Can someone explain how the radarbox works.

[jetset]

I've had mine for about 4 years now and am very happy with it but over those years I've constantly seen messages regarding database updates and software updates and to be honest I haven't a clue what any of it is for.
My box works, what needs to be updated?
OK once or twice it's displayed the wrong photo but I can live with that.

I need to know :)

[Runway 31]

Hi Steve,

Regarding the database updates. the database which came in the software with the box containes the records of around 80,000 aircraft from various sources a lot of which were incomplete and in some case wrong.  Also in the 4 years you have had your box imagine the number of new aircraft which have been built, scrapped, changed hands etc and have just been plain found out about and have been added to the database in that time.  There are around 197,000 records in the aircraft database now.  While 5-600 aircraft seem to be added to the d/b in a month the same number are deleted or have their details changed each month

In addition to aircraft records, aircraft types have been added and amended, airports have been added and re-named and the routes flown have been added, deleted and amended as well.

If an aircraft does not have its details in the database it wil show up in the grid or on the map with not type, registration etc.  Similarly if the aircraft type is not in the database its silhouette will not show etc.

The database is evolving all the time with new records, amended records, deleted records etc and these are contained in the regular database updates which try ensure the details are as accurate and up to date as possible and the full known details are displayed for all users. Even if you dont install the d/b updates, if you click on an aircraft with no details, itf these are known the details will download into the d/b.

Regarding the software updates there are a number of bugs in the software which have been known about for as long as the software has been around and for which and update is still awaited.

Alan

[jetset]

So the box receives a signal from the aircraft and the software decodes that signal using the database, which displays readable information on the screen?

Is that right?
I used to think that the signal being received contained all the necessary information for the box to decode itself.

This is what I'm stuck on :)

[Runway 31]

Steve,

Yes thats correct, the box/software decodes the info in the signal using the information in the database to display on the screen.  If the database doesnt contain the info on the aircraft the the hex codes applies to it cannot decode it to show details of the aircraft and you will only see the hex code,flight ID, altitude, speed, position etc but no details on the aircraft itself.

Alan

[jetset]

Thanks Alan.
So how do you and others find out the correct info for a given Hex code?

[Runway 31]

Hi Steve,

From various sources, forums ,websites , national registers, forum users, databases etc and sometime we have to just give up as they are not known.

Alan

[jetset]

What about the to/from info.
How is that determined.

[Runway 31]

Same way inserted manually by looking the flight up on the internet and also automatically via a server routine which looks for the aircraft arriving and departing from airports.  The auto routine can be a wee bit hit and miss at times and can get it wrong i.e. mistaking aircraft arriving and departing from Manchester can occasionally be inserted as Woodford.

Alan

[EK01]

Steve,

A good source of information is :

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/

Ian

[Runway 31]

Even better try Radarbox24 http://www.radarbox24.com/

Alan

[EK01]

10 out of 10 Alan !!

Ian

[jetset]

I've actually got airframes.org bookmarked for converting Hex Codes

And both those sites rely on networked ADS-B feeds from us don't they?
Just like the planefinder app on the iPad.?

[Runway 31]

Jetset, that is not the case.

Alan

[jetset]

Where do they get their info from then?

[Runway 31]

Feeders same as Airnav

Alan