New service based on data from Radar Box

[msteen]

A new service for spotters based on data from the Radar Box is now being tested here in Kristiansund, Norway. The service (from airpics.com) uses data from port 30003 to generate HTML pages with flight data for use with cellular phones, so that we can view data about flights while out in the field. Here is the examples from Kvernberget:

http://www1.airpics.com/trafikk/ksu_idag.php < All flights today (both transit and others).
http://www1.airpics.com/trafikk/ksu_radar.php < Only the latest 30 minutes.

But the most exciting about this is the SMS feature. The software checks the flights all the time, and automatically sends SMS to the spotters that has registered for this service.
Right now the SMS is in Norwegian, but I've translated one as an example here.

Airpics FW Radar Alert!

Aeroflot - Nord Antonov An-24RV (RA-46651 c/n 47309202) is now near Kvernberget. Altitude 1750 ft and descending (-864.41 ft / min). This aircraft does not have full ADB-S-equipment. It can't be said for certain if this aircraft is about to land at Kvernberget.

From airpics.com
FlightWatch Beta

Here is an example of an even more detailed one:

Airpics FW Radar Alert!

Malmo Aviation British Aerospace Avro 14 (SE-DSY c/n E3263 Flight SCW913) is now 6.87 km away in an altitude of 800 ft, descending -692.31 ft / min). Heading: 69 º. Speed 121 kt. Most likely in approach to Kvernberget rwy 07.

From airpics.com
FlightWatch Beta

Anyone interested in feeding data from "their" airport for this system, and get free SMSes when unscheduled traffic is coming to the airport ? The software can select which airlines etc. to not send SMS about, but other (and unscheduled) flights will trigger an SMS. All you need to do is make a text file with the data from port 30003 and ftp this up to my server (there is a dedicated user for radar data). Just contact me if you are interested.

[AirNav Development]

What an interesting site! Congratulations for the superb work.

[msteen]

Thanks for the good words. But there is something strange. Right now I use a program that sends over the file from telnet output once every minute. Local telnet to 30003 with file output on the computer with Radar Box software installed. Example of lines in the file is as those here:

MSG,3,0,0,478069,0,2008/06/01,18:45:48.486,2008/06/01,18:50:48.486,,00500,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0
MSG,3,0,0,478069,0,2008/06/01,18:45:50.486,2008/06/01,18:50:50.486,,00400,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0
MSG,3,0,0,478069,0,2008/06/01,18:45:55.470,2008/06/01,18:50:55.470,,00400,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0
MSG,3,0,0,478069,0,2008/06/01,18:46:02.486,2008/06/01,18:51:02.486,,00300,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0
MSG,3,0,0,478069,0,2008/06/01,18:46:07.486,2008/06/01,18:51:07.486,,00200,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0

But if I run a telnet to the IP of the computer with Radar Box software on the server, the first 15 characters is cut away.

9,0,2008/06/01,18:45:48.486,2008/06/01,18:50:48.486,,00500,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0
9,0,2008/06/01,18:45:50.486,2008/06/01,18:50:50.486,,00400,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0
9,0,2008/06/01,18:45:55.470,2008/06/01,18:50:55.470,,00400,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0
9,0,2008/06/01,18:46:02.486,2008/06/01,18:51:02.486,,00300,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0
9,0,2008/06/01,18:46:07.486,2008/06/01,18:51:07.486,,00200,,,0,0,0,,0,0,0,0

Is this an error with my setup, or is this something that is normal when connecting from another computer ? I've tried with both telnet and netcat, with same results.
I should be able to do this, will make my days a lot easier. No need to ftp the file to my server for processing. This gives me an extra delay too, in addition to the normal 5 minute delay.

[msteen]

I've now developed a new program that must be run on the computer with Radar Box.
That software will feed the airpics.com server with the data needed to present data for
your airport in a cellular phone friendly format. Everything you need to do is to run the
program, everything else is done by the airpics.com developers. (The computer ofcourse need an internet connection).

