Plane Spotters / Flight Radar Thread

Erm yeah that’s hard to pick one · 7 Apr 2022 at 09:04

Had to rebuild my Pi. I was using the base FA image and it wouldn’t upgrade to the latest 7.2. I was on version 6!! In doing so managed to upgrade it to a Pi 4 4GB. Blue FA dongle is in the USB 3.0 port. I’ve not yet move it to an SSD. I do have the usb/2.5” adapter and a brand new 120GB drive. So for now it’s still an SD card.

Wow so much faster and I defo seeing more aircraft.

I also built a Twitter bot for reporting passing aircraft within 15km. Surprising how busy my location is.

Rroff · 11 Apr 2022 at 02:20

Came in way too high if the ADS-B info was correct - no information but looked like a pretty nasty landing if they got down in one piece.

VaderDSL · 11 Apr 2022 at 05:25

landyvlad · 11 Apr 2022 at 05:47

yikes. Bad day at the office. Imagine the paperwork.

Retro6 · 13 Apr 2022 at 16:46

Its fun to listen to them too. Its the only thing that you can listen to now as everything has moved to digital encrypted comms. Some of Air Band has already gone digital.

Feek · 13 Apr 2022 at 16:55

Retro6 said:
Some of Air Band has already gone digital.

Really? The main reason aircraft traffic is AM is so that if two aircraft transmit at the same time, they'll both effectively be able to be heard. If it was FM, it would be possible for one signal to trample over another one and that's a huge safety concern. Digital systems are even worse for that.

Retro6 · 13 Apr 2022 at 18:24

Feek said:
Really? The main reason aircraft traffic is AM is so that if two aircraft transmit at the same time, they'll both effectively be able to be heard. If it was FM, it would be possible for one signal to trample over another one and that's a huge safety concern. Digital systems are even worse for that.

I've heard digital noise on the AM Air Band. When I've been listening I've heard digital signals and analog signals on the same frequency. Where I am I can also pick up Air Band transmissions on UHF FM around 455MHz I can't remember all the frequencies as its been a while since I've played radio. I programmed them into a Tait T2000 PMR transceiver which is also used for 70cms some time ago.

Feek · 13 Apr 2022 at 19:00

Retro6 said:
I've heard digital noise on the AM Air Band. When I've been listening I've heard digital signals and analog signals on the same frequency. Where I am I can also pick up Air Band transmissions on UHF FM around 455MHz I can't remember all the frequencies as its been a while since I've played radio. I programmed them into a Tait T2000 PMR transceiver which is also used for 70cms some time ago.

Sounds like you’re getting breakthrough from somewhere, I’m quite sure that there’s no digital traffic on air band.

Out of interest, what air traffic uses 455MHz FM? Military is below 400MHz and it’s still AM whereas civil VHF stuff is from 118MHz to just under 137MHz.

Scuzi · 13 Apr 2022 at 21:02

Feek said:
Really? The main reason aircraft traffic is AM is so that if two aircraft transmit at the same time, they'll both effectively be able to be heard. If it was FM, it would be possible for one signal to trample over another one and that's a huge safety concern. Digital systems are even worse for that.

Receiving two stations at the same time, whilst technically possible, is completely useless as they can’t both be listened to effectively by a human simultaneously. Typically the strongest signal will drown out the others. This will be why on a busy frequency you may hear the controller ask everyone to shut up and invite them to transmit in turn when they are ready to receive.

Feek · 13 Apr 2022 at 21:07

Apologies @Scuzi, that's effectively what I meant - A strong FM signal will completely drown out a weaker FM signal and the controller may not even know that someone weaker is trying to call. If two AM signals collide, at least you can hear that there are two aircraft calling and can call them one at a time.

It's similar on SSB, I can be working a contest and have two stations call me at the same time. I'm aware that they're both there and it's not too difficult to pick out the two callsigns, call one and ask the other to stand by.

Scuzi · 13 Apr 2022 at 21:12

Ahh I see. It’s a real problem though. In 2007 when London Terminal Control moved to a new voice comms system as part of the move to Swanwick centre from West Drayton, the new system was so ‘good’ that when more than one station transmitted at the same time, it amplified the strongest signal and blocked the weaker one. In practice this was a huge problem as call blocking was common on the busy London frequencies and the controller needed to know when it was happening so that it could be actively managed. The new feature had to be designed back out in a software build to make it less ‘good’.

Scuzi · 13 Apr 2022 at 21:19

Rroff · 13 Apr 2022 at 21:25

Retro6 said:
I've heard digital noise on the AM Air Band. When I've been listening I've heard digital signals and analog signals on the same frequency. Where I am I can also pick up Air Band transmissions on UHF FM around 455MHz I can't remember all the frequencies as its been a while since I've played radio. I programmed them into a Tait T2000 PMR transceiver which is also used for 70cms some time ago.

Not an area I know much about but seems to be a huge amount of stuff spitting out digital transmissions these days - which can easily spill over it seems. If you have a waterfall display it is easier to see what is going on.

Rroff · 19 Apr 2022 at 23:18

Another 7700 which doesn't look like fun:

andy_mk3 · 19 Apr 2022 at 23:40

Ground speed is pretty odd on that one there. Especially while at a steady altitude.

neilw · 3 May 2022 at 20:40

Can anyone get me a track or any information on AF596, April 12th CDG to FNA. My father-in-law was on board and it suffered an engine failure or bird strike and returned to Paris on one engine. He got very little info from the airline on what happened, just interested to find out more really.

andy_mk3 · 3 May 2022 at 20:52

neilw said:
Can anyone get me a track or any information on AF596, April 12th CDG to FNA. My father-in-law was on board and it suffered an engine failure or bird strike and returned to Paris on one engine. He got very little info from the airline on what happened, just interested to find out more really.

The same aircraft flew again 2 days later so it was unlikely to be anything too serious it would seem.

Edit: No reports of anything I can find, it suffered a fuel leak back in December 2020 that's it.

andy_mk3 · 12 May 2022 at 22:51

A few Typhoons up tonight. Heard one fly near me not long ago.

Rroff · 12 May 2022 at 23:43

andy_mk3 said:
A few Typhoons up tonight. Heard one fly near me not long ago.

Seems to be loads up - there was 1-2 out over Scotland doing some pretty crazy flying.

Also P8 maritime patrol aircraft popped up off the Atlantic near the North West of Scotland ICAO 43C920.

Nelly · 13 May 2022 at 00:05

andy_mk3 said:
A few Typhoons up tonight. Heard one fly near me not long ago.

Can really tell the difference when its the American F15s flying around Lincolnshire, a lot louder. Mind you, not as bad as when the Vulcan bombers (I guess from RAF Waddington) and Lightnings were constantly flying over from old RAF Binbrook in the 80s when I was a kid, made loads of racket.