Start of my RPi journey

[POR911]

Get yourself some filtering and amplification: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/new-product-...mhz-ads-b-lna/

Then you can use your old coax (with the amplifier close to the antenna).
The filtering is probably what you need the most with a discone antenna.

So, the filter in the flightaware stick not good enough...or in the wrong place?

[wiedehopf]

Get yourself some filtering and amplification: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/new-product-...mhz-ads-b-lna/

Then you can use your old coax (with the amplifier close to the antenna).
The filtering is probably what you need the most with a discone antenna.

[abcd567]

Graphs etc are independent. Run his script (Weidehopf ) for Dump1090-fa and enjoy. It'll perform better than 1.15 Dev anyway.

This is a misconcept that dump1090-fa performs better than dump1090-mut ver 1.15. The decoder of both versions are identical and perform equally good.

The fa version beats ver 1.15 in appearance as follows:
- prettier web interface
- the web interface displays more information.
- the aircraft table at right is adjustable, and can be expanded to full width of page i.e. table only, or can be totally collapsed i.e.map only.

[POR911]

A discone won't ever be as good as a specific tuned short-spectrum range antenna

They're broad spectrum and have no or little gain, so for microwave/1G like ADSB it will be on the outter edge of it's limits. And yes, RG6 will have a bit of loss at high frequency.

Graphs etc are independent. Run his script (Weidehopf ) for Dump1090-fa and enjoy. It'll perform better than 1.15 Dev anyway.

Thanks Oblivian, Now I have the graphs installed and working(thanks abcd and weidehopf), I can see some stats for my discone. While the discone finds most a/c, it has an avg ADS-B range of 40NM, with a peak range of 61NM. The ADS-B mean median signal level -9.4, weakest -16.1 peak level -1.4. So, maybe a specific tuned antenna will increase the ranges? It sounds like the discone will not be improved with 'gain'. Because of 20+ metre coax runs, a tad expensive to run coax with more grunt.

dump1090-localhost-signal-1h.png

[abcd567]

Dont install graphs from automated install thread you have linked. It unnecessarily installs web portal, php & mysql. Weidehopf has recently written a graph-only script. Use that one. Just copy-paste following bash script in PuTTY and press Enter key,and script will start installation.

sudo bash -c "$(wget -q -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wiedehopf/graphs1090/master/install.sh)"

For details, see this page:

https://github.com/wiedehopf/graphs1090/blob/master/README.md

[wiedehopf]

OK, been running overnight and no issues. When I shut down and restart, dump1090 automatically fires up. So, more tune up now. I need to do two things? Data performance graphs, and Gain.

I saw this thread..https://forum.flightradar24.com/thre...-Graphs/page17 and want to install the graphs. I

I'd much recommend not using those bloated graphs that use php and what-not.

Use these:

https://forum.flightradar24.com/threads/12839-Useful-Addons-graphs1090-tar1090-et-cetera

The adsb-receiver project script you linked often doesn't work well installing dump1090-fa.
As you are on Raspbian, i'd just recommend the thread i linked above, you'll find either a how-to for installing dump1090-fa or even install scripts.

Just run the fr24feed script:

https://www.flightradar24.com/share-your-data

Choose Beast / Network / 127.0.0.1 / 30005 as your receiver type for use with dump1090.
But that's not that important, my dump1090-fa install script fixes that part of the configuration even if you get it wrong.

[Oblivian]

A discone won't ever be as good as a specific tuned short-spectrum range antenna

They're broad spectrum and have no or little gain, so for microwave/1G like ADSB it will be on the outter edge of it's limits. And yes, RG6 will have a bit of loss at high frequency.

Graphs etc are independent. Run his script (Weidehopf ) for Dump1090-fa and enjoy. It'll perform better than 1.15 Dev anyway.

[POR911]

OK, been running overnight and no issues. When I shut down and restart, dump1090 automatically fires up. So, more tune up now. I need to do two things? Data performance graphs, and Gain.

I saw this thread..https://forum.flightradar24.com/thre...-Graphs/page17 and want to install the graphs. I already have dump1090 installed and working. At present I am not feeding any site. Should I install the FR24 feeder before I get the performance graphs working?

I saw where it is possible on the dump1090 screen to insert a Gain 'adjuster'. I wondered if that would help me getting my discone antenna to work better. I had first thought, the antenna feed was not working too well. but upon checking FR24 and my decoding screen, they were the same...so can't ask any more.

