# Couple Questions Please **URL:** \ **Category:** ADS-B Flight Tracking\ **Created:** [April 18, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779 "2019-04-18T04:20:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dreamflight767](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/dreamflight767/32/127815_2.png) [@Dreamflight767](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/Dreamflight767)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/1 "2019-04-18T04:20:34Z")
Howdy: Just set-up my PiAware Skyview and have a couple questions please: -One the Skyview home page, there is a column for “MSGS”. What is that referring to? -The “age” column, is that the age of the aircraft? If so, why does it change? -One the Skyview home page, some callsigns are not displayed, why? -One the Skyview map, how do I get it to permanently display aircraft callsigns? -What is the max distance your feed is receiving? I’m getting 150NM. -The icon of aircraft type is not always correct. E.g. a MD-11 had an icon of a 747. Any way to fix that? -Why do aircraft suddenly disappear even though they are still w/ in my coverage area? -Does Raspberry Pi ever require a firmware update? -Any youtube videos on how to “optimize”? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![technodevotee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/technodevotee/32/136901_2.png) [@technodevotee](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/technodevotee)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:19am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/2 "2019-04-18T05:19:43Z")
Msgs is the number of messages received from the plane Age is the number of seconds since the last message was received Callsigns are not sent by ADS-B, they are calculated by other means. Sometimes they take a while to obtain, sometimes they are wrong and sometimes they aren’t available edit: this is not correct - they are usually sent but can be variable (see clarification in messages below) Don’t think you can alter any settings like that The maximum distance depends how good your antenna, cable and receiver are - I get about 180 NM max but my antenna is in the loft - some folks get way way more if they can ‘see’ the horizon Aircraft type is not sent by ADS-B, they are calculated by other means. Sometimes they take a while to obtain, sometimes they are wrong and sometimes they aren’t available ADS-B is line of sight so reception of signals depends on how good your antenna, cable and receiver are and whether you have a clear view of the sky where the plane is Raspberry Pi doesn’t require firmware updates as far as I know Not sure what you mean by optimisation? ---
**Author:** ![Dreamflight767](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/dreamflight767/32/127815_2.png) [@Dreamflight767](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/Dreamflight767)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:39am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/3 "2019-04-18T05:39:00Z")
Thank you for the quick reply. I just put mine up in the attic. I do know they say outside but I can’t. Just want to get an idea what the average was/is. I wasn’t sure if there was a way to log into Pi and do some setting changes. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![abcd567](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/abcd567/32/113769_2.png) [@abcd567](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/abcd567)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:49am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/4 "2019-04-18T05:49:36Z")
@Dreamflight767 Which antenna and which dongle you have? ---
**Author:** ![wiedehopf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/wiedehopf/32/114045_2.png) [@wiedehopf](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/wiedehopf)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:56am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/5 "2019-04-18T05:56:00Z")
> [@Dreamflight767](#): > > -The icon of aircraft type is not always correct. E.g. a MD-11 had an icon of a 747. Any way to fix that? You can use VRS to view your own data which has a database which is a little more up to date. It can also display labels. Maybe someone else can link you a thread on how to install VRS i don’t personally use it. > [@Dreamflight767](#): > > -Why do aircraft suddenly disappear even though they are still w/ in my coverage area? Different altitudes and in your attic reception may not be uniform due to the roof in the way. Look at this: [What is the Maximum Range I can Get?](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/what-is-the-maximum-range-i-can-get/17248) ---
**Author:** ![obj](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/obj/32/118984_2.png) [@obj](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/obj)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 6:27am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/6 "2019-04-18T06:27:26Z")
> [@technodevotee](#): > > Callsigns are not sent by ADS-B Callsigns _are_ sent by ADS-B, if set; but they’re only as good as what’s entered into the avionics. In general in Europe they’re good but in the US they’re very variable. Also, you might have to wait for a while before you hear the message containing the callsign (e.g. if the aircraft is just entering your receiver’s range and reception is patchy) as those messages are not as frequent as position messages. ---
**Author:** ![technodevotee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/technodevotee/32/136901_2.png) [@technodevotee](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/technodevotee)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 6:30am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/7 "2019-04-18T06:30:07Z")
My mistake. I (wrongly) assumed the delay was due to them being calculated by other means. Thanks for the clarification. ---
**Author:** ![wiedehopf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/wiedehopf/32/114045_2.png) [@wiedehopf](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/wiedehopf)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 6:34am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/8 "2019-04-18T06:34:02Z")
Aircraft type is looked up in a database (which is quite incomplete for SkyView, the VRS database is more up to date i believe) Aircraft have a unique code, the ICAO hex code associated to them which is transmitted by their ModeS or ADS-B transponder. From this you need to look up registration and type. (As ranges of these codes are allocated to different countries the country of the aircraft registration can also be derived from that) ---
