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For the help of fellow ex-windows feeders: How to set up your PI

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  • For the help of fellow ex-windows feeders: How to set up your PI

    As I struggled hard to set up a new feeder after the old feeder was shut down, I decided to try to help others by creating this step by step userguide. There is a lot of help out there, but I'm trying to put it all in one place. After some trying and failing, I beleive this is the easiest way to set up a new feed. I decided to take the 'Flightaware-route' as I found this to be the simplest way. As an added benefit you will get a free Enterprise account there.


    I bought a Vilros Raspberry Pi 3 Kit with Clear Case and 2.5A Power Supply that I found on Amazon and used an old DVBT dongle and a 1090 window antenna I have had sitting around for a while.

    Start by installing Piaware, Flightaware's image software. It also has the latest version of dump1090-fa. Log in or create a profile if you don't already have one. https://flightaware.com/

    Best Flight Tracker: Live Tracking Maps, Flight Status, and Airport Delays for airline flights, private/GA flights, and airports.


    Unpack the file to a new folder on your computer.

    Use Etcher or Win32Diskmanager to create the image on a mini-SDcard. I used Win32DiskManager and a 16gb as I found none smaller.

    Download Win32 Disk Imager for free. A Windows tool for writing images to USB sticks or SD/CF cards . This program is designed to write a raw disk image to a removable device or backup a removable device to a raw image file. It is very useful for embedded development, namely Arm development projects (Android, Ubuntu on Arm, etc).


    If you use wifi, edit piaware-config.txt to include your SSD and password before you eject the card.

    Add also a folder called SSH on the card if you plan to use SSH.

    Eject the card and insert in your pi. Boot up and register the device with Flightaware. You may need to edit your location.

    Best Flight Tracker: Live Tracking Maps, Flight Status, and Airport Delays for airline flights, private/GA flights, and airports.


    You should now have an active Enterprise account with Flightaware.

    ----

    Install PuTTy to access your Pi



    Find your ip on your network (e.g. 192.168.1.25 (if wireless) and use it to open PuTTy. Log in with username pi and password flightaware. (It's recommended to change the password. Use command passwd and follow the prompts.)

    Enter sudo raspi-config to go to the configuration menu. Select 7. Advanced options and 1. Expand File System. (recommended)

    Finish and go back to the command prompt. Reboot - sudo reboot

    You can now check Flightaware status sudo piaware-status and restart feed sudo systemctl restart piaware from the prompt.

    For reference, see https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware...ional#password

    Make sure you are logged into Flightradar24.com with your user account.

    To get FR24FEED software, enter sudo bash -c "$(wget -O - http://repo.feed.flightradar24.com/install_fr24_rpi.sh)"

    You will be asked to enter your email address, antenna position, sharing key (if you have one) and other details.

    You can also do it manually step by step using the instructions here:

    All about feeding data to Flightradar24 (The Flightradar24 receiver, Raspberry Pi and Windows feeding software). No discussions about Flightradar24 web or apps.



    You then probably need to add

    1. Open config file using: sudo nano /etc/fr24feed.ini
    2. Add these two parameters there.
    use-http=yes
    http-timeout=10

    3. Save and exit: ctrl+o AND ctrl+x
    4. Reboot your PI: sudo reboot



    You should now be able to enter 192.168.1.x:8754 (x being your local ip) in your browser and get the feeder status. You may or may not be online.





    ( If not, click on settings and enter [B]--net --gain -10[/s] in your Process Arguments. ) Edit: Not necessary with this image

    Add also 127.0.0.1:30005 in your Host IP. Change receiver to ModeS Beast (TCP), save and reboot and you should be good to go.

    Last edited by LN-MOW; 2019-06-05, 17:24.
    ENFB.net
    Radarstation KGVL

  • #2
    --net and --gain are arguments passed to the internal dump1090.

    If using an independent dump1090 process those arguments have no effect.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by wiedehopf View Post
      --net and --gain are arguments passed to the internal dump1090.

      If using an independent dump1090 process those arguments have no effect.
      That could be - and there are probably many other variables too. My post was just ment as a help to those who elect to follow the same path to get it working.
      ENFB.net
      Radarstation KGVL

      Comment


      • #4
        Just trying to help you improve your guide.
        Someone might mistakenly think he could change gain like that.

        It also removes a step and that's always good.

        Try on your setup if you don't believe me.

        Comment


        • #5
          Weidehopf is right.
          The field "Process arguments --net --gain -10" is applicable only to Pi24 image and controls its integral dump1090-mutability ver 1.14. It has no affect on dump1090-fa of Flightaware's Piaware image.

          Comment


          • #6
            It's not that there is many spread wide guides that need to be centralised. It's that the base image and hardware available varies so much there are endless possibilities. And the more options given gives that illusion.

            Here you'll find a few distinct guides already based on pi24 as a base (due to being the forum host and target recipient) and generic image guides, often merged with other bundled feeder scripts or tips to process once started.

            There's no right or wrong way other than contamination of mix and matching to try and get a different desired outcome outside the guides already in print as it were

            Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk
            Posts not to be taken as official support representation - Just a helpful uploader who tinkers

            Comment


            • #7
              The title of this thread suggests that it is for guidance of those who are switching from Windows feeder to RPi feeder.

              If someone was feeding from Windows, sure he was feeding only FlightRadar24 and not Flightaware (as Flightaware dont have Windows feeder).

              In this situation the easiest and best option is Pi24 image.

              Comment


              • #8
                The biggest problem seems to be the activation of the Pi24 image.
                I'd recommend making a sticky thread explaining step by step how to use the Pi24 image.

                Or just make this thread sticky: https://forum.flightradar24.com/thre...24-Data-Feeder

                A dedicated thread just for the Pi24 image wouldn't hurt though, no need for other options in the same thread, people get confused easily.

