Updating NavData.db3 database.

[andrewarles]

Hi,

Over the past few weeks, since buying the RadarBox I have made hundreds and hundreds of modifications / updates / deletes etc… to my local database NavData.db3 and I think it is a real pity that the time I have been spending has not helped updating the main AirNav database.

There are a number of daily modifications being done via the forum, but they only represent a tiny percentage of the work that really needs to be done.

The question I have is, with the number of passionate RadarBox users in the world, would it not be possible to ask the users themselves for their help to do a complete purge and update of the database (or at least the main aircraft types, airliners, biz, etc)

For example, each volunteer would choose an aircraft type(s) of his choice.

The administrators that do the updates would give an extraction in an excel format of the chosen aircraft type in the database, and send it to the users to amend.  Once all the amendments have been made, the volunteer then sends the file back to the administrators to update the main database.

It’s only a thought, but with a bit of organisation and coordination could it not be feasible?

How many people would volunteer?

I would be the first to volunteer and accept a number of aircraft types.

Andrew

[DaveReid]

Sounds like a great idea.

[neroon79]

Sounds like a great idea.

Indeed.

But regarding to the huge amount of B73x, A31x/A32x and other Regional Jets flying around it might be a good idea to make a smaller splitting than by AirCraft type. Splitting by AirCraft Type per Country may produce more easy to handle packages. Unfortunately this will require more volunteers...

[Marpleman]

Hmm............

Let me see, I reckon if you're lucky you may get a small handful to volunteer.....

Had to check the date to check it asn't April 1st?

Come on AirNav, what do you think??


Seriously.....

Andrew, I notice that you mention you have only had your box for a few weeks, so you may not be aware that this project is currently ongoing after being initiated a few months back - it's a tough nut to crack to say the least, and has provided the forum with many different threads of discussion/disagreement/heartache etc etc !

There is an small team of Database Updaters currently trawling through existing records and adding new records virtually non-stop every day, but it's a mammoth task.

The team are regularly in communication with Development to improve and speed up the process, but I'm sure as you will appreciate, given the scope and size of the task, there's no easy quick fix.

The most effective current method of pushing these changes through to the end user would be via issuing a new updated navdata file to users and then re-issuing it on a regular basis, as there are some limitations with the current software structure that are preventing some info feeding through to end users .

Currently, we're not quite "there" with a complete enough new file to cater for everyone's requirements, but hopefully will be able to move on this soon.
 
Obviously the release of any new navdata files is at the discretion of AirNav.

At the moment there is another thread on the board where users can post details of records that are not populating fully or correctly,and the updater team (or in the main Alan "Runway 31" - who deserves a knight-hood for his patience and perseverence!) will amend the records accordingly after checking via other recognised media.

We're hoping to make some significant improvements on the task soon via some software enhancements.

Hope this makes things clearer?

Dave - you should know better ;-)


Regards

Rich

[DaveReid]

Dave - you should know better

Sorry, couldn't resist :-)

[Runway 31]

Dont keep the unknowns to yourself, forward them in using the appropriate thread and we will get them filled in and added to the database.  That way we all benefit.

For all people complain there are very few who actually contribute by sending the unknowns in for checking and adding.

Alan

[andrewarles]

Rich,

Thanks for that.  As you quite rightly pointed out, I am fairly new to the RadarBox, but have been wading through the many posts trying to understand the plan of action with regard to updating the database.

You may have noticed that over the last week or so I have been giving the team updates to make to the database, but I'm wondering if it is really worth it with the database in its current state.

As you said, it’s a mammoth task, and I just can’t see how one person or a small team of people will be able to make any kind of noticeable progress on the db.

What will the level of clean up be exactly? Will it be simply making changes to aircraft and adding new aircraft, or going through each construction list and adding missing aircraft and deleting unregistered aircraft?  The latter is a very long and tedious task.

As I said, I have made hundreds and hundreds of changes to the db, and I maybe wasting my time if there is a new db3 issued by AirNav.

Obviously, if there are very few volunteers that changes things.

Just another thought, are you the administrators working on the same database as the AirNav team?  If AirNav issue another database, will they pick up the daily changes that you are making?

Rich, Alan and all the team, sorry but I’m not trying cause trouble, just trying to help things.  This seems to be a very sensitive subject, so subject closed (unfortunately).

Regards.

Andrew

[Runway 31]

Andrew,

We are making changes to the Airnav database and to this time have added or amended around about 43,000 aircraft with many more to go.

Please keep sending in your amendments or missing aircraft, it all adds up and every little helps.  There are a lot of aircraft in your area that only you will see as they are not ADSB equipped and dont show on the network so keep on sending them in.

Alan

[tarbat]

We are making changes to the Airnav database and to this time have added or amended around about 43,000 aircraft with many more to go.

But when will these updates be made available to Radarbox users?

[Marpleman]

Hi Andrew

No problem mate - totally understand that there is a lot to take in,and some of these topics only get aired every once in a while, although the database is always a "hot topic"!

Without going over too much old ground,airNav openly offered the task to volunteers, and I think if memory serves me correctly, we initially had a team of six - we've had two drop out and one new member join the team, so everyone's had the opportunity to offer their services , new users excepted.

we initially concentrated on looking at known existent "frames" via manufacturer production lists (Boeing,Airbus,MDD etc etc) and have cleared most of the common types.

In fact we've almost covered known long,medium and short haul airliners and are now picking up on biz jets and anything else that comes along.

Rest assured that the database we are working on is controlled by airNav so there won't be any inference from changes we are making not getting picked up, other than as a result of software anomalies which are at present preventing some information not getting through to the end user, however these gremlins are currently being ironed out.

As alan said, we are very appreciative of any data users can indeed forward onto us

Thanks

rich

[Marpleman]

But when will these updates be made available to Radarbox users?

Additional records added to the db should be pulling through to users already, admittedly with some glitches as previously covered such as ICAO issues etc

Obviously the best way would be by issuing a revised navdata file and then subsequent updates at regular intervals, but that's AirNav's call not ours!

[tarbat]

Additional records added to the db should be pulling through to users already, admittedly with some glitches as previously covered such as ICAO issues etc

Ok, sorry, I've been out of the loop a bit lately.  So, do these updates replace what's in our navdata databases, or do we need to delete the aircraft to get the updated record?

Is there a list somewhere of the 43,000 aircraft that have been updated?

[Runway 31]

Tarbat,  the updated will on most occasions not have any effect as they will not overwrite what you already have.  If we have done a new aircraft that comes up on your system it should automatically update.  You may however have to click on the data line in myflights ot netwrork flights to force the download.  I would have expected that you have seen this already as I down here in Motherwell see new aircraft several times a day.

A problem we are having is that the AT sometimes doesnt come down and you may have to update this manually in database explorer to get the silhouette to appear.

Airnav will when it suits them provide a new Navdata file to replace your existing one but your guess is as good as mine when that will be.

[tarbat]

Understood.

Come on Airnav, get your act together.  You've got a database team doing sterling work, but for most end-users they're seeing no real benefit from that work, with only new aircraft propogating.

It must be all of a few hours work to extract the data into a small update utility program to populate end-users' navdata databases.

[DaveReid]

Airnav will when it suits them provide a new Navdata file to replace your existing one but your guess is as good as mine when that will be.

It beggars belief that AirNav isn't even prepared to share its plans with its own dedicated team of updaters.