MLAT data into VRS separate feed

FlightAware ADS-B Flight Tracking
1

Hi guys,

I am led to believe that piaware 3.1.x automatically outputs MLAT data on port 30106, when I enter this onto VRS I get no data showing on the map, although I know Im receiving MLAT data due to the website telling me so.

I have entered this command into the pi mlat-results-format to beast,connect,localhost:30104 ext_basestation,listen,30106, to try and force it over 30106 but still not getting any data.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Kenny

2

I have seen this before.
Check to ensure that the RPI is listening for external connections.
/etc/default/dump1090-fa or dump1090-mutability

Try telneting to the port externally to see if it responds or rejects the connection.

Check to see if the RPI is listening on the port
netstat -an | grep 30104 | grep LIST
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:30104 0.0.0.0: LISTEN*
tcp6 0 0 :::30104 :::* LISTEN (Ignore unless you are running IP6)

Not sure if there is a direct piaware-config command to fix this issue. OBJ should know.

3

The default config outputs on 30003. 30005, 30105, 30106. No config changes necessary.

4

Yea, but you don’t want to use that. Use port 30105 instead (binary port).

Leave the piaware unchanged.

5

MLAT flights show on VRS but do not plot or come up as MLAT in the list! Under previous versions i’d set dump1090-mutability to listen on 30106 and set up a seperate hidden feed and it would work! Now when I do it, I get basestation error messages.

6

You may need to check on the VRS forums, I’m not really familiar with VRS so I can’t help you beyond telling you where piaware provides the data…

7

Last I looked, the MLAT 30106 is not in a basestation format. It is comma separated and looks like basestation format, but there are a bunch more fields.

The binary format 30105 should show up as DF18 CF=2 or 5. VRS would have to decode that. I assume it can, but maybe not. Can you have more than one feed port?

8

Well, I started up VRS (haven’t used it in a long time).

Creating a receiver 2 with port 30105 showed it connected and receiving DF18 data.

Started up the web server. No MLAT. So I clicked on Menu and one of the options is receiver.

So I clicked on it and enabled receiver 2. Presto I had MLAT displaying.

Simple…

EDIT: created a “merged feed” and selected that in the Web display under the receiver option, and had MLAT and regular data.

9

THIS IS HOW I SETUP MY VRS IN BASESTATION FORMAT.

Please scroll down few post below to see how to setup in BEAST Format

SCREENSHOT 1 OF 4
https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5778/30371042013_f69299960e_b.jpg

SCREENSHOT 2 OF 4 - ADSB RECEIVER (Basestation Format)
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5725/31177870625_99e2d3ce4a_o.png

SCREENSHOT 3 OF 4 - FA MLAT RECEIVER (Basestation Format)
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5733/30370811993_f140bbabf5_o.png

SCREENSHOT 4 OF 4 - MERGE FEED ADSB+MLAT (Basestation Format)
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5667/30810625430_230dc59700_o.png

.

10

Since VRS understands Beast Binary, you will probably get better data from that, then the Basestation “compatible” ports.

Let VRS decode the DF, and you don’t even need to run dump1090. Just saying…

11

As you can see from screenshots, I have configured all receivers and merged feeds twice, once for Basestation format and again for Beast format. I have tried both Basestation & Beast, and did not notice any difference. It is possible there is some difference, but I could not catch it.

12

In order to segregate the display of Flightaware MLAT feedback and Adsbexchange MLAT feedback, I configured the MLAT feedback of Adsbexchange to connect to VRS port 30102 on my Desktop, instead of connecting to dump1090 port30104. Now dump1090 map displays antenna adsb planes+ FA mlat planes. The Adsbexchane mlat planes are displayed only in VRS

This is how I did it:
In file adsbexchange-mlat_maint.sh, changed –results beast,connect,127.0.0.1:30104 to –results beast,connect,192.168.0.xx:30102 where 192.168.0.xx is local IP of my Desktop.

pi@piaware:~$ sudo nano adsb-receiver/build/adsbexchange/adsbexchange-mlat_maint.sh

#! /bin/sh
while true
do
sleep 30
/usr/bin/mlat-client --input-type dump1090 --input-connect 127.0.0.1:30005 --lat 43.5xxx --lon -79.6xxx --alt 150 --user 2-abcd567 --server feed.adsbexchange.com:31090 --no-udp --results beast,connect,192.168.0.xx:30102
done

13

Thanks for all your replies, it was in the end my own user error! I had set Dump1090 to output on 30106 so VRS was receiving clashing data. As soon as i removed the entry it was working fine.

Thanks
Kenny

14

Kenny have you (or has anyone else) noticed whether your stats from the VRS display are the same as through the dump1090 map?

When I run the two simultaneously, I show more results from dump1090 than I do with VRS. For example, right now at a glance I see that dump1090 is listing 212 aircraft, 163 with positions. VRS, meanwhile, shows 193 aircraft.

What accounts for that discrepancy? I’ve set VRS up in somewhat similar fashion to abcd567, in that I have an ADSB feed and an MLAT feed that I have merged. I thought that should cover all the data, and therefore equal the same number of viewable aircraft that is shown on dump1090’s map. Have I got something wrong somewhere?

15

I think VRS has a 600 second timeout for aircraft whereas it is 60 seconds for dump1090.
If 193 is the aircraft with positions then 193 seems about right.

16

HOW TO SETUP BEAST FORMAT FEED TO VRS

SCREENSHOT 1 OF 4
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5835/31199550285_f24595781b_o.png

SCREENSHOT 2 OF 4
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5757/31163697396_c3a841666d_o.png

SCREENSHOT 3 OF 4
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5526/31163702326_466facf210_o.png

SCREENSHOT 4 OF 4
https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5692/30378985584_7aa46a2317_b.jpg

.

17

Thank you for your reply! The timeout could be a factor, I had not considered that. I did notice yesterday that dump1090 was displaying aircraft on the ground from what appeared to be a TIS-B broadcast, while VRS was not. This makes me wonder if VRS naturally filters more out than dump1090 does, and if I can offset that somehow.

Abcd567, I tried to mimic your setup but was unsuccessful with the MLAT server using Beast mode. It did work well when I set it as a “Basestation,” but not at all under Beast. Not sure what to make of that.

18

Check your settings:

For Basestation MLAT receiver:
Format = Basestation, Port = 30106

For Beast MLAT receiver:
Format = Beast or AVR, Port = 30105
.

19

Whats better beast or basestation?

20

I was under impression Flightaware pulled MLAT output for anything beyond the dump1090 output website.