AD Pro Error message

[Ken355]

I'm running AD Pro version 1.64.5.1.  I will often get this message at the top of the program window:
SD 22 Flights for new Session cannot be found.  Please (re)start Basestation.  Conversion from string "E" to type "date" is not valid. 

What is the cause for this error and can it be fixed?  Sometimes the error appears after running for only a couple of minutes; sometimes it will run all night with no problem. 

(Other than this forum, there doesn't appear to be any more support for this product.  My emails to Gatwick Aviation Society go unanswered.)

[Anmer]

Are you running any other software which is accessing the BaseStation database?

And is the error message an AD or generic Windows one?  Can you post a screenshot next time you get it?

[Ken355]

I am running Dump1090, which runs Virtual Radar Server, from which AD gets its data.  The error message comes from the AD program; it is not a generic Windows message.  When it appears, it's at the top of the AD window, above where it says "Real Time". 

I then have to shut down and restart Virtual Radar Server, and AD will start with a new session.

[Anmer]

Thanks.

Can I check your setup?

What Mode-S receiver are you using?  Are you running BaseStation or just VRS from Dump1090 with a BaseStation.sqb database?

[Ken355]

The setup is  just VRS from Dump1090 using a USB dongle with standard BaseStation.sqb database. 

I also have the database writer plug-in that is used with VRS.  Maybe it's conflicting with AD?

[Anmer]

Thanks.

AD was developed to be used with an SBS/Puck and BaseStation.  It should work with your setup but won't like anything else accessing the database?

Try stopping the db writer app and see if you get the same error message?

[Ken355]

Thanks; I will try disabling the VRS database writer and see what happens.

[IanH]

The VRS database writer is not entirely compatible with BaseStation so AD may also not like the database it generates (see warnings by author of VRS).

But without VRS writing to the database, it will not be updated! So AD is not going to see anything new.

And dump1090 does not have the ability to write and update to basestation.sqb.

Can I suggest that you take a look at an earlier reply about a similar topic - not quite the same error but VRS and AD were involved.

http://radarspotting.com/forum/index.php?topic=4885.0

The eventual outcome was:

USB Dongle > Dump1090 > Modesmixer >    Basestation software   > VRS
                                                                  writing to basestation.sqb                                                                                   
                                                                                     V
                                                                                 AD Lite


For your scenario, modesmixer can now write to a basestation.sqb file and that could be read by VRS and (probably) be updated by AD Pro. So:

USB Dongle > Dump1090 > Modesmixer > Basestation.sqb > VRS
                                                                                    V
                                                                                AD Pro

Does that sounds like a possible solution?

[Ken355]

Thanks for the responses.

I did discover that if I turn off the VRS database writer, that AD won't work at all.  So it seems it has to be running. 

I will have to try some of your other suggestions and see what happens. 

[IanH]

Not convinced yet that my suggestions will work 

Just done a quick test without any success.

Not given up yet though.

[Ken355]

Thanks Ian.  I am going away for the holiday, so it may be a week or so before I will be able to try out anything new.