Running VRS "headless" on Linux

[IanH]

sbsplotter is running fine on my Mint Linux VM.

Just copied across the zip file, extracted it, double clicked on the exe file and Wine started it.

Piaware/dump1090 generates BaseStation output on port 30003.

So pointed it the IP address of a Pi running Piaware, port 30003. Entered Lat and Long. Pressed Start.

It needs a folder called "Outlines" so that it can save the "OUT" files it generates, either at time intervals or when you tell it to.

My notes for this are:

Radar plots are stored in five layers for certain flightlevel bands
Layer
25      GND to FL99
26      FL100 to FL199
27      FL200 to FL299
28      at or above FL300
29      all levels

If you run BaseStation and copy the OUT file into its Outlines folder, the range for each band of flightlevels will be shown, assuming that the layers have been set up (read the BS manual).

[MK2wx]

OK, I do't have or run basestation, so is this why I was having issues perhaps?

Thanks for your helpful post!

[Anmer]

OK, I do't have or run basestation, so is this why I was having issues perhaps?

I doubt it.  Ian only mentioned BaseStation in relation to displaying the SBSPlotter range outlines.  Ignore it for now.

[MK2wx]

OK, I do't have or run basestation, so is this why I was having issues perhaps?

I doubt it.  Ian only mentioned BaseStation in relation to displaying the SBSPlotter range outlines.  Ignore it for now.

OK, thanks for that, it lightens the worry load, and that's a good thing, means I can now put all of my energy into breaking the gliders marker now! 

[IanH]

Anmer is correct - no need for BaseStation - just it gives a more detailed view of range vs altitude from the OUT file.

sbsplotter running for almost 3 hours now without problem.

And Piaware does not currently have any live range options. There were two excellent choices but the code was written for Google Maps. When Google changed the rules about using Google Maps, Piaware had to change to an alternative: Open Street Maps. The live range options need to be rewritten for that. 

One thought about VRS not showing max range - I wonder if it discards data at the limit because of uncertainty. Most plotting software allows a time to be set when loss of data results in date no longer being plotted. Set it too high and you get plots long after the receiver has given up.

[MK2wx]

A big thanks for that, it used to plot stuff right out there, but what you said rang a bell!

A week or two back I changed out RG59/U for RG6. I felt it lost something but could not exactly put my finger on it. Now I think it may be that the longer distances is what went missing. I'll put the RG59/U back and we'll see.

A mate was telling me how much less lossy the RG6 was going to be, but it may be that I got a really good RG59/U and a really lackluster RG6. We shall see what happens with the old one back in charge! 

Yes a really good range plotter would be a very useful thing, especially given what it could tell me about two cables head to head. Darned useful tools when they work! 

I've slightly improved the antenna too in those weeks, so what happens next might be rather good. It certainly has that potential.