Cannot configure airband receiver on Rpi 5

[len2307]

I am having trouble installing rtl-airband-rb software on my raspberry pi.

I have purchased the VHF flight stick receiver to use.

I have a Pi 5 running flight aware ADSB software with rb feeder installed for ADSB feed ID EXTRPI646082.

How can this be fixed?

This is the error I am getting. (images attached)

[abcd567]

It seems the package rtl-airband-rb is not available in RB24 repository for bookworm and bullseye. I could find it only in RB24 repository for buster, that also armhf architecture.

Anyhow I downloaded the rtl-airband-rb armhf package and installed it on my RPi 4 with Bookworm. Tested this package, but it failed to run on bookworm.

I then built the package from source-code, and it works ok on Bookworm. Please see next post below for details.

[abcd567]

I have today build rtl-airband-rb.deb arm64 package for RPi running Bookworm using source code at https://github.com/szpajder/RTLSDR-Airband. Tested it on my RPi 4 running Bookworm, and it works perfectly well. Please see attached screenshot.

I have uploaded this .deb package to my github repository. Anyone can download and install it by following method:

STEP 1 of 3: Download and Install

Code: [Select]



wget https://github.com/abcd567a/temp/releases/download/pythhon3.12/rtl-airband-rb_10.0.0_bookworm_armhf.deb 

sudo dpkg -i rtl-airband-rb_10.0.0_bookworm_armhf.deb 


The second command above will halt midway and give notice of missing dependencies. Do not worry. When this happens, issue following command, which will install missing dependencies and complete the installation.

Code: [Select]

sudo apt --fix-broken install



STEP 2 of 3: Enable Auto Start at Reboots
Systemd service is not enabled by default. Also after reboots, it wont start automatically. Please issue following commands after installation to make it automatically start at reboots.

Code: [Select]

sudo systemctl enable rtl-airband-rb

sudo systemctl restart rtl-airband-rb



STEP 3 of 3: CONFIGURE
Open config file for editing

Code: [Select]

sudo nano /etc/rtl-airband-rb.conf


(3.1) It is a long file. Scroll down and add your particulars in these two lines:

         mountpoint = "EXTVHFXXXXXX"; 
        username = "<RadarBox Login E-mail>";
          password = "<radarBox Password>";
 
(3.2) You will also be required to set frequencies of your local airport in following line

      freqs = ( 118000000, 119550000, 126000000 );
      labels = ( "Tower", "Ground", "Approach" );



CONTENTS OF CONFIG FILE /etc/rtl-airband-rb.conf

Code: [Select]

# This is a minimalistic configuration file for rtl-airband
# Please change frequencies that you will use and other settings.
#
# Note: this configuration will use your second dongle attached
# to you raspberry, not the first one!
#
# index = 0     => First dongle
# index = 1     => Second dongle


devices:
({
  type = "rtlsdr";
  index = 1;
  gain = 28;
  correction = 0;
  mode = "scan";
  channels:
  (
    {
          #squelch = 35;  # Uncomment to set squelch manually
      freqs = ( 118000000, 119550000, 126000000 );
      labels = ( "Tower", "Ground", "Approach" );
      outputs: (
        {
          type = "icecast";
          server = "audio.rb24.com";
          port = 8000;
          mountpoint = "EXTVHFXXXXXX";
          name = "My Transmitter";
          genre = "ATC";
          username = "<RadarBox Login E-mail>";
          password = "<radarBox Password>";
          send_scan_freq_tags = true;
        }
                # If you need more outputs, put here

      );
    }
  );
 }
);



[abcd567]

Listen to my Airband receiver

https://www.airnavradar.com/stations/EXTVHF000597


NOTE:
I am currently using a generic black DVB-T which does NOT have any built-in Filter or RF Amplifier. The reception is therefore moderate, with weak signals having background noise.

If an AirNav yellow airband dongle is used, it gives much better reception as it has an integral Filter and RF Amplifier.

.