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[steamy]

Would love to be able to help Ben, but I'm definitely not smart enough in the areas you need, just wanted to say thanks for all your work, I really enjoy all the stuff you play around with.

[thebaldgeek]

@POL. I could not correlate your suggestion with most data points. Sorry, it just did not make sense.

@Slogen51. We are talking about the three tables on the 'Military Movements' page. I want to wrap the bottom two into the top one.
I got the middle C-band OOOI table combined last night, so its been removed, down to just the bottom table now.
I was looking for feedback on if people that use my site if they thought it a good or bad idea.

@steamy, If you use my site, your MUCH smarter than me. I have no idea how you guys use it and I don't understand more than half the stuff people have asked me to build for them.... So yeah, I just need people to talk to me about how they use the site, what they need, tweaks, quality of live bumps stuff like that.
I am currently building v2 of the site, so hence me wanting to know what works, what does not, what I can delete and what I need to add.

Better still is actual data in the ACARS messages.... For example the post a few back where #Slogen51 pointed out the updated arrival time is after the comma in the message, that was gold and I am now using it on the main table on the Mil Movement page.

Small update, I found a bug in the Mission Code table, it would always be one message behind, fixed it and it now updates live as each mission code ACARS message comes in.

BTW, I still cant post DM's or reply without mod approval, so its getting unfun to be here, but I will try and check in now and then.
Just reply to this thread and I will see it at some point.

[STN RAMP RAT]

Thebaldgeek, you have 12 posts and I believe the restrictions will disappear after 15 posts. You have made all your posts count unlike some which is why the 15 post restriction was put in place.

[thebaldgeek]

I just had a DM on Twitter that I would like to float here.....

They asked if I can detect if the ACARS has a mission code or not, and if not do NOT put it on the mission code page.
Along with this, detect if it has a TO, FROM or both, if so, put it on the movements page. (If not, don't put it on that table).

This will remove the blank mission codes on that table.
It will ensure mil movements table only has arrive/depart airport codes.
To this end, I think I should remove the mission code column from the military movements page.

Confused?
Mission code table only has codes.
Military movements only has to/from and times.

Thoughts?

[Gary]

Thebaldgeek

I’ve removed you from the new users group. So there should be no restrictions

[thebaldgeek]

Thanks Gary and STN RAMP RAT
You guys run a very tight ship and the quality shows!

I have made some pretty big changes to the Mission Code page and Military Movements page/table around 0300UTC June1.
I cut the mission code column from the movement table and added a mission code 'click to view' mini table on the mission code page.
The mini table will take 3 full days from now to fully populate, but the top rows are already working and so the database is filling up.

The thinking there is not to duplicate the 12 digit mission code on the two pages.
If you want mission codes, go to the mission code page.
If you want military aircraft movements, go to the movements page.

Let me know what you think, good or bad.

[slogen51]

Not sure about that to be honest

For movements from a spotting point of view I would think the key data are

What - serial
Type
From
To
When
Why - mission code **

** To be honest until I saw your website I didn't even know mission codes existed but I know many people on here and post from the movement page movements and reference them to other similar movements for example coronets across the Atlantic ( although the callsign links the various elements) or perhaps a better example is potus C-17 movements where the callsign is a generic RCH callsign but they are linked by a common mission.

Personally I don't care about the mission but I know people do and having to look at another grid if I understand correctly would be a bit cumbersome.

Just wanted to reiterate that I really enjoy your website and use it on a daily basis

Thanks
Mike

[thebaldgeek]

I have just rolled out the 'search by aircraft types' as requested here.
Just a tip (My Tweets are public, but I know some don't want to use it, so I am repeating myself here for ease-of-knowing), the KC46 aircraft are listed as type B762 in the database I use, so the 'type' you search for matters.
https://twitter.com/thebaldgeek/status/ ... 90561?s=20

[Eagle130]

I have just rolled out the 'search by aircraft types' as requested here.
Just a tip (My Tweets are public, but I know some don't want to use it, so I am repeating myself here for ease-of-knowing), the KC46 aircraft are listed as type B762 in the database I use, so the 'type' you search for matters.
https://twitter.com/thebaldgeek/status/ ... 90561?s=20

Thanks for the update, looking forward to using it!

[thebaldgeek]

Question about callsigns on the website:
For civil, this got published a short time ago: https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/clea ... confusion/

I think the last paragraph is the key there...ie, they make a best-guess and go with that.
As you know, my site has a heavy military focus, so lets leave civil calls on the table for now.

I'm told that ADSC add 'MC' for some reason to the front of the call.
So, in an example from yesterday (https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=ae5fa0), the call started out as MCMY22 via my ADSC feed, but then switched to RUMMY22 once it got back to an ADSC station, if I drop the MC the call would not actually be 'MCMY22', but 'MY22' which may be acceptable.....
I can easily detect 'MC' and if its there, drop it in my code before adding to the site... But.. If we look at the improved Military Movements page and pick the first MC call we see...
"AES:AE04D8 GES:D0 2 .165830 FLIGHT MC4448 M05AMC44481301 INRP 4448/04 KNTU/KMEM .165830 /ON 1426/IN 1431/FOB 0078"
My code would catch MC4448 and thus make the call in that table '4448'. (Leaving the whole 4 digit RCH calls aside - another topic if anyone is interested).
That seems wrong to me?
Currently the Twitter hive mind (by far the most active and helpful social platform for my ACARS website) is suggesting that I don't drop the MC but that I do detect both version 'callsigns' and use both in every table in my site...??
As you know, I don't use my site, so don't really have any thoughts on what to do, I just want it to be helpful, somewhat accurate and most of all be live/current.

