MLAT is now live on Flightradar24

[Jarod]

Jarod: Seems you have quite good reception. You can not perhaps give us more information and perhaps some photos of your antenna, in the Antenna thread: http://forum.flightradar24.com/threa...1-best-antenna

Have a look at post #23 in that thread.

[Mike]

Well, for ADS-B i wouldn't even bother applying, because i see so many receivers around EHAM.
But since MLAT is added FR24 this really is making a difference.

I use RTLSDR + Virtual Radar Server to also get the ADS-B callsign flights only, once i hear them on the radio i can roughly tell where they are here at EHAM or in the TMA/RADAR area.
But having these MLAT planes visible at FR24 is awesome because you can click on the plane and see the photo and all information.

This is the reception with RTLSDR and the homemade ADS-B GP antenna: http://x264.nl/dump/vrs-2013-09-29-304.jpg (distance = km)
The cable length of 12-15 meters is required to get the antenna on the roof, unless there is a way to use WiFi and only a powercable to the roof is required.

Now i can place the antenna on about 50 meters above the ground, but if i can use WiFi with the FR24 receiver, i can also put it on a roof of about 85 meters and even closer to EHAM.

Please apply and we will evaluate.

[Jarod]

Please apply and we will evaluate.

Applied and into second round.

If i cannot host a receiver, is there another way to help with MLAT or does it only work with FR24 receivers?

[SoCalBrian]

It only works with the FR24 receiver product.
FR24 Will sell the product at some point. See this thread. http://forum.flightradar24.com/threa...ll=1#post31383

[Jarod]

Thanks.

MLAT is really awesome:

http://x264.nl/dump/mlat-2013-10-15-1.jpg

http://x264.nl/dump/mlat-2013-10-15-2.jpg

Too bad all MLAT traffic inside the TMA is lost, Schiphol deserves to be surrounded by FR24 receivers. :-)

I can receive all ground signals as well, i wonder if with enough receivers also MLAT can work on the ground.
All 6 runways are in use now. (3 or 4 at the same time.)

[Mike]

This is our current MLAT coverage in Europe.

[North Borneo Radar]

This is our current MLAT coverage in Europe.

Fantastic. Keep on improving them please... and hopefully the FR24 receiver could be for sale in the near future?

[Birdie]

Just wondering - can these Radars perform MLAT ?

- F-WSSS1
- F-WIPP1
- F-WBGG1

[North Borneo Radar]

Just wondering - can these Radars perform MLAT ?

- F-WSSS1
- F-WIPP1
- F-WBGG1

Just my thoughts,

1) you need four receivers to get an accurate MLAT (3D) or 3 + 1 known Mode C (2D) . There is only 3 receivers and...
2) All receivers must see the same positionless plane (not ads-b equipped). The difference is the time difference of arrival (TDOA) of the mode S to reach the receivers and the receivers use that to calculate the position of the positionless plane. All 3 receivers mentioned are too far apart to see the same positionless plane.

So in short, not possible for MLAT with this 3 receivers mentioned. Will need a few more FR24 receivers at South Malaysia, Singapore, Batam area for MLAT to be possible. But FR24 is concentrating MLAT at Europe and North America first... I think.

[Mike]

Just wondering - can these Radars perform MLAT ?

- F-WSSS1
- F-WIPP1
- F-WBGG1

First a local FR24 server is needed to keep ping-times down. In theory MLAT should be possible with 3 receivers. We have only managed to get it running with 4 receivers. But 4 receivers is not enough to have stable MLAT coverage. I would say that 6-8 receivers in same region is absolute minimum to start up a regional MLAT server.

Just as example we have 2 receivers on Malta, 1 receiver in Tunisia, 2 on Sicily and 2 in southern Italy. And that is not enough to give MLAT, apart from 3-4 business jets per day flying on FL400+

All in total we currently have 163 MLAT receivers up and running in Europe.

[Amper]

MLAT active in my area....
mlat.png

[peterhr]

The Radarcape wiki ( http://radarcape.bplaced.net/wiki/doku.php )mentions that a few radarcapes could be networked together to do do MLAT position finding themselves - apparently without needing a 'data consolidation' server. Has this been tried to see if MLAT could be made to work for FR24 in locations where the internet delays to the FR24 MLAT servers would be too great (say Sydney, AUS - if there are enough F- receivers there)?

[Mike]

We have invested almost 1 year of software development to get the current MLAT solution up and running. The accuracy and data quality is far better than we expected and we will continue focusing and this present solution and keeping the data quality at a high level.

The issue is not having a local server, we already have one in Australia, the problem is having enough of feeders.

[Jarod]

Glad i can help. Just one thing though, i hope this baby doesn't overload or even worst, hit the ads-b antenna! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrHNI5cEFoY

[FL630]

Hi,

First post here so apologies if this has been discussed before.

MLAT coverage in my area (England) seems to be really good, I've seen aircraft descend to about 4,000ft into Cambridge airport before vanishing.

My question is, what are the requirements for an aircraft to be picked up by MLAT receivers? I fly a PA28 and a C172 in this area quite often, and will sometimes climb to levels which I've seen MLAT aircraft descend to, will my aircraft show up?