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Build an ADS-B receiver using your old Android phone
Your mobile ADS-B station can run FlightAware's Android software to track flights within 50-300 miles (line of sight, range depending on antenna) and will automatically feed data to FlightAware. You can track flights directly off your Android device with the FlightFeeder app or via FlightAware.com. (flightaware.com) More...
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Marcus, you've correctly identified the challenges with our Android app. We're aware that even though the Android OS may support OTG, sometimes the device manufacturer will disable it. It's also true that charging while using OTG is not normal.
There's nothing we can do about a device that doesn't support OTG, but the charge-while-using-OTG problem is solvable. So let's focus on that. There are probably nine ways to do it, but here are four that I've tested personally, ordered least to most costly.
1. Valarm.net makes a modified y-cable that DOES charge while using OTG. They make one for Samsung and Sony devices. The Samsung cable works on my Asus Nexus 7 too.
2. You can use a wireless charging pad/receiver combo with a normal OTG y-cable. The charging pad will charge the device and the OTG y-cable will power the dongle.
3. You can use a powered USB hub to power the dongle and the wireless charging pad together and then plug the data out port of the hub into the Android device.
4. You can use a multimedia dock. This dock supports charging and OTG together.
Keep in mind that our target use-case is an Android device that is NOT your primary device. Using the app on your primary device will be cumbersome for you and will get us only small data sets, although we'll take anything we can get.
Consider our PiAware devices. It's something you setup once and leave running. It also costs more for you to buy all the pieces, and requires some technical know-how to finish the setup. Cell phones today are every bit as capable as the Raspberry Pi. So we thought we would target a user base that already has an old cell phone, doesn't want to bother with all the technical details of PiAware, and spend less money.
There's nothing we can do about a device that doesn't support OTG, but the charge-while-using-OTG problem is solvable. So let's focus on that. There are probably nine ways to do it, but here are four that I've tested personally, ordered least to most costly.
1. Valarm.net makes a modified y-cable that DOES charge while using OTG. They make one for Samsung and Sony devices. The Samsung cable works on my Asus Nexus 7 too.
2. You can use a wireless charging pad/receiver combo with a normal OTG y-cable. The charging pad will charge the device and the OTG y-cable will power the dongle.
3. You can use a powered USB hub to power the dongle and the wireless charging pad together and then plug the data out port of the hub into the Android device.
4. You can use a multimedia dock. This dock supports charging and OTG together.
Keep in mind that our target use-case is an Android device that is NOT your primary device. Using the app on your primary device will be cumbersome for you and will get us only small data sets, although we'll take anything we can get.
Consider our PiAware devices. It's something you setup once and leave running. It also costs more for you to buy all the pieces, and requires some technical know-how to finish the setup. Cell phones today are every bit as capable as the Raspberry Pi. So we thought we would target a user base that already has an old cell phone, doesn't want to bother with all the technical details of PiAware, and spend less money.
Hi Baron, thanks for the hints with the "special" OTG cables. I will definitely have a look into these...
I already have three raspberries and one is feeding data with piaware received with a dvb-t dongle ;-) It is also receiving noaa weather satellite images (with a different rx), collecting data from my weatherstation at home and feeding a live picture all 5 minutes to my web page...
But with a working charge&otg solution I could reuse my old tablet for a panoramic receiver to display radio activities on HF bands like a spectrum analyser.
I already have three raspberries and one is feeding data with piaware received with a dvb-t dongle ;-) It is also receiving noaa weather satellite images (with a different rx), collecting data from my weatherstation at home and feeding a live picture all 5 minutes to my web page...
But with a working charge&otg solution I could reuse my old tablet for a panoramic receiver to display radio activities on HF bands like a spectrum analyser.
The shopping list on the page for this topic has links to most what I listed above. The thing that is missing is the wireless charging pad/receiver combo. Some newer Android devices have the receiver already built-in, in which case you'll just need the charging pad to set it on. My Nexus 7 works this way.
Anyway, eBay is loading with them - search for "qi wireless charger" if you want to go that route.
Anyway, eBay is loading with them - search for "qi wireless charger" if you want to go that route.
What about a tablet running 3.2 with a regular size usb (host) like the Acer A500 very popular 3-4 yrs ago. Qyite cheap now if you can find one. My 2C.
OTG is supported in 3.2. The true test is whether the manufacturer disabled it or not. Go to the link for this topic. One if the steps has a way to test that.
so this is something to play with but not a permanent solution...
just my two cents