Plane Spotters / Flight Radar Thread

Feek · 18 Dec 2016 at 15:42

Bit of an update. I managed to break the masthead pre-amp (no idea how) and so I'm currently running the receiver and a replacement amplifier in the shack. I've also thrown a second setup in the loft for comparison.

It's blocked by the chimney stack in one direction quite heavily but apart from that, I'm getting really good reception from it. In certain directions, it's almost as good as the outside aerial.

In just a few hours, this is my reception range map with each ring being 50nm.

hamesy · 23 Dec 2016 at 14:10

Wondering if someone could help me out. I've built a receiver for FR24 to play with over Christmas. I've used this guide on their site, got it activated and it's uploading data.

But how do I see what I'm currently tracking?

Feek · 23 Dec 2016 at 16:28

hamesy said:
But how do I see what I'm currently tracking?

Not sure you can with that method. You're far better off using the ADS-B Receiver Project script following the detailed guide here and then you'll have a local web server to give you an image like this one.

Spoiler tags because I've not resized it at all. This is a grab from a few seconds ago.

lude1962 · 23 Dec 2016 at 18:21

Feek said:
Bit of an update. I managed to break the masthead pre-amp (no idea how) and so I'm currently running the receiver and a replacement amplifier in the shack. I've also thrown a second setup in the loft for comparison.

Is that a rPi, how is it powered?

Feek · 23 Dec 2016 at 18:23

lude1962 said:
Is that a rPi, how is it powered?

Yes, it's a Pi3 and you see that cable on the right side? That's a micro USB cable with power going through it

No network cable, it's connected via WiFi.

mikeh501 · 23 Dec 2016 at 18:39

I was over the peak district a few weeks ago and saw a low flying 4 engine jet. Kinda 747 size thing but it was circling and v.low for a commercial airliner. pulled out the iphone flightradar and nothing appeared? any ideas? does military stuff get excluded somehow

Feek · 23 Dec 2016 at 18:43

Yes, some aircraft are on a list which stops them showing on many of the tracker sites. However this isn't mandatory and adsbexchange is one of the few sites which show everything that's reported by the feeder stations.

Secondly, ADS-B Exchange does not participate in the “security theater” performed by most other flight tracking websites which do not share data on military or certain private aircraft. There are no FAA BARR, military, or other “filters” here.

By definition, ADS-B information is broadcast unencrypted over the air. Claims that this information is secret or “sensitive” do not hold water. Any member of the public with $100 and the ability to order parts from Amazon can receive this data. ADS-B Exchange does not expose anything that is not freely available via other methods, however the power of the network is realized when all participants’ data is aggregated resulting in wide, global coverage.

hamesy · 27 Dec 2016 at 11:03

Feek said:
Not sure you can with that method. You're far better off using the ADS-B Receiver Project script following the detailed guide here and then you'll have a local web server to give you an image like this one.

Spoiler tags because I've not resized it at all. This is a grab from a few seconds ago.

I'll take a look at that.

Managed to pull my feed from the raspberry pi into Virtual Radar, but I've got a feeling Pi24 is filtering traffic, I can see some aircraft flying about, but there's nothing showing in Virtual Radar.

This is what I'm getting at the moment. I'm pretty happy with it considering it's sat in my office Window.

EDIT: Actually, looking at Virtual Radar and my tracked aircraft on the raspberry pi. I've got a feeling it's Virtual Radar filtering/not showing all the traffic.

peterattheboro · 10 Jan 2017 at 11:57

Any ideas what was happening here?

Never see Jet2 at Durham Tees Valley and this guy just flew pretty low over my house.

Feek · 10 Jan 2017 at 11:59

Training?

peterattheboro · 10 Jan 2017 at 12:02

Must be training actually.. They've had a few approaches at the runway.

topgun06 · 10 Jan 2017 at 12:04

Looks like they use that aircraft for training. Past flights show similar manoeuvres.

byeo · 10 Jan 2017 at 12:09

peterattheboro said:
Any ideas what was happening here?

Never see Jet2 at Durham Tees Valley and this guy just flew pretty low over my house.

As others have stated, it looks like circuit training, I usually see EasyJet aircraft come up from Luton to do training at Doncaster.

esmozz · 10 Jan 2017 at 14:58

Circuits and bumps.

Generally speaking an inexperienced pilot will have to do 6 take offs and landings in an empty aircraft to get the rating endorsed on their licence. They do this by flying circuits around an airfield. This is done after the initial type rating training conducted in simulators.

The circuit on the other side with an orbit on the downwind leg is probably a delaying action by the tower controller due to incoming commercial traffic.

My guess anyways.

neodude · 10 Jan 2017 at 15:48

wez130 said:
What's the benefit of doing this with RasPi over just watching the flightradar website?

Free premium account on both FR24 and FlightAware. Being able to see local traffic that may be blocked from the FR24 website.

I've also got mine setup with a second dongle for listening to Airband, like I don't get enough of it at work, lol.

The circuit on the other side with an orbit on the downwind leg is probably a delaying action by the tower controller due to incoming commercial traffic.

My guess anyways.

Would be a good guess imho.

SupraWez · 10 Jan 2017 at 16:05

Was looking at some SDR parts before xmas but not got round to ordering anything yet.

Lisapete · 29 Jan 2017 at 08:41

Feek said:
Bit of an update. I managed to break the masthead pre-amp (no idea how) and so I'm currently running the receiver and a replacement amplifier in the shack. I've also thrown a second setup in the loft for comparison.

It's blocked by the chimney stack in one direction quite heavily but apart from that, I'm getting really good reception from it. In certain directions, it's almost as good as the outside aerial.

In just a few hours, this is my reception range map with each ring being 50nm.

That's nuts for that setup. So that's the newest pro stock?

Feek · 29 Jan 2017 at 09:36

Yup, the new Pro Stick Plus. They've just appointed a UK reseller for them so they're now easily available over here without having to risk them getting delayed by customs along with the associated costs.

I made a blog post yesterday comparing internal and external aerials, you might find it interesting to read.

Lisapete · 29 Jan 2017 at 18:03

Feek said:
Yup, the new Pro Stick Plus. They've just appointed a UK reseller for them so they're now easily available over here without having to risk them getting delayed by customs along with the associated costs.

I made a blog post yesterday comparing internal and external aerials, you might find it interesting to read.

Yeah I got the mail from them and the shop selling them.

Nice blog. Interesting results. How easy to relocate the moonraker inside?

You heat map. Is that VRS. Curious to what you running software wise on the Pi

Feek · 29 Jan 2017 at 18:15

That's a really good point, I'd not even considered moving the Moonraker indoors to do a direct comparison side by side. It wouldn't be difficult at all to do that, perhaps I might try it this week, seeing as the weather looks as though it's going to be a bit warmer.

The software on the Pi is described briefly in my previous blog entry - I'm using an image from the ADS-B receiver project and with that, I'm feeding to Fr24, FlightAware, Planefinder and ADS-B Exchange. The heatmaps are generated by Planefinder although VRS can create one as well. If you go to my VRS server using the link in the blog, you can click Menu/Receiver Range and then select either the internal or external aerials to see the heatmap.