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Useful Tips & Basestation Programs for FR-box Feeders & How To Configure Pt.3

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  • Useful Tips & Basestation Programs for FR-box Feeders & How To Configure Pt.3

    Useful Tips & Basestation Programs for FR24-box Feeders & How To Configure Pt.3

    Getting your hosted FR24 receiver running with your favorite basestation program is straight forward and simple to do.

    I will use screenshots and some explanation to describe how to configure the programs.


    While I do not use most of these programs they are like flavors of the week but you might like the feature set you are familiar with.

    FR24 Main Webpage

    The FR24 main webpage is feature rich and is the only service that will let you select the radars. http://www.FR24.com. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, use this to zoom in or zoom out. Quick access to your part of the world is the JUMP TO AREA menu. Initially, with no filters selected will show the area with all planes shown.

    Using the scroll wheel zoom in on your particular area of interest and zoom so that it just fits the screen. If you want to just view your radar or for that matter several in you area, use the Radar option in the Filter menu. F-Radars are hosted receivers and T-Radars are owned by individuals and both types in the Radar drop down menu are arranged alphabetically grouped by type and country. T-RP or F-RP are radars in the Philippines. Not all are shown for various reasons. Not selecting Radars will show all planes selected to be shown on the FR24 map and clicking on a individual plane will indicate that flight is being tracked by a particular radar at that instant. The "doughnut effect" may prohibit you from seeing planes over or near your site and another neighboring radar may be credited for tracking that plane overhead.

    When you get things like you want, use the Jump To Area Save Bookmark function. Use a short descriptive name. Line length of this name is limited because of web design.

    Once Saved it shows up in the Jump To Area menu. Once saved a bookmark can be moved in the list of bookmarks or also deleted but not edited.

    Radar View

    Radar View is a Premium program for feeders that uses a subset of the FR24 main page. If Local Traffic is enabled and the page can find your feeding box the program will show the planes being tracked by your radar in RED on start up after you have drug the map to the area where your site is located.

    In the options Menu, look for the keyword "localhost" in orange. Clicking that you will see the word localhost highlighted. That word local host has to be replaced with 127.0.0.1 if you are feeding with the windows FR24 feeding program. If you are hosting a FR24 receiver enter the local IP of the box.

    There is no default and the word highlighted localhost has to be an IP. putting incorrect information on this line will result in the "4 tries Error...." If you are lost see Pt2 for finding your FR24 box IP.

    If all else fails contact support@fr24.com. One problem per message.

    adsbSCOPE by Sprut

    Many have or are now using adsbScope in connection with their T-feeding software. It has an internal server to feed services like FR24 but if you are hosting a FR24 system don't use this to feed competing services as per your anti-competition line in your hosting agreement.

    Three features well liked are the scope bullseye and maxrange history and the ability to watch the receivers frames per minute.

    After you change the settings outlined here and in the pic, select Save As Default.

    The instructions in PT.2 contain vital information on what to change the settings to.

    Lets review what we know about the FR24-box configuration:

    1. The receiver is a Beast transmitting in a digital format.
    2. RAW FEED Port [30334] BS FEED port [30003]
    3. The URL either you or FR24 provided to view the receiver setup.
    4. Latitude & Longitude reported by the GPS

    This information is found with adsbSCOPE running and other selected and opened. other/Network/Network Setup is what you need.

    Enter the information in the pic with the exception of the URL of the FR24-box which maybe different than shown on the example. close
    Go back to other/network and make sure a check is in the RAW-data Client

    If you have drug the map by the Arrow Icons and the zoom in zoom out so your location is at the crosshairs you will see the planes being tracked by you within 250 NM or what ever scale you have selected in Config.

    The Frame Rate per Minute will show in the bottom right of the screen.

    While it is not the intention to provide complete information the information provided will make an installation work.


    Virtual Radar Server

    Latest Windows Version: http://www.virtualradarserver.co.uk/...RadarSetup.exe

    Virtual Radar Server creates a webpage that shows you planes being tracked over a Google Map or Satellite view with range rings and smooth animation on local landings.

    After downloading the latest version, find the file virtualradar.exe and make a shortcut to it for the DeskTop and run it. This is the file that holds the configuration settings the server uses to connect to your receiver. After the start of this program click and open Tools/Options.

    Why do I need the server? The server organizes the data on a webpage that is displayed in your computer browser. The Take off Line button removes the webpage.

    Screenshot of the server and options page.


    This how-to is just about how to make VirtualRadar work with your hosted receiver. Get help from VirtualRadar or the help links within the program.

    1. Name your receiver, the default is the word receiver. I called mine FR24 Beast.
    For General settings select the receiver name and location which for me is F-RPVD1.

    2. Data Source, select AVR or BEAST Raw Feed.
    For Connection type select Network from the list.

    3. Network Address: This is the IP you saved from the receiver configuration page.
    The port number is 30334 again found on your receiver configuration page.