You can for instance get the following files for your airport. I've used those several times while out in the field waiting for arriving aircraft.

http://www1.airpics.com/traffic/lhr_today.php
http://www1.airpics.com/traffic/bgo_today.php
http://www1.airpics.com/traffic/jfk_today.php

In the same format as the following existing one:

http://www1.airpics.com/traffic/ksu_today.php

An additional possibility will be to start the SMS service for spotters in the airports covered by the service. I only need a list of airlines that will not trigger an sms alert, and every other flight will be warned about with an SMS.

[Harry]

Thanks for the good words. But there is something strange.
....
But if I run a telnet to the IP of the computer with Radar Box software on the server, the first 15 characters is cut away.

Could you check if the characters are cut away too when you start a second telnet version on the pc where Basestation is running?

BTW I hope this will be corrected in 1.6.

Harry

[msteen]

Thanks for the good words. But there is something strange.
....
But if I run a telnet to the IP of the computer with Radar Box software on the server, the first 15 characters is cut away.

Could you check if the characters are cut away too when you start a second telnet version on the pc where Basestation is running?

BTW I hope this will be corrected in 1.6.

Harry

That's correct. The characters are cut away if there is two connections. My new program also had this problem as long as there was a telnet session connected to port 30003.. But as long as there is only one connection it works fine.

[Harry]

That's correct. The characters are cut away if there is two connections. My new program also had this problem as long as there was a telnet session connected to port 30003.. But as long as there is only one connection it works fine.

I will check my program if it will work on the pc where Radarbox is installed. I allways connect from another pc to the pc where Radarbox is installed.

Harry

[Harry]

That's correct. The characters are cut away if there is two connections. My new program also had this problem as long as there was a telnet session connected to port 30003.. But as long as there is only one connection it works fine.

I will check my program if it will work on the pc where Radarbox is installed. I allways connect from another pc to the pc where Radarbox is installed.

Harry

I checked again  things on my pc. telnet seems to be working OK. One of my other programs only logs <MODESMESSAGE></MODESMESSAGE> from that port. This is even on the pc where radarbox is running.

What kind of programming tool are you using for logging the data from the port?

Harry

[msteen]

What kind of programming tool are you using for logging the data from the port?

Harry

For this I've been using PHP on the web server, but I've compiled the PHP scripts now, and they are in use on some computers, looks like it works fine. Got Lisbon up and running on test today:

http://www1.airpics.com/traffic/lis_radar.php < Latest traffic
http://www1.airpics.com/traffic/lis_today.php < All the day (not complete today)

Thanks to Miguel for the data :)

[Harry]

What kind of programming tool are you using for logging the data from the port?

Harry

I hope you don't mind asking, but which version of Radarbox and php are you using. I'm with 1.5 and 5. The php output is giving me problems.

I'm using $fp = fsockopen("127.0.0.1","7879", $errno, $errstr, 1);
   while (!feof($fp))   
   {
      $buff1=fgets($fp, 2048);

This will only gives me <MODESMESSAGE></MODESMESSAGE> as output.
Port 30003 gives me nothing.

Do you have a suggestion?

Harry


For this I've been using PHP on the web server, but I've compiled the PHP scripts now, and they are in use on some computers, looks like it works fine. Got Lisbon up and running on test today:

http://www1.airpics.com/traffic/lis_radar.php < Latest traffic
http://www1.airpics.com/traffic/lis_today.php < All the day (not complete today)

Thanks to Miguel for the data :)

[msteen]

For this program I used the bambalam PHP compiler, and using Radar Box 1.5.
I'll send you the code when I get home from work in some hours. But after what I see, the code you pasted should work. But you can get the source for my program later today.

[Harry]

For this program I used the bambalam PHP compiler, and using Radar Box 1.5.
I'll send you the code when I get home from work in some hours. But after what I see, the code you pasted should work. But you can get the source for my program later today.

Thanks! I really appreciate that!