RadarBox / FlightAware flight count difference

[mutantspore]

Like most of you I send my data to a number of flight tracking services. I initially setup piAware on a Raspberry Pi 3B+ and have since added in other trackers to send my data to.

• FlightAware
• FlightRadar24
• ADS-B Exchange
• PlaneFinder
• OpenSky
• RadarBox24

I've had the first 5 running well for 50 days now, only really limited by my antenna being in my attic (HOA rules). I just added RadarBox24 last night and I have it just sending the dump1090-fa data in beast mode and I also used their mlat code to have that working too.

I seems to work... However RadarBox only shows about 50-60% of the reported aircraft that all the other sites are showing. e.g.  FlightAware = 112 vs RadarBox = 66 right now.

I noted a ~5% increase in CPU usage after installing RB but my Pi is still only running at < 20% CPU usage. I can't see any wireless or disk bandwidth issues.

My FA mlat is synchronized with 405 receivers but I guess the RB network is much smaller as that is only 21 receivers.

My registered location/height is the same as the other sites.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

[Runway 31]

I would presume that RB uses a lower time out setting than FA meaning that aircraft dont stay on screen so long once the signal is lost

As far as MLAT is concerned only 4 or 5 are needed and these are usually ones close to you

Alan

[mutantspore]

Thanks Runway,

That seems a reasonable answer as I looked at both maps side by side and many of the planes on the outer reaches of the empire on ADS-B Exchange were missing from the RadarBox map.

Stuff in my attic creates a real patchwork of "sight lines" with North and South (and most of East) being the best as they only have the plywood to go through. The other directions have various wires, roof beams, A/C unit and A/C ducts to go though. ...which all cause breaks in the reception along a flight path, and resulting timing out issues.

[Runway 31]

My antenna is also in the attic and in addition to the breams etc my dear lady wife insists in using the attic for storage which makes the matter worse :-))

Alan

[EK01]

Alan,

Time to get rid. I mean the stuff in the attic not the dear lady wife 😊

Ian

[Runway 31]

Not so easy done, you never know when it will come in handy!!!

Alan