Stratus with the dedicated antennas. Downside: No internal GPS recording, more cables vs one box.

Most likely I'll sell my Stratus 2 on ebay soon.

[peevee]

On 8/14/2017 at 0:25 PM, gsengle said:

And reminder, you can buy these prebuilt still $700 less than a Stratus, if you don't "tinker"

 

Hell, send me $250 and I'll build ya one and send it out.

 

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I thought about selling these for about 200, but came to the realization that I can't support 30 devices in the field. Especially at zero profit

I highly recommend the ping efb receiver. It's a bit more expensive but the reception is much better.

[M016576]

On 8/14/2017 at 11:44 AM, Dream to fly said:

I just flew to NY from ND with the Stratux that I built with AHRS for 150.00.  It took a bit to get everything to fit in the case but it works slick.  Only problem I ever had was every once in a while I'd get a ghost of myself and it would cause a traffic alert.  But it was easy to see it was me when it was at either 12,3,6 or 9 o'clock at same altitude and 0.0 nm out.  The weather is good not as good as a storm scope or active radar but still kept me away from the bad cells.  It does use some current but I used a portable jump pack from Interstate battery and it powered it for 6hrs plus no problems and gave me a secondary power option if I needed it.

If you enter your mode S code on the stratux settings page, it won't "push" your own position to your flight app- i.e. You'll no longer see a ghost of yourself.

the page is located at 192.168.10.1 accessible in any browser once your connected to the stratux 

Edited August 19, 2017 by M016576

[peevee]

7 minutes ago, M016576 said:

If you enter your mode S code on the stratux settings page, it won't "push" your own position to your flight app- i.e. You'll no longer see a ghost of yourself.

the page is located at 192.168.10.1 accessible in any browser once your connected to the stratux 

You can find your mode s code on the faa registration page for your airplane. Just Google your n number.

[gsengle]

I thought about selling these for about 200, but came to the realization that I can't support 30 devices in the field. Especially at zero profit
I highly recommend the ping efb receiver. It's a bit more expensive but the reception is much better.

I only offered it to make a point, but at $250 I'd make as many as anyone wanted.


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[peevee]

18 minutes ago, gsengle said:

 

I only offered it to make a point, but at $250 I'd make as many as anyone wanted.


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I would at 200 just because they're fun to mess with but the people that want one pre-assembled are the ones that want support. Ain't nobody got time for that.

[EricJ]

I was co-pilot on our trip from AZ to SD and then WY for the eclipse and then back, in a Cherokee 180.   My buddy, who owns the airplane, had had a lot of trouble with a recent FltPln Go update where a lot of things stopped working.  That was v4.0.0, I believe.   The night before we left, the system pushed 4.0.5 to my tablet, and I tried it before we left and things seemed reasonably good, but once in the air I couldn't get it to display traffic.   It would show that it was connected to the stratux, the stratux app and status would show traffic, but for some reason it seemed like FltPln couldn't simultaneously get GPS and traffic data from the stratux.  If I switched to using the internal tablet GPS, it would stop using the stratux completely (a new feature), so I either got GPS or traffic, but couldn't get both.    This had worked pretty seamlessly for me in previous versions, so who knows what happened to it in the updates.

I also carry a smaller, older (Galaxy 3) Android tablet with Avare installed, and it had also updated just before the trip.   I'd only really used it on the ground before, and just kept it as a backup, but since FltPln didn't seem to be usable I got to spend a lot of quality time with the Avare EFB app.   I had the External I/O extension installed in order to use the stratux as input to Avare, but likewise Avare couldn't seem to get data from the stratux.    Once we got to SD I found some reddit discussions that indicated that port 43211 was the correct one to listen to in the External I/O app, and another that said 40000, and another that said 4000.   I couldn't find any other documentation for the External I/O app, so I just tried all three and 4000 worked.  It was previously defaulting to 43211.  Once I did that Avare lit up with very nice traffic and weather data that was easy to see on the map overlay and access in the apps.

On the way back we were able to compare the traffic displays on both FltPln and Avare (my buddy had reverted to an older version of FltPln that worked).  Both have their pluses and minuses, but I liked the Avare display a bit better.  FltPln shows reported altitude of traffic and Avare shows relative altitude, so there are differences like that.   I got wx display updates along the route back, which was very useful because we were dodging t-storms most of the way.   FltPln was showing traffic, but never showed wx.   This could be a setting issue, but as far as we could tell everything was set correctly.

Having used FltPln Go almost exclusively for a while, I found the Avare display much easier to get information from, and the user interface to be a bit better and more intuitive for me.    There are some features present in FltPln that aren't as good in Avare, like some details of flight planning, and it isn't quite as sophisticated overall as FltPln, but for what I do I'm probably going to switch from FltPln to Avare based on this experience.   FltPln will probably now be my backup and Avare the primary.   The failure of the update, i.e., the fact that FltPln basically broke into an unusable mess for a little while, seems to me to be a good reason to not only have multiple tablets but have different software on them.   If I'd not had Avare on the second tablet I'd not have had traffic (which we figured would be critical in WY on the day of the eclipse and is seriously helpful around Phoenix), and neither one of us would have had in-flight wx, which was very helpful on the last leg in UT and AZ.

