Setting up a Squawk 5

First time

1. Unfold the aerial on the top of the case so it stands upright.
2. Plug in the power supply. The screen lights up within about 40 seconds and shows "No aircraft with position yet" until it hears its first one, usually within a minute.
3. Join Wi-Fi (optional). Tap the Wi-Fi icon in the top right, choose your network and type the password on screen. Wi-Fi adds airline names, routes, pictures, the phone map and automatic updates.

That's it. Leave it on; it draws about as much power as a phone charger.

Using it

• Tap the screen to cycle views: Auto, List, Overhead, Photo.
• Auto shows the big card when something is within 6 km and the list otherwise.
• LOOK is the compass direction from your house to the aircraft right now. Step outside and look that way.
• Web map: on any phone or computer on the same Wi-Fi, open http://squawk.local/tar1090 for a live map of everything it can hear.

Getting more range

The built-in stub aerial sees 30–60 miles from a shelf. For more, unscrew it and connect any 1090 MHz aerial with an SMA plug. A magnetic-base aerial on a metal biscuit-tin lid on a window sill or in the loft typically doubles the range. Height and a clear view of the sky matter far more than the aerial itself.

Wall mounting

Two keyhole slots on the back, 90 mm apart, take No.6 (3.5 mm) screws. Leave 25 mm clear on the right side for the aerial lead and run the power cable down from the bottom edge.

Something's wrong

Screen is blank

Check the power supply is the one in the box; phone chargers often can't supply enough current. The small red light inside the case should be steady.

"No aircraft with position yet" for more than ten minutes

Make sure the aerial is screwed on and upright, and try moving the unit nearer a window. Metal window frames and foil-backed insulation block the signal.

No airline names or routes

Those need Wi-Fi. Tap the Wi-Fi icon and check it's connected. The core display works without it.

"This Squawk isn't licensed for this unit"

Email the serial number shown on screen to the address below and I'll send a licence file the same day.

Anything else

Email me. Include a photo of the screen if you can; it usually tells us what's going on straight away.

Updates

With Wi-Fi connected, Squawk checks for updates each night and installs them quietly. New features we add come to every unit already sold.