[POL]

MC is the catch all IATA code for US military aircraft. Same as Lufthansa show as LH (vice DLH for their ADS-B ICAO) and Eurowings Discover use 4Y instead of OCN. For airline flights, they match up and all is well, but for military it's not quite as simple (is it ever?!)

You also have XA which is the IATA code for ARINC and GS which is the IATA code for Tianjin Airlines....but is also commonly used by business-jets worldwide. US military Gulfstreams have used both, usually the normal XA0001 or GS0001 which don't match their ADS-B callsign.

You have issues with MC as well: SAMxxx may show on ADS-C as MCyy, which is a completely different string of numbers.

MCaaaa might equal CNVaaaa but it also might not. You'll need another message that has CNVaaaa in to confirm it.

MCMY = RUMMY
MCUE = BLUE
MCBY = BOBBY

Basically, it's a very difficult problem to solve.

[thebaldgeek]

Wow! @POL Thanks!
This is beyond helpful and 98% of it I just did not know.
I have seen the XA and GS in the ACARS and never made the connection to those aircraft.
Awesome stuff.

Ok, Im all about difficult problem solving.
I might leave it for now. I have never been a fan of changing information, would rather just extract it and present it.
So lets do that, I will see about adding both calls to the tables.
Thanks for the share!

[thebaldgeek]

You might have noticed some changes to the call sign column on the Mil Move and Mission Code page tables today.
They are a direct result of the awesome input POL gave me the other day.
In short, I figure I would show everything I have if it is different.
So, if ADSB call = ADCS call, show just one.
If they are different, then show the ADSC one first, then / then the ADSB call.
Keep in mind that is a snapshot of right when the ADSC satcom ACARS msg came in.
Either call could change minutes latter.

I plan to test things a bit more for a little while and if its working smoothly, then I will roll it out to the entire site, specifically, start adding the call signs to the 48 hour site search.

[DarkSky]

Great work as always with the site Ben. Noticed yesterday a INI message from a K35R in the states using Iridium - INI/ID80027S,UTAH52,DUN83TB01165/MR0,1/AFKSLC,KSLC/TD140040,00409D63 - AE0476
This is the first INI message i have seen using the Iridium network but encouraging the format remains the same. Could be good to start adding Iridium INI messages to the Mil Movements page so we can start catching these as more start to use it as Inmarsat Classic Aero is phased out.

[steamy]

Great work as always with the site Ben. Noticed yesterday a INI message from a K35R in the states using Iridium - INI/ID80027S,UTAH52,DUN83TB01165/MR0,1/AFKSLC,KSLC/TD140040,00409D63 - AE0476
This is the first INI message i have seen using the Iridium network but encouraging the format remains the same. Could be good to start adding Iridium INI messages to the Mil Movements page so we can start catching these as more start to use it as Inmarsat Classic Aero is phased out.

Is Iridium the defacto replacement, or will Inmarsat (ViaSat) be also providing a solution?

[DarkSky]

Great work as always with the site Ben. Noticed yesterday a INI message from a K35R in the states using Iridium - INI/ID80027S,UTAH52,DUN83TB01165/MR0,1/AFKSLC,KSLC/TD140040,00409D63 - AE0476
This is the first INI message i have seen using the Iridium network but encouraging the format remains the same. Could be good to start adding Iridium INI messages to the Mil Movements page so we can start catching these as more start to use it as Inmarsat Classic Aero is phased out.

Is Iridium the defacto replacement, or will Inmarsat (ViaSat) be also providing a solution?

From the documents i've seen Iridium is the replacement for the K35R - likely the rest of the USAF fleet will follow if their not already fitted with the H+ service as the Classic Aero I & H service is due to end this December (whether this date has changed i'm not sure)

[thebaldgeek]

Exciting news for anyone thats interested in (the move to) Iridium.
I just today got our newest station up and feeding....
The location is the amazing thing, right near OKKK, Kuwait Internarial Airport!
Its taken months to get the gear to them and hours of remote work to get them running after they first made contact with us, but yeah, its up and feeding.
As some of you know Iridium is a tough mode to get up and running and needs a little more hand holding to keep running than most other ACARS modes, but the guy is dedicated to keep it running. Note, he travels a lot and if it goes down while hes gone, nothing any of us can do but wait.
I will be Tweeting example coverage over the next little while, but enough to say, its a solid station.

BTW, you can search for data from this feed, just hit any of the 3 site search pages and type 'okkk-i' and you will get just ACARS from this ground station.

[steamy]

Have you details of the setup?

[thebaldgeek]

Have you details of the setup?

I do indeed, I got the parts for them and tested them here in California before sending them forward.
It is the exact setup as per my Iridium Github page. https://thebaldgeek.github.io/
HC610 Antenna and Airspy R2 SDR. 7 meters of quality Coax.
DragonOS running under VirtualBox on a Windows PC host.

[steamy]

Have you details of the setup?

I do indeed, I got the parts for them and tested them here in California before sending them forward.
It is the exact setup as per my Iridium Github page. https://thebaldgeek.github.io/
HC610 Antenna and Airspy R2 SDR. 7 meters of quality Coax.
DragonOS running under VirtualBox on a Windows PC host.

thank you !