Not many active network users iin the USA?

[larry.putman]

Hi All,

I noticed this morning that there are not nearly the number of active USA  users sharing network data as the AirNav map indicate there should be in the USA. Are most users in the US only intermittently sharing data with the network?

Larry WB3ANQ

[AirNav Support]

Not sure what you mean, by what we indicate?

Majority of our customers do not have there machines running 24/7 and hence it means the data is intermittent.

[Runway 31]

Where is your box Larry?

[AirNav Development]

We are getting more and more users in the USA. Note that many units are not active between 10 PM and 8 AM. Usually we have between 30-50 sharers there.

[larry.putman]

I was referring to the map on the AirNav site

http://www.airnavsystems.com/RadarBox/network.php

But yes I understand that many user are not on 24/7 :)

[larry.putman]

I am located in Pasadena, Maryland near BWI airport.

[Southwest]

Am I wrong in suggesting that the map in question only shows the locations of RB owners and not a) ones that are online and b) who share data?

[AirNav Support]

Yes you are wrong :)

It shows only those sharing data at the moment in time, however the locations are not always accurate and the reception circle is what they would get under the best conditions (antenna, full horizon view)

[Southwest]

Thanks for correcting me, at least I know now.

[puddy]

I noticed this morning that there are not nearly the number of active USA
Larry WB3ANQ

I am sorry but I agree with Larry here

After watching a flight a friend was on going to Washington I lost tracking of how many times I lost it due to lack of coverage.

Could this be due to high state of alert the US is under since sept 11?  Many Americans feel they could be prosecuted under homeland security laws by owning a radar box

I would never take my radar box to the US for fear of being prosecuted having the box confiscated or even going to jail on spying charges

Here in the UK it's illegal to use/listen in to communications from air traffic control but go to any UK air show and most people walk around with scanner radio's and have a large number of police  officers I don't know anybody who run in to trouble with the law

But going back to the OP most of the middle of the usa seem to have no coverage

Puddy

[AirNav Development]

>Could this be due to high state of alert the US is under since sept 11?

Simple answer: not at all.

We have several shops selling RadarBox and sales have increased dramatically during the last months. It's a matter of having friends-telling-friends-telling-friends about RadarBox. Anyway we are much stronger on the professional market in the US than on the enthusiast market. Several research/development companies have bought dozens of RadarBox lately.

Anyway the US, unlike Europe, provide air traffic information for all their airspace for civilian use. Check our AirNav Live Flight Tracker application and you will see what we mean. We have a real-time direct connection to the FAA flight data servers feeding this (and other) applications.

Link:
http://www.airnavsystems.com/tracker

[ACW367]

Alot of this has to do with population density as well. In Europe we are packed like sardines. The USA has a far lesser density, large tracts of the midwest and South have very few people, very few airfields and consequently very few enthusiasts wishing to buy a box.

[EK01]

I noticed this morning that there are not nearly the number of active USA
Larry WB3ANQ

I am sorry but I agree with Larry here

After watching a flight a friend was on going to Washington I lost tracking of how many times I lost it due to lack of coverage.

Could this be due to high state of alert the US is under since sept 11?  Many Americans feel they could be prosecuted under homeland security laws by owning a radar box

I would never take my radar box to the US for fear of being prosecuted having the box confiscated or even going to jail on spying charges

Here in the UK it's illegal to use/listen in to communications from air traffic control but go to any UK air show and most people walk around with scanner radio's and have a large number of police  officers I don't know anybody who run in to trouble with the law

But going back to the OP most of the middle of the usa seem to have no coverage

Puddy

As far as I am aware, it is NOT illegal in the UK to listen into ATC communications but it IS illegal to act upon anything that you may here being transmitted. Hence the reason that at air shows and indeed around airports, the police will generally take no action against anyone listening in.

[CoastGuardJon]

Hi EK01, if you look at the legislation, that is not correct, if you haven't (or general public) a licence to listen/transmit on a certain frequency, you commit an offence.   Other than this you can only listen to public broadcasts (ie Radio1 etc., TV stations etc.) and licensed amateurs, the fact that the Home Office turn a blind eye, as it is so widespread, is a "privilege" (to which a blind eye is turned)which can be jumped on if abused, even use of an RB could be held to be illegal!    The "act upon anything you may hear" bit is a total fallacy.   Sorry, but that's a fact of UK life, I believe the US is a lot more amenable to us.   Any of us UKRB  users are technically committing several offences, for which our equpiment/property can be seized and us prosecuted, hence why I and others, would like to see an "Opt-in" to sharing rather than "Opt-out", but AN don't seem to be prepared to address our concerns.

[EK01]

Ah well,

Here we are back once again to the old story of who can be bothered to tick the box and who can't with regard to the so called offence of sharing information. Shall we start yet another thread ? Oh and as to the legislation, you don't need a license to listen in to any broadcasts be they airband or otherwise but you do need one to transmit on a frequency and that is where the 'privilege' comes in.
I, for one, would hate to be in an aircraft which has received a transmission through the ether from someone not connected with ATC but then again if it is not illegal to 'act upon anything you hear' then there is no problem and, I think, you'll find that since 9/11, the US are certainly not more amenable to us.