                It probably also doesn't help that pi24 supplies a dump1090 version with no working map and outdated demodulation.
                FR24 could easily compile and install dump1090-mutability 1.15 dev on their images.


                Also i don't see this thread being very helpful anymore: "Raspberry PI installation made too easy with extra feature."
                It seems outdated.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by wiedehopf View Post
                  The biggest problem seems to be the activation of the Pi24 image.
                  This is true for a new user.

                  However the user switching from Windows to RPi already has fr24key, and it simply requires to be copy pasted either from windows feeder's file fr24feed.ini, or from FR24 "My Data Sharing" page (https://www.flightradar24.com/account/data-sharing)

                  FR24 ini -1.png FR24 ini -2.png FR24 Key from My Data Sharing.png


                  Originally posted by wiedehopf View Post
                  I'd recommend making a sticky thread explaining step by step how to use the Pi24 image.

                  A dedicated thread just for the Pi24 image wouldn't hurt though, no need for other options in the same thread, people get confused easily.
                  I think Oblivion has already written a guide for Pi24. It needs to be made sticky


                  Originally posted by wiedehopf View Post
                  It probably also doesn't help that pi24 supplies a dump1090 version with no working map and outdated demodulation.
                  FR24 could easily compile and install dump1090-mutability 1.15 dev on their images.
                  FULLY AGREE. This is a burning need which is not paid attention to by FR24 Developers


                  Originally posted by wiedehopf View Post
                  Also i don't see this thread being very helpful anymore: "Raspberry PI installation made too easy with extra feature."
                  It seems outdated.
                  The author seems to have lost interest in it. He is no more answering any issues raised.

                  .

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by abcd567 View Post
                    Weidehopf is right.
                    The field "Process arguments --net --gain -10" is applicable only to Pi24 image and controls its integral dump1090-mutability ver 1.14. It has no affect on dump1090-fa of Flightaware's Piaware image.
                    Thanks. Still worked when I removed it. Misunderstood info from another post.

                    I don't have any agenda with this, other than help others who might be a little lost in the Pi-world. Like myself. I initially experimented with Pi24, but it took me forever to get it to work, and I also couldn't get FR24 to 'see' my feeder. I found Piaware far easier to install - not least because you could edit the config-file with SSID and password before inserting the card into the Pi. Disconnecting screen and keyboard to swap over to the Pi is not ideal. The Skyview in Flightaware is also neat.

                    And as a spotter and reg-geek, having Flightaware Enterprise is also useful.

                    Thanks for all the feedback.
                    ENFB.net
                    Radarstation KGVL

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Skyview is part of dump1090-fa, so you can have it without using their data feeder, piaware

                      In case you want some additions, i'd recommend some stuff i tinker with:
                      https://github.com/wiedehopf/graphs1090#graphs1090 (Works with most dump1090 installations)
                      https://github.com/wiedehopf/timelap...#timelapse1090 (dump1090-fa only)


                      It's great you wrote up your process, i'm sure it's helpful for some people.

                      I believe you can put a file wpa_supplicant.conf in the boot partition from windows as well on any Raspbian to configure WiFi.
                      But all that would need to be in a neat guide for the pi24 image, otherwise it's unlikely to be found by the people looking for it.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by LN-MOW View Post
                        I don't have any agenda with this, other than help others who might be a little lost in the Pi-world. Like myself. I initially experimented with Pi24, but it took me forever to get it to work, and I also couldn't get FR24 to 'see' my feeder. I found Piaware far easier to install - not least because you could edit the config-file with SSID and password before inserting the card into the Pi. Disconnecting screen and keyboard to swap over to the Pi is not ideal. The Skyview in Flightaware is also neat.
                        thumb-single.jpg thumb-single.jpg thumb-single.jpg

                        This is true.

                        The FR24 Developers should pay more attention to PI24 image and make it closer to plug-n-play by adding a file wpa_supplicant.conf in the /boot folder so that while the microSD card is still in the card reader of Laptop/Desktop, the user can open it in a text editor and add his WiFi credentials.

                        Since currently wpa_supplicant.conf is not available in PI24 image, it can be created by the user himself while the card is still in laptop/desktop (exactly like file ssh is created in Flightaware's Piaware image).

                        Care is to be taken that if the Windows File explorer does not show file extensions, the name "wpa_supplicant.conf" will actually be "wpa_supplicant.conf.txt" with ".txt" hidden, and the file will fail to activate WiFi. The user must change settings of File Explorer to "show extensions of known file types", then replace .txt by .conf

                        The file "wpa_supplicant.conf" should then be opened by a text editor like Notepad, and copy-paste text shown below. The user should replace "xxxxx" and "yyyyy" by their actual values, save file, slip-out microSD card from Laptop, slip-in into RPi, powerup, and Bingo, the WiFi is working right from first boot... no need to connect a mouse, keyboard & monitor to RPi.

                        Code:
                        network={  
                            ssid="xxxxxxxxxxxxx"  
                            psk="yyyyyyyyyyyy"  
                        }

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks, great info.
                          ENFB.net
                          Radarstation KGVL

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Found that in Stretch, country should also be configured to activate WiFi.

                            Therefore in addition to code given above, ADD following code also to file "wpa_supplicant.conf"

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

                            (Replace CA by your country's 2 letter ISO code, e.g. for UK use GB, for USA use US, for Germany use DE, etc)
                            .
                            Last edited by abcd567; 2019-06-08, 00:29.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Swapped out my dongle for a Flightaware Pro Stick Plus. And what a difference 20 bucks makes. Very impressive over a regular dongle.
                              ENFB.net
                              Radarstation KGVL

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