Hi everyone, I just finished to install my PI antenna on the roof. Compared to the other receiver that I host for another website, I already see between 15 to 25% more aircraft when checking the count side-by-side. The range is also better. Since yesterday, I have my laboratory PI listening on ACARS. Last night, I noticed few flights that were transmitting there position over ACARS but only in mode S over 1090mhz. I actually use "acarsdec" to decode the feed. Question #1: Is there someone knowing anyway to feed ACARS position into Dump1090 or VRS from acarsdec ? I made quick search and solutions were using other software running on windows. Question #2: Do aircraft transmit ACARS on VHF and SAT at the same time? I have limited space for antennas at home right now, so I would prefer to get the more data possible from that antenna if I go with ACARS. There is also the fact that a SAT antenna might be place on the garage instead and leave a free slot on the mast for something else! Question #3: And while we are here, is there any other protocol to track aircraft like GA ? I know there is FLARM, but I am not sure it is something used in Canada, it looks like more European... UAT (978mhz) is also not used around here... Waiting for your replies and ideas
I tried AcarsDeco and I'm not happy with it. Max 40 messages per day (if you are close to airport then probably you can receive more). Let's stay with standard feed.
the regional airport I live by (CYVO) is also used as backup/emergency for whatever aircraft size might need it (it is a former NORAD strip). Most traffic in my area is controlled by Montreal Center (CYUL) but there is an ACARS station at CYVO to accommodate international traffic. Air Canada also use it on regional flight (I've seen message related to weights & balancing the aircraft prior to departure). I just see here a way to maybe add few planes to the scope with cheap gear...
I try, I try! Have you tried multiple frequencies ? I know the freqs are not the same in North-America than in Europe... Plus acarsdec allows to watch multiple channel at once...
I tried 2 freqs, limited by acarsdeco (look into manuals). Wish you good luck with your tests. Marcin
The UK is supposedly looking into 978 MHz. ACARS is sort of unremarkable - I can tune a lot of it in PHX; tho every now and then you get the 'drunk texting' from pilots to dispatch. Shenanigans are rare and there is really nothing useful over ACARS - for non pilots. You could listen to TCAS interrogation on 1030Mhz. The replies come across on 1090Mhz. Each TCAS-equipped aircraft interrogates all other aircraft in a determined range about their position (via the 1.03 GHz radio frequency), and all other aircraft reply to other interrogations (via 1.09 GHz). This interrogation-and-response cycle may occur several times per second.
@James ACARS is not the best solution, but I noticed some aircraft from Kalita (not sure the spelling is right...) that are transmitting Mode S but send update every few seconds via ACARS with their position... I don't see them often (my antenna on my test unit is a wifi antenna, so not optimal one but it is for testing purpose and I had the antenna...) but hacking a GPS antenna, it can become easy to catch ACARS sat signal and maybe get a wide coverage of the North Atlantic region... But I don't know much on ACARS sat system and information are not widely available... [If someone use JAERO, I'd like to chat with you!] If TCAS transmit results on 1090, why would one need to monitor 1030 ? Unless position of the interrogating aircraft is transmitted on 1030 but it do not transmit 1090 output when interogatted, there is no point doing so... Also, anyway to get GA ? I've read it is possible to make a passive radar using SDR dongles but is there a simplier way to catch them ?
L-band signals that can be received with a modified GPS antenna don't contain any position information. You need a C-band setup (LNBF with a big dish) to receive messages with positions. I'm using JAERO that is a really good piece of software, but is only a small part of the whole setup.
Yes, I have a receiver system for two satellites, Inmarsat 3F2 and Alphasat. Both cover the North Atlantic Ocean and the latter also Africa and Indian Ocean regions. All the data is fed to this site. The setup is quite common: Titanium C1W-PLL LNBF in a 120-130 cm diameter offset dish, power inserter, RTL-SDR v3 dongle on Orange Pi Zero, rtl_tcp stream to SDR# running on another server, baseband signal fed through virtual audio cable to JAERO, JAERO sends decoded positions to Virtual Radar Server, and finally VRS uploads data to this site via Internet. Huhh.. As you see, JAERO is a significant, but only a small part of the system. And there are a lot more caveats, for example frequency stability issues, inclined satellite orbits, etc. Some pics: Antenna for Inmarsat 3F2 Ordinary coverage Message rate variation due setellite's inclined orbit
That's pretty awesome! And you're sending this to us? Woohoo I might need your VRS settings so they display on the globals .. EDIT: Oh wait it's working! Would I be able to set one of these up in PHX? Just need to figure out where to point the dish right?
From Pnoenix none of the two birds above are visible. From there Inmarsat 4-F3, 3-F5 and maybe 3-F3 are the candidates. On the site n2yo you can search for them to track. (Forum engine didn't allowed me to post a lot of direct links for each sats.) Also you can fill in your exact geographic location to get azimuth/elevation data for yout dish. Negative elevation means the bird isn't in view from that particular location.
