Stratux ADS-B Dual Band Receiver Aviation Weather and Traffic - AHRS, Battery Pack, Suction Mount, Internal WAAS GPS for Skydemon

No problems, just follow instructions. Switch off power saver. Works great.

I’ve been interested in this device for several years and finally decided to purchase it. I'm an American pilot living in the UK, so I was cautious as to how it performed here in the UK. After using the system for a couple of flights, I wanted to share my feedback. 1) Initial Setup: The Admin page is user-friendly. Watching the YouTube video tutorials (some videos could use an update) helped me successfully set up the AHRS and adjust it to the right side of the aircraft, following the video instructions. Beware that we use Skydemon in Europe. And despite a few attempts, I eventually managed to connect it. There isn’t a Strutux option in Skydemon. You choose SkyEcho 2 instead (picture attached). 2) First Flight Attempt: a. ADHRS: I discovered that Skydemon’s synthetic attitude indicator was utilising data from the AHRS of Stratux instead of its own GPS and attitude sensors on my iPad. Whilst I hadn’t originally considered this, it made sense once I thought about it. I originally calibrated the Stratux at home, but after mounting it in the aircraft, on its side, on the right side window, above the luggage door (Piper Arrow IV), I had recalibrated the AHRS while seated in the aircraft before starting up the engine (I performed this calibration on my Skydemon on my iPad as well as the Skydemon on my co-pilot’s mobile phone). At first, it appeared to work well during taxi, but at takeoff and during the flight, I did notice some fluctuations with the synthetic attitude indicator of Skydemon, which occasionally seemed to lose its orientation. On a 30-minute flight, the indicator lost its reference several times. With two Skydemons connected to the Stratux (recalibrated on the ground before engine startup), both devices exhibited the exact same simultaneous behaviour, which raised some concerns about the Stratux AHRS consistency. b. Multiple Aircraft: An unusual occurrence during my flight was seeing eight aircraft in a circle around mine. Initially, I struggled to explain this, but I suspect it relates to how Stratux picks up limited Mode S data. It seems to gather altitude estimates but struggles with directional information. I need to confirm this further (photo attached). c. Weather: I was unable to receive any weather data. This is due to the lack of weather stations outside US territories. This was a bit disappointing, but it's essential to understand the limitations outside the US (ADS-B Weather Tower map attached). 3) Second Flight Attempt: a. AHRS: For my next flight, I repositioned the Stratux from the baggage window to the rear seat window, mounting it upright on the right side of the aircraft. This adjustment seemed to improve performance, as I didn't experience as many issues with the Skydemon attitude indicator – but it wasn’t as flawless as without it, using just Skydemon and the iPad alone. Of course, I recalibrated the AHRS of Stratux before engine startup. b. Multiple Aircraft: I still observed the same pattern with multiple aircraft around my aircraft, reinforcing my earlier theory. 4) Support: After my experiences, I reached out to Crew Dog Electronics to gain further insights. Although I received a prompt response, I was provided links to YouTube videos (which I had already viewed), a Discord group, a GitHub link, and a tower location URL. While I appreciate the prompt response, I was hoping for more specific advice from experience, so I’ll likely consult the Discord community for additional support. Overall Review: If considering this product for use outside the United States, be aware that some capabilities may be limited, particularly regarding weather data. This is largely due to the availability of US-specific technology rather than any shortcomings of the unit itself, I would guess. I will continue to evaluate the Skydemon attitude indicator (connected to Stratux) to see if mounting it upright resolves the orientation issues. On the positive side, I now have visibility of other aircraft, which is beneficial for IFR flying in IMC conditions. I do like the added battery that enables me to power the Stratux and then feed a USB cable to the battery. I do wonder if it's possible to receive traffic information from Stratux, but without receiving AHRS and allowing my iPad GPS and attitude do the lifting there. I rated it 3 stars out of 5 due to the cost vs my experience with the synthetic attitude, its use outside the US and having to refer to a Discord group for support answers. I’m not a programmer, so GitHub isn’t of any use to me.