ADS-B reception can vary greatly depending on the orientation of your Stratus portable receiver and its location in your aircraft. ADS-B is ground based, meaning the best mounting options provide an unobstructed view of the ground in your aircraft. See the table below for the three mounting options that may improve your Stratus portable receiver’s ADS-B reception. All mounting accessories can be purchased online at Appareo.
Gel pad dash mount
Pilots flying aircraft with unheated windshields in areas where there is full ADS-B coverage.
Suction cup mount
Pilots who are not seeing continuous ADS-B coverage when flying in ADS-B fringe areas and those who want to mount their Stratus portable receiver off the glareshield. To test if the suction cup mount would improve your receiver’s ADS-B reception, open the Stratus Information page in the Stratus Horizon Pro settings, or go to the Stratus Status page in ForeFlight Mobile while in flight and monitor the number of towers shown in the “Receiving Towers” field. Then rotate your receiver on its side and hold it to a window and see if the number of towers reported increases. Many pilots see dramatic improvement in ADS-B reception after moving their receiver to a side window of their aircraft.
External ADS-B antenna
Pilots who fly in areas with poor ADS-B coverage and those who want the flexibility to place their receiver virtually anywhere in their aircraft. Don’t worry if you can’t see the LEDs on the receiver. The same information is available in the Stratus Horizon Pro settings or the Stratus Status page in ForeFlight Mobile.