FlightAware Pro Stick

[Nigel]

Many thanks for all the feedback and advice. As this is all new to me, please could someone suggest an editing programme I could use to change the output port as suggested by Ian.

Thank you

[IanH]

Lets's start at the end and work back.

What are you going to use to display the output of the Flightaware Pro Stick? That might help to guide you in the right direction. Will it be PlanePlotter? Changing the port number should not be needed if everything is working ok but can be done easily.

And how are you currently starting dump1090? What is the name of the file you are clicking on to run it? I suspect that it is a batch file that ends in ".bat" but need confirmation.

Also what else related to radarspotting is running at the same time as the Flightaware Pro Stick? Is Radarbox running?

[Nigel]

Thanks Ian

I'm running a few things - Basestation feeding from a Puck; an old Radarbox occasionally; feeding data from the Puck into PlanePlotter; FR24 etc. The Pro-Stick is a new venture, mainly because it was reasonably priced, and I've tried dongles for capturing data.

I've got the Pro-Stick feeding into RTL1090 and have used  'Scope' as you suggested for initial plotting of the data which is good, but the main aim of trying to use Dump1090 was to feed into PlanePlotter. I click on Dump1090.bat to run the programme as advised here: http://planeplotter.pbworks.com/w/page/79995023/Dump1090

Many thanks

 

[IanH]

Le'ts start by finding out what is in dump1090.bat. That might reveal the answer about port 30003.

If you right click on dump1090.bat, one of the options should be "edit" - select that and it will open in Notepad.

Copy and paste the contents here. Close Notepad and don't save any changes if it asks.

[Nigel]

Here it is Ian:

dump1090.exe --interactive --net --net-ro-size 500 --net-ro-rate 5 --net-buffer 5 --net-beast --mlat
pause

Thanks

[IanH]

That batch file should not be causing the port 30003 error since it is not calling "--net-sbs-port" as part of the command line.

The earlier link to dump1090 says "--net-sbs-port" calls the BaseStation output listen port which was the error you reported:

--net-sbs-port <port>    TCP BaseStation output listen port (default: 30003)

So to confirm (or otherwise) whether dump1090 is the problem, go back and "Edit" dump1090.bat. Add "--net-sbs-port 30009" to the end of the current command, save the file and run it. The command line should look like this with the extra bit on the end:

Code Select Expand

dump1090.exe --interactive --net --net-ro-size 500 --net-ro-rate 5 --net-buffer 5 --net-beast --mlat  --net-sbs-port 30009
pause

I'm a bit baffled but this is a step to find out what is going on. I might yet recommend Modes2Deco 

[Nigel]

Hi

I've made that change the .bat file and it is working fine now. Does that command mean that the ouput from my Puch is to port 30009 now?

Many thanks

Nigel

[IanH]

No,  all you've done is changed the SBS output from the dongle to port 30009.

The Puck continues unchanged without any knowledge of what you have done. 

I'm surprised that worked since the command line did not seem to be doing any SBS output from the dongle via dump1090. But let's be pleased. Think of it as having diverted the troublesome output into the black hole.

Now we can concentrate on getting the dongle connected to PlanePlotter.

[Nigel]

Ian

I've now managed to get the data displayed in Planeplotter following the instructions from the SonicGoose webpage on using Dump1090 in Windows.

Am I right in assuming that RTL1090 scope can't run at the same time as dump1090?

Many thanks again for the advice and sorting this for me.

[IanH]

I think you are correct about running two programs at the same time from one dongle.

It's one or the other I'm afraid since the program takes control and does not allow another access to the dongle.

You could buy another dongle and aerial 

[Nigel]

I could although I've already got an external aerial and two whip-type aerials in the loft. Maybe a window-mounted one next! I've actually ordered a splitter from Chris Taylor to use with the external aerial as that gives me excellent coverage (150-200+ miles) in nearly all directions.

Thanks again

[peterhr]

I presently have the
bulgarian printed circuit 6dbi antenna http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191857506822
N-F adadptor
LNB amplifier wrapped in self amalgamating tape
This is at the top of a 4.5m pole fixed just below the gutter line on the house (gets the antenna above chimney height)

about 9m of RG56
Voltage injector (14v for LNB amp)
R820T2 dongle
Pi2
connected to my router using WiFi using a Vonet VAP11G bridge http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111941214888 (the Pi thinks it's on wired Ethernet)

Present stats can be viewed here http://flightaware.com/adsb/stats/user/PeterHR

All the stuff in purple is due to be replaced (as soon as I get a nice day to take the pole down) by an LMR400 downlead and a flightaware pro stick.

I would have done it by now but I needed to get LMR-400 -> SMA-M connectors. I ordered them from China, waited a month for delivery and they were delivered with no centre pin and no crimp collar (got a refund, and ordered from UK supplier)

[Anmer]

Thanks for sharing your setup Peter.

Are you PeterHR over on the FlightAware forum too?

[Turbo68]

Hi everyone i am new to this and recently been using the flightaware dongle which is working excellent with virtual radar.

If i pt my flightaware stick close to my beam and run 1 metre of coax and a 20 metre usb extension would that give better range since its close to the antenna.

I also have the flightaware filter but havent tried it with the flightaware stick didnt see any difference using it on my kinetic sbs-3 or is it better to use it when mobile.

Regards Lino.

[Anmer]

Welcome.

Reducing the coax run can improve reception but a 20m USB run may prove problematical.  Or do you mean 20m of Ethernet cable?  What decoding software are you using?

And what sort of coverage do you get now?

The filter should improve the Pro Stick coverage.  The Pro Stick is a low cost SDR receiver whereas the SBS-3 is an expensive, specialist Mode-S one.  Try and and see what you get.