**Author:** ![technodevotee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/technodevotee/32/136901_2.png) [@technodevotee](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/technodevotee)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 6:40am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/9 "2019-04-18T06:40:28Z")
The folks who maintain the sources used by the VRS database do a pretty good job but it does contain errors. I like VRS but only use the Windows version and the software hasn’t been updated since June 2018. edit: I wrote a SQL script to export the data from VRS into a file for use with adsbscope on my laptop when I’m out and about. It is a pretty old, basic program but it is useful where there’s no mobile signal. Must also say that I should have known that the ident _is_ sent by ADS-B, otherwise it wouldn’t come up in adsbscope when there’s no internet. DOH. ---
**Author:** ![biekerc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/biekerc/32/136579_2.png) [@biekerc](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/biekerc)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 8:56am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/10 "2019-04-18T08:56:59Z")
> [@Dreamflight767](#): > > The icon of aircraft type is not always correct. E.g. a MD-11 had an icon of a 747. Any way to fix that? Maybe, in a limited way, look here: > [@Skyview Aircraft symbols](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/skyview-aircraft-symbols/48236): > > Hello, only been up and running for a few days now using a pi and I have a question about Skyview and the aircraft symbols used. I realise that the different colours refer to the height of the aircraft but what decides the actual aircraft symbol generated on the screen? Is it just random? The reason I ask is that I’ve noticed aircraft like Airbus A330 showing as a four engined silhouette as below but the really strange one is the Fokker 100 airliner which shows up as a silhouette which to me loo… Or try Virtual radar server , you can, relatively easy, add silhouettes and other information. ---
**Author:** ![biekerc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/biekerc/32/136579_2.png) [@biekerc](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/biekerc)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 9:11am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/11 "2019-04-18T09:11:24Z")
> [@Dreamflight767](#): > > Any youtube videos on how to “optimize”? This forum has a wealth of information, just search for it 😀 > [@Dreamflight767](#): > > Does Raspberry Pi ever require a firmware update? Yes and no. The Pi has a firmware, on the standard raspian image there is a tool update it, iirc, it is also updated when you update the os via apt-get. But it is not like other devices where this adds new functionality, for this, the updates of piaware are more important, that works automatically if have them enabled via the FA web page. Those actually might also update parts of the os as well. ---
**Author:** ![Dreamflight767](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/dreamflight767/32/127815_2.png) [@Dreamflight767](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/Dreamflight767)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/12 "2019-04-18T16:24:39Z")
Thank you all for the replies! I’m running the pre-built FA ADS-B package: > **[FlightAware ADS-B Complete System Raspberry + 1090MHz Antenna + USB + SMA...](https://www.ebay.com/itm/FlightAware-ADS-B-Complete-System-Raspberry-1090MHz-Antenna-USB-SMA-Filter/141974983687?hash=item210e5e5407:m:msmKuAAGChXOTjLY6NV5hOQ:sc:USPSPriority%2197212%21US%21-1)** > > Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for FlightAware ADS-B Complete System Raspberry + 1090MHz Antenna + USB + SMA Filter at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products! But I added the blue “pro stick plus”. ---
**Author:** ![technodevotee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/technodevotee/32/136901_2.png) [@technodevotee](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/technodevotee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 11:06am UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/13 "2019-05-01T11:06:28Z")
> [@Dreamflight767](#): > > -The icon of aircraft type is not always correct. E.g. a MD-11 had an icon of a 747. Any way to fix that? Some people who frequent this board have been working on this problem and documented their progress. I have also had some success but I was hoping that others who might have taken it further would chime in on my thread here: [Updating the dump1090 databse](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/updating-the-dump1090-fa-database/49179) ---
**Author:** ![NeoDuder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/neoduder/32/119788_2.png) [@NeoDuder](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/NeoDuder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 7:38pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/14 "2019-05-01T19:38:36Z")
Did you remove the in-line filter after swapping for the Blue Prostick? ---
**Author:** ![Dreamflight767](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/dreamflight767/32/127815_2.png) [@Dreamflight767](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/Dreamflight767)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/15 "2019-05-01T21:24:29Z")
No. To my understanding the in-line filter works in conjunction with Blue Prostick. I live in a city environment so I thought both were (are) needed to remove “noise”. ---
**Author:** ![wiedehopf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/wiedehopf/32/114045_2.png) [@wiedehopf](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/wiedehopf)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/16 "2019-05-01T22:38:08Z")
With the blue FA dongle most of the time the filter in front still improves reception. But trying without it doesn’t hurt. Depending on the surrounding electrical noise and antenna type removing the filter can improve reception slightly. ---
**Author:** ![Dreamflight767](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/dreamflight767/32/127815_2.png) [@Dreamflight767](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/Dreamflight767)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/17 "2019-05-01T23:24:06Z")
I’ll give that a go. Any “clues” to help determine an improvement. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Dreamflight767](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discussions.flightaware.com/dreamflight767/32/127815_2.png) [@Dreamflight767](https://discussions.flightaware.com/u/Dreamflight767)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://discussions.flightaware.com/t/couple-questions-please/48779/18 "2019-05-01T23:30:49Z")
Never mind. Removed filter and my tracking dropped by 100NM.