Radarspotting

Hey everyone!

Long-time user of Virtual Radar Server here! Like many of you, I love the original software by Andrew Whewell, but setting it up on modern non-Windows systems (Mono issues, dependencies) has always been a bit of a hassle.

So... I did something slightly crazy. I decided to rewrite the core of VRS, bringing it into 2026.

Introducing: VRS X
VRS X is a modern re-implementation of the Virtual Radar Server core architecture. I took the essential concepts that made VRS legendary and rebuilt the engine from the ground up using the bleeding-edge .NET 10.

The Goal
To bring the beloved VRS logic into the modern era of cross-platform, native computing, while leaving behind the limitations of legacy frameworks.

What does that mean?
Instead of wrapping the old code, I have rewritten the core decoding engine, database layer, and web server to work natively on modern hardware! While it's not yet a 1:1 feature-complete clone of every plugin available for the original, the foundation is much faster, lighter, and future-proof.

True Cross-Platform & Native Performance
To make it clear: VRS X compiles to a single, self-contained executable. No Mono, no Wine, no runtime installation required. Just download and run.

It works natively on:

• macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel)
• Linux (x64, ARM64) - tested on Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 (supports Headless Mode via SSH)
• Windows (x64, ARM64) - works on Windows 10/11 and Server 2022/2025

What is already working?

• Multiple feed support (SBS & Beast data supported) with merging and feeder management
• Modern React Frontend - completely replaced the old web interface
• BaseStation database support - including import from OpenSky-Network CSV datasets
• Map with AircraftList.json and icons
• Unified Admin Panel (Web & Desktop)

What has to be done?
There are still many things to do to reach full feature parity.

Can I see it somewhere?
Not yet - v0.0.2 is technical preview quality and it's not ready for public release just yet. I am preparing a dedicated page for this project. Once it is stable enough, I will spin up a public server hosting this app using my ADS-B.Pro RadarView data.

Resource Usage
I'd call it potato-server friendly.

I have attached some screenshots below. This is a complete rewrite of the UI – I dropped the old WinForms/HTML mix and moved everything to a clean React interface.

Let me know what you think!

I use VRS 3.0.0 Beta with a few plugins along with SVG graphics for the plane icons. Works good for me but I'm on a very old machine. I do look forward to when you have it up and running live.

I've attached a screenshot of what I have now.


Mac

Looking forward to this, thanks for working on a new version

Could we have Open AIP Airspace layers, custom coloured aircraft labels and an option to download (or manually input into a box) local air pressure readings (QNH) from local METARs for correct altitude display please?

I have attached a screen shot of my current VRS 2.4.4 with my custom labels and AIP overlay from a kml file

For anyone following this project, a preview version is now live and is being updated frequently with new additions.

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Thanks for the updates, all looking good!

Could you add:
-Text size and aircraft symbol size adjust sliders
-Custom Aircraft List menu (To add/remove columns)
-Aircraft Trails (Custom length/colour/width)
-A box to enter the transition altitude (Mine is 6,000ft)
-Aircraft below transition altitude to show altitude (A) and aircraft above transition altitude to show flight level (F)
F370 = flight level 370 (37,000ft)
A025 = altitude 2,500ft
-Aircraft Labels still need a dark (Transparent maybe?) background as they are not easy to see with street map selected background