BTW...Thanks everyone for your most valuable help, especially abcd and weidehopf. It as been a most amazing experience for me, and very much 'monkey see and do' in most instances. Your skill amazes me.

[POR911]

Hi abcd, Ctrl+F5 fixed the browser.
The version of dump1090 I am using is 1.15-dev.
Using my discone I am achieving some 120kms for overfly traffic at FL350+ and 90kms for approaching traffic. So, the discone, even with the flightaware pro stick filter, it is not coping too well. Looks like I may need to do some more work on 'tuning' dump1090. I will have a play with different antenna formats. I think the antenna RG6 cable run, (20 metre) while ok for the scanner, is too long for the 1090MHz receiver., and not practical to put the RPi in the roof, as the little guy will cook. Sitting on my desk, with room temp at 25c, it runs at 55c.
When I get this working as best as I can, I will attack the various feeds. FR24 first.

[abcd567]

Dump map data still shows miles?

Try reload browser (Ctrl+F5).

If that does not solve the problem, clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete), then reload (Ctrl+F5)

[POR911]

abcd, ok, got the lat/lon repaired. Location now correct.

I used the code: sudo nano /usr/share/dump1090-mutability/html/config.js, and changed ok. Dump map data still shows miles? No big deal.

Ok all coming together. Been playing with my simple whip antenna and scanner discone. Dicone far better. It seems because I live next to an airport(2 kms) and most traffic is approaching, altitudes are pretty low and restricting my views to about 60 miles. When i do see a fly over at say 35,000, then I get to 90 miles. Messages are about 55/sec and aicraft averaging 12-15, as most on approach and quite low. is there a way I can find stats from the dump1090?

Soon, ready to feed.

[wiedehopf]

Ctrl-C to interrupt programs and get back to the shell. Doesn't always work.

In many programs just pressing Q for quit will make them exit.

[abcd567]

(1) To reconfigure Lat/Lon, use following command

sudo dpkg-reconfigure dump1090-mutability

This command (after few seconds delay) will open a config window within PuTTY
Continue pressing Enter key to accept default values there till you reach Latitude window. Enter/correct the vale there and press Enter key. The Longitude window will appear. Enter/change the vale there and press Enter key.
Continue pressing Enter Key till the window closes. If the window gets stuck at any statage, press Tab key to make <Ok> red, then press Enter Key.

dump1090-mut-Lat.png dump1090-mut-Lon.png

Restart dump1090-mutability

sudo systemctl restart dump1090-mutability

(2) Oops! I made a silly mistake while typing the command in my last post! That is why it failed.

In command I have typed the word "user". Its correct spelling is "usr" ("user" without e).
I have now corrected the command in my last post.
The correct one is given below also.

sudo nano /usr/share/dump1090-mutability/html/config.js

When the file opens, scroll down and look for following line:
Metric=false;
Change false to true so the line becomes
Metric=true;

Save file (Ctrl+o) and close (Ctrl+x)

Reload browser Ctrl+F5
Now distances will be shown in kilometers.

(3) NOTE:
Ctrl+x is to close nano editor. If typed outside nano editor, it is displayed as ^X and does nothing.
To stop a command or break a process use Ctrl+c. It will show on PuTTy as ^C, and bring back command prompt (pi@raspberrypi:~ $)

[POR911]

Hi wiedehopf, correct, I input the 'normal' Lat/Lon and not the decimal version. A little confusing as heywhatsthat used normal lat/lon, and I used it.

abcd, I tried the code, sudo nano /user/share/dump1090-mutability/html/config.js and it replied in a red box at the bottom of the screen, [ Directory '/user/share/dump1090-mutability/html' does not exist ] with 2 rows of ^X etc..they did nothing either. and I had to crash out.
I had hoped it would restart the config again, so I can re-input the correct Lat/Lon codes. Can I reload dump? or maybe a full clean out of the Micro SD card and restart.

And, while playing with commands...I used: top d1 - apparently checks the load on your CPU, displaying details for all cores. Worked great..I think..but then how do you stop it running, as not able to get to a command prompt, or a stop button. Again, causing me to crash out. I should not meddle....

[abcd567]

By default dum1090-mutability uses nautical miles for distance measurement. It can be changed to metric by editing following file:

sudo nano /usr/share/dump1090-mutability/html/config.js