Start of my RPi journey

[POR911]

After looking in my cable stash, I do not have any USB extensions, good or otherwise, or pigtails, so, clamping the RG6 it is. !!! But, another thought just occurred to me, using my Diamond D130J airscanner antenna which is extended above my rooftop now . The Flightaware prostick plus has a amp and 1090Mhz filter., and I remember wiedehopf replying in another thread, it could work ok.

[abcd567]

if you clamp down the RG-6 coax, you can get away with having the cable not be flexible.

Good idea. In this case neither pigtail nor usb extension cable is required, only F-female to SMA-male adapter is needed (and an F twist-on male on the coax itself).

[wiedehopf]

if you clamp down the RG-6 coax, you can get away with having the cable not be flexible.

[abcd567]

No harm in using a USB cable if you already have one. Most likely it will prove OK, and you will save cost of a pigtail (but you will still need to purchase an adaptor F-female to SMA-male). If the USB cable gives problem then either replace it by another good quality usb cable or a pigtail.

[abcd567]

It also does not make sense to connect the stick to the Raspi and then unsing a rubbish coax cable.

I have extensively used both options (pigtail & usb cable). I never had any complaint about pigtail, but had several occurances of usb cable problem.

Also I have never seen anybody complaining about pigtail. If there was any complaint, it was wrong or bad connector or adaptor. However in these forums, I have come across a large number of complaint arising due to bad usb cable.

[magnum]

i did not write something different. It also does not make sense to connect the stick to the Raspi and then unsing a rubbish coax cable.

All single parts must habe a certain level of quality. The chain is always only as good as the weakest chain link

[abcd567]

using a good USB-Extension

Yes, provided it is a good USB extension cable.
Lot of users have faced problem of DVB-T/ProStick dongle NOT working (or performing poor) due to bad USB cable.
... and you cant tell if a USB cable is good or bad unless you start using it, and compare results with & without this cable....

[magnum]

Yes, an adaptor can be used instead of a pigtail, but the pull of heavy RG6 on the delicate connector of dongle can cause damage. By using a thin pigtail, the mechanical stress on SMA connector of dongle is reduced.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]11168[/ATTACH] . . [ATTACH=CONFIG]11169[/ATTACH]

Please read the comment on the image of pigtail I have posted above, and which says "Additional Benefit: Flexibility"

Yes and no

The same can be given with the stick detached from Raspberry using a good USB-Extension
I am running this setup which reduces the distance between Stick and Antenna

There's always more than one solution

[abcd567]

Yes, use single piece of RG6 coax, make adaptor/connector at one end to connect to dongle, and built QuickSpider on the other end

If you want to try Cantenna, you can do exactly same way as I described for QuickSpider, except that at antenna end of coax build Cantenna instead of Spider.

[POR911]

Hi Wiedopf, That is exactly what I am doing. Fittings here a bit limited so managed to get a sma adapter/connector for the dongle, and will make RG6 coax 2 metres long, fashion the spider on one end and will create the coupling on the other end. I will make up some sort of mount for the prostick and the antenna connection to stop any stresses on the pro stick innards. This week end, should be working....

[wiedehopf]

You can even build it at the end of the RG-6 run without any extra connectors.

Just need an connector/adapter to connect to the dongle.

[abcd567]

Yes, the Quick Spider is built using RG6 coax, and the connector at its receiver end is twist-on F-male. It will fit nicely any F-female connector (same as you use to hookup RG6 coax to you TV or satellite box). Please see the photo below

Stuff Required
Quick Spider - Stuff Required.jpg

[POR911]

Agree abc, that one will do nicely. So, does this version connect to the F female in the pigtale?

[abcd567]

Try this one first. You can built one with SO239 later:

QUICK SPIDER, No Soldering Required, No SO239 Connector Required.

Quick Spider.jpg

[POR911]

OK, I understand the benefits of the pigtail. When the Flightaware pro stick arrived, I thought it appeared to be a tad delicate. I can imagine the RG6 has a lot of momentum unless somehow locked into the same plane as the pro stick. If I try and source materials here is OZ, I maybe restricted in choice. I will visit my local radio parts shop and see what I can find. https://www.jaycar.com.au/search/?q=...vance&show=All Maybe a few hours searching may reveal other sources.

My thoughts were to use a SO239 as the antenna base and work down from there through the RG6 to the sma prostick. Maybe I need to rethink the antenna and build the cantenna?