Tagged: FLARM

Visualizing the Traveled Path of a Weather Balloon, Tanker Boat and Gliders with an RTL-SDR and CesiumJS

Over on YouTube user pascal poulain has uploaded a short video that shows a timelapse of the flight path of a weather balloon in Cesiumjs as it rises and falls, as well as a time lapse of a marine tanker docking, with the signals received with an RTL-SDR. In a third video pascal also shows a visualization of glider flights tracked via FLARM and the Open Glider Network which also obtains most of it’s data through RTL-SDR contributors.

Cesiumjs is a tool similar to Google Earth. The main difference is that it works on a wider array of devices through a web browser without the need for any plugins. It is often used for visualizing data on the globe. An example of some of its many demos can be found here.

We’re not sure what tools pascal used, but over on GitHub there is a tool called airtrack which can be used together with dump1090 to display flights in real time on Cesiumjs.

Illustration of 3D realtime tracking of weather sonde.

3D illustration of a tanker docking

3D view of typical soaring flights

Setting up a FLARM Receiver with an RTL-SDR and Orange Pi Zero: Tracking Gliders and Helicopters

Most people already know about ADS-B aircraft tracking, but few know about FLARM (FLight AlaRM). FLARM is a low cost and low power consumption ADS-B alternative which is often used by small aircraft such as gliders and helicopters for collision avoidance. It is used all over the world, and is especially popular in Europe, however it is almost non-existent within the USA.

Back in 2014 we posted about FLARM reception with the RTL-SDR, and also about the Open Glider Network (OGN). The OGN is an online FLARM aggregator that is similar to sites like flightaware.com and flightradar24.com which aggregate ADS-B data.

More recently, Łukasz C. Jokiel has posted a tutorial on his blog that clearly shows how to set up an RTL-SDR and Raspberry Pi Zero based FLARM receiver for feeding the Open Glider Network. 

Łukasz’s tutorial uses an Orange Pi Zero which is a very cheap (~$7 USD) Raspberry Pi embedded computing device. He also uses an RTL-SDR dongle and an antenna tuned to the FLARM frequency of 868 MHz. The tutorial goes over the Linux commands for installing the decoder, calibrating the RTL-SDR and setting up the Open Glider Network feeder.

Remember that FLARM is typically 10-100 times weaker than ADS-B so a good tuned antenna is required, and the OGN recommend building (pdf) a collinear coax antenna tuned to 868 MHz.

A Commercial FLARM receiver.
A Commercial FLARM sender/receiver.

Some new RF filters from Adam 9A4QV

Adam 9A4QAV is mostly known as the manufacturer of the popular LNA4ALL, a low cost low noise amplifier which is often used together with the RTL-SDR to improve reception of weak signals. He also sells an ADS-B bandpass filter and an ADS-B antenna, the latter of which we reviewed in a previous post.

Now Adam has come out with two new RF bandpass filters which are for sale. RF filters are used to block unwanted interference from other strong signals which can cause trouble, especially with low cost receivers such as the RTL-SDR. 

The first new filter that he has developed is for FLARM (FLight Alarm System). FLARM broadcasts at 868 MHz and is a protocol similar to ADS-B. It is used by Gliders and some Helicopters for collision avoidance. It is possible to decode FLARM with an RTL-SDR which allows you to track gliders on a map, as discussed in one of our previous posts.

Characteristics of Adam's FLARM Filter.
Characteristics of Adam’s FLARM Filter.

The second filter is for amateur radio astronomers who wish to detect the Hydrogen Line at 1420 MHz. Hydrogen molecules in space occasionally emit a photon at 1420 MHz. A single emission can’t be easily detected, but space and the galaxy is full of Hydrogen and the net result is an observable RF power spike at 1420 MHz. This can be detected with a high gain antenna, LNA, RF filter and radio like the RTL-SDR. The Hydrogen line can be used to measure things like the rotation and number of arms in our galaxy. Filters are very important for radio astronomy work as man made interference can easily drown out the relatively weak cosmic signals.

Characteristics of Adam's Hydrogen Line Filter.
Characteristics of Adam’s Hydrogen Line Filter.

Adam sells all his fully assembled filters for 20 euros, plus 5 euros worldwide shipping.

One of the ADS-B/FLARM/HLine Filters by Adam 9A4QAV.
One of the ADS-B/FLARM/HLine Filters by Adam 9A4QAV.

Receiving and Decoding FLARM (Tracking Gliders, Helicopters etc) using the RTL-SDR

Over on our Facebook page, a user has let us know about the Open Glider Network project which makes use of the RTL-SDR dongle to decode FLARM. FLARM is a low cost and low power consumption ADS-B alternative which is often used by small aircraft such as gliders and helicopters for collision avoidance. With the right antenna, receiver and decoder any aircraft transmitting a FLARM signal could potentially be tracked on a map.

FLARM signals are transmitted at 868 MHz and are effectively weaker by 100-1000 times compared to standard ADS-B signals. The project recommends use of a high gain collinear antenna for receiving the weak FLARM signals. The open glider network project wiki contains information on how to set up their Linux based FLARM decoder that relies on the RTL-SDR for various embedded devices.

Once the software is up and running, the received and decoded FLARM packets can be seen on http://cunimb.fr/live/ as real time glider positions (also at http://cunimb.fr/live/3D/ in a 3D Google Earth).

FLARM Gliders shown in real time on a map
FLARM Gliders received with the RTL-SDR shown in real time on a map