Radarspotting

From Bev:

Hi,

PlanePlotter version 6.4.9.7 is on the web site now.

http://www.planeplotter.com#download

---Usual boilerplate---
Updates are free to registered users.
You may need to exercise your browser Refresh function to force it to show you the new version of the PlanePlotter web page. If you post a message complaining that the web site is still pointing to an earlier version, you pay a forfeit!
You can install the new version over the old one but you *must* close/exit PlanePlotter before installing the new one. Your settings will be preserved. Nic's installer will warn you if PlanePlotter is still running when you try to install the new version.
If you have a version-specific firewall (eg Zone Alarm), you may have to reassure it that the new version is permitted to access the Internet. Be aware that an increasing number of security systems treat any new file as a threat without any justification except that it is new. Please don't write to me about it; write to your security system provider and ask them to make their program smarter.
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New in version 6.4.9.7

Mlats on Mode-A/C pings

In view of the recent flurry of interest in unusual aircraft flying with just a Mode-A/Mode-C transponder operating, I have added a provisional feature in this release to allow Multilateration of such aircraft.

If you have a Mode-A/C capable receiver and have correctly configured port forwarding, and if you have enabled display of those targets in View..Aircraft (by pressing 'x') then you should now be able to attempt a multilateration position on such aircraft (XXnnnn) by using Ctrl-Shift click on the chosen aircraft in the View..Aircraft list.
Success will, of course, depend on there being other Ground Stations within range also using this release of PlanePlotter.  Note that you must have previously defined a map boundary (by opening a suitable map) in order for PlanePlotter to make an appropriate selection of the available Ground Stations.  Mlats of 'normal' aircraft use an approximate position for the aircraft based on which GS are currently receiving it.  That is not possible for Mode-C-only pings since they are not passed to the sharing system.

If this is your first foray into Mode-C, please remember that Mode-C has no checksum so the signal to noise ratio is very poor indeed.  You have to search through the rubbish to find the jewels.  Nevertheless, this represents another significant step forward in capability for PlanePlotter.

Also bear in mind that since, globally, squawk codes are reused mutiple times, the positions determined by this new feature are not shared throught the network.  They are for your eyes only!

Message rate reporting

To facilitate the multilateration of Mode-C targets, this release reports the Mode-A/C and Mode-S message rates to the server. Previously, Mode-C capability was unknown to the server but is now required for the above.

'C' window changes

The explanded 'C' window (after clicking in the window) now goes up to 80000' rather than stopping at 60000'.
If you resize the 'C' window, the new size and position are now retained between sessions.
If you make the 'C' window very wide, and close and reopen it, the graphal image buffer is now the full width of the window so that you can display a much longer history of Mode-C and Mode-S graphs. Previously, the graphic wrapped if the window was made very wide.

GPX labels

If you use GPX overlays, and if you set the label size to something less than 8 point, then the label will expand to 8 point if you hover the mouse near the GPX point.  This allows you to make all the waypont labels amost invisible (1 point) but to see any waypoint name by hovering over it.

Some of the features in this release can only be properly tested when there are a large number of users operating with this version.  Accordingly this release should be regarded as provisional and updates may be required after a period of testing.

Enjoy!

Regards
Bev
COAA


Tim