2019 - PI24 (Image) QuickStart Guide

[Responder]

STEP-1: Download Necessary Software

1.1 - Download PI24 image (zip) on your Desktop/Laptop
Download page:

https://www.flightradar24.com/build-your-own

Direct download link:
https://repo-feed.flightradar24.com/...latest.img.zip


1.2 - Download and Install Win32DiskImager (Windows) OR Etcher (Win & Mac). Only one of these two softwares is enough. No need to download and install both.

Win32DiskImager: https://sourceforge.net/projects/win32diskimager/

Etcher: https://etcher.io/


STEP-2: Prepare microSD Card

2.1 - Insert microSD Card in your Desktop/Laptop’s card slot (or use a card reader plugged into USB Port).

2.2 - Unzip downloaded PI24 file to get .img file.

2.3 - Write the unzipped Pi24 image to microSD Card using Win32DiskImager or Etcher.


STEP-3 : Enable WiFi
If you want your Pi to connect to local network/internet using a WIRED connection to router, skip this step.

To use WiFi to connect Pi to local network/internet, the WiFi configuration should be done after image is written, and while the microSD Card is still in the Laptop/Desktop. For details please see following post:

How To Enable WiFi

Use only one connection at a time, either wired or WiFi.
It is not recommended to use both simultaneously


STEP-4: First Boot of RPI
Eject & remove microSD card from card reader, insert into RPi, power up the RPi.


STEP-5: Access and control of RPi from Desktop/Laptop using SSH
You can access Pi and issue commands by connecting a Monitor and Keyboard to your RPi.
However use of SSH enables you to issue commands from your Desktop/Laptop and eliminates the need to connect a Monitor and Keyboard to your RPi.

For Remote access and SSH, please see following posts:

- How To Access and Control RPi from Desktop/Laptop using SSH

- IP Address Finders


STEP-6: ACTIVATION

Activation will require you to enter your details (email, sharing key, latitude, longitude, antenna height etc)
If you already had a sharing key, you can retrive it as given in this post:

- How To Find Your FR24 Sharing Key

NOTE:
Do NOT go to activation page. The activation page malfunctions, and does not list your Pi.
Use the signup command given below. This command completes Signup and Activation process without any problem.

SSH to RPi (see STEP-5 above) and give following commands:

sudo mount -o remount,rw /

fr24feed --signup

Leave key entry blank if you dont have a key

After completing above details, you will then reach following stage.
Supply inputs as shown in red:




STEP-7: Checks

NOTE:
At the time of conduction following checks, both the RPi and your Desktop/Laptop should be on same Local Network (router).
The IP-of-Pi used below will be something like 192.168.0.21 and can be found as shown in step 7.1 below.

7.1 - Check Status in PuTTY



7.2 - Check Status in Browser of your Desktop/Laptop

7.2.1 - To check that feeder is working OK, open your browser and type following address and press Enter Key.

IP-of-Pi:8754


7.2.2 - To check that dump1090 is working OK, open your browser and type following address and press Enter Key.

IP-of-Pi/dump1090/


STEP-8: SETTINGS & CONFIGURATION
To check settings (or modify settings if needed), open your browser and type following address and press Enter Key.

IP-of-Pi:8754/settings.html

After making changes, press "Save" button, then "Restart" button.
Both these buttons are at bottom-right corner of settings page.

See below screenshot of settings page
Pi24 Settings.png




STEP-9: Installation of Data Feeders of Other Sites
Please see Post #7 below



.

Thank you for this page.

My RPi3 and SDCard received a power surge and damaged everything and nothing worked. So, bought a new RPi and installed the latest FR24 image onto new SDCard and as I wanted to retain my Radar Key, I found your page and followed instructions and all is working nicely.

Thank you

[adampk17]

I originally set up my pi24 receiver in June 2019. Has the image changed or been updated since then?

[flightradar45005]

Got a new micro sd card. new image and I now have wifi working.. Thanks for all your help..

[wiedehopf]

That looks correct.
If it doesn't work .... not sure what to do.

[Oblivian]

Thanks but that was of no help...

Sorry, Was question directed at the others attempting to help. As unknown OS version and other details, it may not help but hinder having the extra lines.

The site I linked, is the official RPi documents. With the bare minimals to get wireless working.

Suggest following along through that to confirm it matches what you already attempted as outlined here.
It also indicates the country code in lower case. Unsure if case sensitive.

[flightradar45005]

Thanks but that was of no help...

[Oblivian]

Interface only for Buster?..

https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/wireless/wireless-cli.md

[flightradar45005]

The FR24 programmers have in older version of Pi24 image put everything in one single line with tabbed spaces. It was very inconvinient to scroll all the way to end to enter ssid & passwd.

In the current version of Pi4, it is split into lines like the example in my post above.

Yes, country, not Country

Okay here is a screen shot of my
wpa_supplicant.conf.
What am I missing.

flightradar_wifi_LI.jpg

[abcd567]

it doesn't matter which line as long as you don't put it in the network block.

It's country=US not Country=US

And those other things need to be on their own lines like in the example.
(well not sure if they need to be but it sure makes it easier to read.)

The FR24 programmers have in older version of Pi24 image put everything in one single line with tabbed spaces. It was very inconvinient to scroll all the way to end to enter ssid & passwd.

In the current version of Pi4, it is split into lines like the example in my post above.

Yes, country, not Country

[flightradar45005]

it doesn't matter which line as long as you don't put it in the network block.

It's country=US not Country=US

And those other things need to be on their own lines like in the example.
(well not sure if they need to be but it sure makes it easier to read.)

Thank you I'll give this a try. Thanks again for your help.

[wiedehopf]

it doesn't matter which line as long as you don't put it in the network block.

It's country=US not Country=US

And those other things need to be on their own lines like in the example.
(well not sure if they need to be but it sure makes it easier to read.)

[flightradar45005]

Did you add Country=US at top of file wpa_supplicant.conf?

Like this?

Country=US
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev update_config=1 network={ ssid="YOUR_SSID" psk="YOUR_PASSWORD" }

[abcd567]

So I use the "" marks around the "ssid" and "password"

Did you add Country=US at top of file wpa_supplicant.conf?

[abcd567]

FLIGHT radar 45005

Quote from post #3 of this thread:

How To Enable WiFi

4 - Open the file wpa_supplicant.conf using Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac)
In the opened text file, you will see following text:

ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1

network={
ssid="YOUR_SSID"
psk="YOUR_PASSWORD"
}

Replace:

• YOUR_SSID by your router's wifi ssid
• YOUR_PASSWORD by your router's wifi password.

NOTE:
In some countries, WiFi may not work if country is not included in above file. In such case add following line at the top of the file wpa_supplicant.conf:

country=XX

Replace XX by two letter code for your country e.g. GB for UK, US for USA, DE for Germany, FR for France, SE for Sweden, CH for Switzerland, NL for Netherland, AU for Australia, NZ for New Zealand, etc etc. (click here for complete list)

5 - Save file.

6 - To Reconfigure WiFi at later stage:
The file wpa_supplicant.conf exists in /boot folder at the time image is written to microSD card. When the microSD card is slipped into Pi and booted, this file is moved to folder /etc/wpa_supplicant. Therefore after booting the Pi, you will NOT find it in /boot folder.

For editing the WiFi config later, open config file by following command:

sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

[flightradar45005]

So I use the "" marks around the "ssid" and "password"