    4. Receiver Location for the Name of your receiver which is the word receiver or a name you chose.
    The location is what your entered as a radar name exp. F-RPVD1.
    Latitude & Longitude from your GPS coordinates in the receiver configuration page.

    5. Website.
    Google Maps, enter your latitude & longitude as before and select the view you prefer Map or Satellite.

    Set the Units to suit you.

    Nothing else needs to be changed, close the options and switch back to the server setup and you will see activity as the result of your changes. Click that link which will be constant to view your planes etc.

    The Map page has a menu also which changes the way the data is displayed.

    Conclusion

    How-tos presented are not complete for everything that is used as alternative Basestation programs but it is a start. The information you glean from the FR24-box configuration page can be used to make many basestations work with your hosted box.

    Opinion

    The main webpage of FR24 is great and useful but has some legacy functions that are not as useful as before. The routing still leaves a bit desired. The crew at FR24 has to sleep while hosts on the other side of the world are seeing domestic planes with no route. The automatic routing system in place seems to only work during European daylight hours.

    At least one basestation program allows users to submit routing information generally using a one day cycle time. That basestation program is Virtual Radar Server.

    Tracked aircraft selection for the webpage is still a mystery although it is becoming clearer since the management has publicly announced that T-Boxes receive priority only in extreme cases where no F-box is tracking a target.

    AdsbSCOPE is great but a bit worn with the weakness of poor maps but its strength is allowing the user to see the Frame rate of the FR24 receiver which I often see 6,000 Frames Per Minute. The Beast is amazing. Many kudos to FR24 and Gunter.

    When I started this 3 part endeavor I really didn't have a favorite basestation program but have grown to love the Virtual Radar Server's multitude of configuration options.

    I'm sure there are other alternative basestations. Please tell us about them and why your like love or hate them.

    John

    F-RPVD1
    Last edited by paradiselost; 2014-03-04, 08:58.

  • #2
    Originally posted by paradiselost View Post
    Useful Tips & Basestation Programs for FR24-box Feeders & How To Configure Pt.3

    Getting your hosted FR24 receiver running with your favorite basestation program is straight forward and simple to do.

    I will use screenshots and some explanation to describe how to configure the programs.

    <<snip>>

    Opinion

    The main webpage of FR24 is great and useful but has some legacy functions that are not as useful as before. The routing still leaves a bit desired. The crew at FR24 has to sleep while hosts on the other side of the world are seeing domestic planes with no route. The automatic routing system in place seems to only work during European daylight hours.

    At least one basestation program allows users to submit routing information generally using a one day cycle time. That basestation program is Virtual Radar Server.

    Tracked aircraft selection for the webpage is still a mystery although it is becoming clearer since the management has publicly announced that T-Boxes receive priority only in extreme cases where no F-box is tracking a target.

    AdsbSCOPE is great but a bit worn with the weakness of poor maps but its strength is allowing the user to see the Frame rate of the FR24 receiver which I often see 6,000 Frames Per Minute. The Beast is amazing. Many kudos to FR24 and Gunter.

    When I started this 3 part endeavor I really didn't have a favorite basestation program but have grown to love the Virtual Radar Server's multitude of configuration options.

    I'm sure there are other alternative basestations. Please tell us about them and why your like love or hate them.

    John

    F-RPVD1
    Hi, Uncle John!

    I have only tried VRS but I am totally taken up with the many options it offers... I would like to make the range plots though, similar to those plots appearing at HeyWhatsThat website... plots specific to altitude settings.

    How do you do it with VRS?

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by gquejada View Post
      Hi, Uncle John!

      I have only tried VRS but I am totally taken up with the many options it offers... I would like to make the range plots though, similar to those plots appearing at HeyWhatsThat website... plots specific to altitude settings.

      How do you do it with VRS?
      Web settings 'internet users can see receiver range plots' and then enable in the options menu in browser
      Posts not to be taken as official support representation - Just a helpful uploader who tinkers

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by gquejada View Post
        Hi, Uncle John!

        I have only tried VRS but I am totally taken up with the many options it offers... I would like to make the range plots though, similar to those plots appearing at HeyWhatsThat website... plots specific to altitude settings.

        How do you do it with VRS?
        Gerry, look at http://philippineradars.com/virtualradar/

        Don't worry about changing settings...it always reverts to all receivers range plots are enabled.

        Click on the word MENU on the map and select receiver range plots. Select each receivers range plots and select remove all, for each receiver. The range plots will instantly disappear from the map.

        Now with no range plots showing, select a receiver and put a tick in each checkbox. Different color range plots will appear for the different range of altitudes selected.

        John
        F-RPVD1
        Dumaguete

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by paradiselost View Post
          Now with no range plots showing, select a receiver and put a tick in each checkbox. Different color range plots will appear for the different range of altitudes selected.
          How many ranges can be selected at the same time?

          Comment

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