Just a comparative pirep since I got forced into using Avare for most of the trip.  Once I got the traffic and wx working on it I was finding it easier to use (which may just be me) than FltPln so I thought I'd share the feedback since this thread is still fairly fresh.

Edited August 22, 2017 by EricJ

[Grandmas Flying Couch]

I used the latest stratux with AHRS and the whole 9.  I even bought the remote mount gps antenna and removed the magnet and put it on my dash where it got great reception.  The two whip antennas had a clear view out the window, worked great for a few minutes at a time, some issue with the latest foreflight update.  Tried it on 3 flights and it sucked always disconnecting and read the forums and it seems to work for awhile then foreflight updates then stratux updates awhile later and they are compatible again until foreflight updates again.  I ended up purchasing a Stratus 2s from sporty's for $900 stuck it in the window and it just works over 3 flights no hiccups and will continue to work since foreflight will test it before releasing update.  I need reliability.  Found myself mucking around with resetting the stratux and foreflight in flight every 5 of 6 minutes.  Tried to save some money and ended up spending an extra $280 on top of the stratus 2s.    On top of that I had to carry a seperate battery for the stratux and spent several hours 3d printing a suction cup mount for it.   

Buy the 2s or have intermittent problems with foreflight compatibility.  

[Raptor05121]

On 8/19/2017 at 9:59 AM, peevee said:

You can find your mode s code on the faa registration page for your airplane. Just Google your n number.

 

On 8/19/2017 at 9:51 AM, M016576 said:

If you enter your mode S code on the stratux settings page, it won't "push" your own position to your flight app- i.e. You'll no longer see a ghost of yourself.

the page is located at 192.168.10.1 accessible in any browser once your connected to the stratux 

Only works if you have a Mode S transponder

[Grandmas Flying Couch]

On another note, I have a 50 day old Stratux with external gps (also includes internal gps chip!) for sale, works great!  I'll sell it for $125 already built.  Has AHRS!  Seriously nothing wrong with unit, just shows ADSB disconnect on ipad and stops sending gps info, common problem right now with stratux.  Cycle power and bam back in business!   

[Marauder]

I was co-pilot on our trip from AZ to SD and then WY for the eclipse and then back, in a Cherokee 180.   My buddy, who owns the airplane, had had a lot of trouble with a recent FltPln Go update where a lot of things stopped working.  That was v4.0.0, I believe.   The night before we left, the system pushed 4.0.5 to my tablet, and I tried it before we left and things seemed reasonably good, but once in the air I couldn't get it to display traffic.   It would show that it was connected to the stratux, the stratux app and status would show traffic, but for some reason it seemed like FltPln couldn't simultaneously get GPS and traffic data from the stratux.  If I switched to using the internal tablet GPS, it would stop using the stratux completely (a new feature), so I either got GPS or traffic, but couldn't get both.    This had worked pretty seamlessly for me in previous versions, so who knows what happened to it in the updates.
I also carry a smaller, older (Galaxy 3) Android tablet with Avare installed, and it had also updated just before the trip.   I'd only really used it on the ground before, and just kept it as a backup, but since FltPln didn't seem to be usable I got to spend a lot of quality time with the Avare EFB app.   I had the External I/O extension installed in order to use the stratux as input to Avare, but likewise Avare couldn't seem to get data from the stratux.    Once we got to SD I found some reddit discussions that indicated that port 43211 was the correct one to listen to in the External I/O app, and another that said 40000, and another that said 4000.   I couldn't find any other documentation for the External I/O app, so I just tried all three and 4000 worked.  It was previously defaulting to 43211.  Once I did that Avare lit up with very nice traffic and weather data that was easy to see on the map overlay and access in the apps.
On the way back we were able to compare the traffic displays on both FltPln and Avare (my buddy had reverted to an older version of FltPln that worked).  Both have their pluses and minuses, but I liked the Avare display a bit better.  FltPln shows reported altitude of traffic and Avare shows relative altitude, so there are differences like that.   I got wx display updates along the route back, which was very useful because we were dodging t-storms most of the way.   FltPln was showing traffic, but never showed wx.   This could be a setting issue, but as far as we could tell everything was set correctly.
Having used FltPln Go almost exclusively for a while, I found the Avare display much easier to get information from, and the user interface to be a bit better and more intuitive for me.    There are some features present in FltPln that aren't as good in Avare, like some details of flight planning, and it isn't quite as sophisticated overall as FltPln, but for what I do I'm probably going to switch from FltPln to Avare based on this experience.   FltPln will probably now be my backup and Avare the primary.   The failure of the update, i.e., the fact that FltPln basically broke into an unusable mess for a little while, seems to me to be a good reason to not only have multiple tablets but have different software on them.   If I'd not had Avare on the second tablet I'd not have had traffic (which we figured would be critical in WY on the day of the eclipse and is seriously helpful around Phoenix), and neither one of us would have had in-flight wx, which was very helpful on the last leg in UT and AZ.
Just a comparative pirep since I got forced into using Avare for most of the trip.  Once I got the traffic and wx working on it I was finding it easier to use (which may just be me) than FltPln so I thought I'd share the feedback since this thread is still fairly fresh.

