More frivolous purchases, stuff you don't need..

[NJK44]

Didn't need it. Can't afford it right now, but I'm young and dumb

[eliot]

OpulentBob said:

Taking direct signals from the planes? Yeah, that's pretty cool, and to a non-geek, sounds like mission impossible stuff...

ADSB - I can pickup signals from planes south of heathrow in Milton Keynes.

Handily the planes are high - so you effectively get line of sight.

You can pickup a software defined radio stick (google rtl sdr) , download free software and listen to pretty much anything, both analogue and digital. Local taxi's, security, ham radio, weather satellites flying over etc

http://www.rtl-sdr.com/about-rtl-sdr/

[NJK44]

eliot said:

ADSB - I can pickup signals from planes south of heathrow in Milton Keynes.

Handily the planes are high - so you effectively get line of sight.

You can pickup a software defined radio stick (google rtl sdr) , download free software and listen to pretty much anything, both analogue and digital. Local taxi's, security, ham radio, weather satellites flying over etc

http://www.rtl-sdr.com/about-rtl-sdr/

Isn't this just what the app does minus the comms?

[Vitorio]

NickM450 said:

I couldn't resist:



Available from www.displate.com

Lovely stuff, will have to remember that for when i move and have to decorate my own place.

[weeboot]

NJK44 said:

Isn't this just what the app does minus the comms?

The app gets data from, amongst others, lots of these...

[Calza]

weeboot said:

Makes them visible...

1. Geekery

The top flight is a Boeing Dreamliner from Toronto to Addis Abbabba, travelling at Mach 0.84 at 39,000 feet, and a little computer in my study is picking up signals from it and doing stuff... Is that not fking awesome?

I'm struggling to think of any legitimate reason for needing that? Apart from geekery of course..

[Vitorio]

Calza said:

I'm struggling to think of any legitimate reason for needing that? Apart from geekery of course..

airplane spotting? although that is just geekery off course

[weeboot]

Calza said:

I'm struggling to think of any legitimate reason for needing that? Apart from geekery of course..

It's a community thing.
Increasing the density of the sensor network increases the accuracy of the data reported.

And I find it interesting, and, because geek.

[antspants]

weeboot said:

and a little computer in my study is picking up signals from it and doing stuff... Is that not fking awesome?

What does "doing stuff" mean?

I have to fly quite a bit, and don't really enjoy it. Random people "doing stuff" will give me all sorts of other things to worry about now!

[ClockworkCupcake]

antspants said:

What does "doing stuff" mean?

I have to fly quite a bit, and don't really enjoy it. Random people "doing stuff" will give me all sorts of other things to worry about now!

Which just goes to show how a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and ignorance is bliss.

[weeboot]

antspants said:

What does "doing stuff" mean?

I have to fly quite a bit, and don't really enjoy it. Random people "doing stuff" will give me all sorts of other things to worry about now!

Panic not, Aircraft broadcast a bunch of data from their transponders, have a look here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_dependent_...


That data can be easily received processed and then submitted to one of the online flight tracking services, in my case, FlightRadar24.com

I've used the service a bunch in the past, out of interest, to track relatives I'm picking up from the airport to see whether they're going to land on time, etc., so figured it was time to throw something back to them.

I already had the Pi (I have several), so picked up the USB DVB-T/ADS-B receiver from Amazon for about £17. 2 minutes of config, 25 faffing about trying to put the aerial somewhere reasonable and data is being uploaded, and now I get a Premium subscription to their service in payment, which is typically worth about $500 p/a.

It also covers MLAT for tracking of aircraft equipped with non-ADS-B transponders https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/how-we-track-fl...

Some stats/data..




From the Polar Plot I can see that I could do with some more elevation on my aerial to give it a 360 degree view of the sky and increase my coverage, but that would involve slightly more work!

Edited by weeboot on Friday 27th May 11:44

[Vitorio]

More plastic crack to feed the brick-demon. Had a gift voucher from work for my birthday, and felt like building something. I very much like how the plane looks, just not sure if ill put on the ambiwlans stickers, might just convert it to a generic cargo plane.

Not entirely frivolous, but i know ill spend half an hour building it and give it a few swooshes, after which itll end up on a shelf.

[AstonZagato]

An ergstick and a polar heart rate monitor strap
https://ergstick.com/

[shirt]

AshBurrows said:

I surely don't need it. But I'm bloody excited!

Sorry doesn't count for this thread, everyone needs a car with a sequential flat shifter in their life

[Mr Happy]

weeboot said:

antspants said:

What does "doing stuff" mean?

I have to fly quite a bit, and don't really enjoy it. Random people "doing stuff" will give me all sorts of other things to worry about now!

Panic not, Aircraft broadcast a bunch of data from their transponders, have a look here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_dependent_...


That data can be easily received processed and then submitted to one of the online flight tracking services, in my case, FlightRadar24.com

I've used the service a bunch in the past, out of interest, to track relatives I'm picking up from the airport to see whether they're going to land on time, etc., so figured it was time to throw something back to them.

I already had the Pi (I have several), so picked up the USB DVB-T/ADS-B receiver from Amazon for about £17. 2 minutes of config, 25 faffing about trying to put the aerial somewhere reasonable and data is being uploaded, and now I get a Premium subscription to their service in payment, which is typically worth about $500 p/a.

It also covers MLAT for tracking of aircraft equipped with non-ADS-B transponders https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/how-we-track-fl...

Some stats/data..




From the Polar Plot I can see that I could do with some more elevation on my aerial to give it a 360 degree view of the sky and increase my coverage, but that would involve slightly more work!

Edited by weeboot on Friday 27th May 11:44

I've just done pretty much the same thing, although as I'm only using the tiny DVB-T aerial, and it's indoors - my max visibility is ~10nm which isn't very much use.

What have you done for the aerial? Although I'd like to staple one of the proper 1090mhz ads-b aerials to the outside of the house, I'm pretty much looking for smaller - more discreet kit.

[weeboot]

Damn the non ferrous roof tiles!
Ghetto as hell, but it'll do for the mo!

[Mr Happy]

That is excellent!! I will have to get the gaffa tape out and experiment with positioning. Thanks

[Jordan210]

Purchased one of them 1000w NutriNinja blenders. Not going to use it for healthy things, will make ice cocktails !

Edited by Jordan210 on Friday 27th May 18:08

[ClockworkCupcake]

Mr Happy said:

That is excellent!! I will have to get the gaffa tape out and experiment with positioning. Thanks

[ClockworkCupcake]

I've just bought this 3000 lumens headlamp torch thing. CREE XM-L T6 main lamp and two 2 CREE R2 side lamps, and 2 rechargeable 18650 batteries with 2,000 mAh. I don't even know what most of that means, although I think CREE means "really bright"?


Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suaoki-Flashlight-Lightwe...

I have absolutely no need of it as I already own two bog standard LED headlamp torches.

Currently £10.99 in an Amazon Lightning Deal, usual price £13.99

Edited by ClockworkCupcake on Sunday 29th May 10:25