I noticed that recent releases of VRS still have a checkbox for online aircraft look ups but no URL listed. In the past it showed Planebase. The VRS website still shows that on the corresponding help page.
Are online look ups still being done if the associated checkbox is checked? If yes, what’s the new source?
I have the database writer plugin installed and the basestation.sqb is increasing in size, this seems to indicate some new info is being added to it. Curious about where the info is coming from.
But this subsite shows an error 503 currently.
I am using the V3 preview and there is no URL documented where the data is coming from, but it still works
Based on what they documented, they still use Planebase in combination with submssions from users:
Forum has been down for ages now…
there is a subreddit , virtualradarserver.
First post has the same question as you.
Question at the top is
‘Where is this version of VirtualRadarServer doing its online lookups of aircraft info? I saw a Philippines Air Force plane that showed United Kingdom in the aircraft details pane so I contacted planebase.biz to ask them to correct their database as I thought that’s where the lookups were done, but their support staff replied “We haven’t provided data to VRS since April so you will need to contact them to update their database.”’
Only reply has a link for you to edit plane details…
Around the same time VRS stopped using Planebase I seem to recall that VRS introduced SDM. I have not created an account yet but my guess is that the data may be coming from that database.
Thanks.
I’ve just been doing a google on any aircraft using the ICAO or checking the various sites like FR24, Radar Box etc for updated aircraft information and using VRS Database Editor to update plus a daily scan through the database for ‘oddities’, and check any unusual entries…
If anyone can point me to an easier method? I’d be grateful…
As a curiosity, I replaced the populated basestation.sqb file with a blank one. The database is being populated as ADS-B signals are received and decoded. This confirms that VRS is still retrieving data from somewhere.
I guess any ‘old’ allocated ICAO info will eventually be updated, I normally have a daily look at what has populated the previous 24 hours and do an odd check…
it will level all out over time…
I used to update the database myself but stopped some time ago, too much work. The routes are hit and miss, whether I use VRS, PlanePlotter or a Radarspotting populated database.
The aircraft info was usually fine, but now I see some discrepancies. Still good enough for a hobby.