Too bad Avare doesn’t run in Apple iOS. Sounds like a decent app. I run Garmin Pilot primarily because it only supports the database download. I also run FltPln Go as a backup to Garmin Pilot and to allow my passengers to use the WiFi connection from the Lynx 9000+.

I agree Fltpln Go has some issues. They have been working on improving the downloads and adding other features. I don’t particularly like the absolute altitude being reported either. But you can’t complain about the free part of it.




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[jonhop]

+1 for Avare... I carry Avare on my Android tablet and my phone, both of which are in hot standby on every flight--including an external power source. Since I have a GTN-650 and a recent GTX-345 upgrade, I am using Garmin Pilot as my primary application for traffic, situational awareness, and weather... I still find myself using Avare for intuitiveness and ease of use but it doesn't interface at all with the Garmin gear... Avare and stratux are very hard to beat cost wise... It's a shame that Garmin does not like to play well with others, as I'd love to get the GTX-345 to output traffic and weather to Avare or any other application than the heavy hitters.

Before I installed the 345, I built and flew behind a stratux and found that stratux offers a fair amount of utility considering the software is being developed open source and free; and the hardware is readily available on Amazon at dirt cheap prices... I did not stick with the Avare/stratux setup, as I found on numerous occasions that the AN/1-EYEBALL found close-in traffic that did not show up on the screen, which impacts the stratux's utility. It's too bad that the FAA is intentionally hiding ADS-B traffic, otherwise I would've continued to use Avare and stratux versus upgrade to the 345. I guess you could say that the FAA socially engineered me to upgrade to ADS-B at significant cost.

That said, the 345 is a great product... I've had one early traffic avoidance opportunity... I see traffic all over the iPad and Android tablet maps. When I get close enough for the eyeball interrogation, the 345 is spot-on. I just wish it didn't cost what it does in comparison to the Avare/stratux setup. Also, even with the 345 installed, I know the FAA is still hiding traffic that should be shown...

Edited October 25, 2017 by jonhop

[EricJ]

16 hours ago, Marauder said:

Too bad Avare doesn’t run in Apple iOS. Sounds like a decent app. I run Garmin Pilot primarily because it only supports the database download. I also run FltPln Go as a backup to Garmin Pilot and to allow my passengers to use the WiFi connection from the Lynx 9000+.

I agree Fltpln Go has some issues. They have been working on improving the downloads and adding other features. I don’t particularly like the absolute altitude being reported either. But you can’t complain about the free part of it.
 

 

FWIW, since I wrote the PIREP you quoted I feel like the difference has gotten worse, and I hear that the issues are mostly with the Android version of FltPln Go (which is what I was using).    A buddy that I fly with a lot and I had both been using FltPln Go as our primary EFB app, but after the last few updates it's gotten very difficult to stay with it.   My buddy had reverted back to an older version 3.x, it seems like the 4.x stuff really hosed a lot of things up).    I've had a lot of trouble with it maintaining connectivity to the Stratux, and on the last trip that I used it, it just wouldn't report altitude properly with either the internal or external GPS, as in off by many thousands of feet.  The sensitivity to the screen getting bumped and either quitting or going off into some difficult-to-recover-from mode was kind of the last straw and I've since migrated everything to Avare.    No regrets on that so far.

I hear the iOS version is not as buggy, so that must be their target market.   They seem much less interested in supporting Android platforms.

[Marauder]

FWIW, since I wrote the PIREP you quoted I feel like the difference has gotten worse, and I hear that the issues are mostly with the Android version of FltPln Go (which is what I was using).    A buddy that I fly with a lot and I had both been using FltPln Go as our primary EFB app, but after the last few updates it's gotten very difficult to stay with it.   My buddy had reverted back to an older version 3.x, it seems like the 4.x stuff really hosed a lot of things up).    I've had a lot of trouble with it maintaining connectivity to the Stratux, and on the last trip that I used it, it just wouldn't report altitude properly with either the internal or external GPS, as in off by many thousands of feet.  The sensitivity to the screen getting bumped and either quitting or going off into some difficult-to-recover-from mode was kind of the last straw and I've since migrated everything to Avare.    No regrets on that so far.
I hear the iOS version is not as buggy, so that must be their target market.   They seem much less interested in supporting Android platforms.

Sounds like a similar situation I had with Garmin Pilot in the early days of its release. I was running it on a Nexus 7 and I found it buggy and always behind the iOS version when it came to features. I later learned that Garmin had two different sets of people writing the code for each platform and they weren’t even located at the same place.

I hope FltPln Go does get over these issues. I was never impressed with their download speeds and the GUI is not conducive to easy flight planning. But being free and having the basic weather and traffic capability it makes for a nice backup.


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