Vertistation v1
Vertistation v1 is a device that allows the collection of transponder data from aircraft in flight and in the air.
Data is collected from transponders operating with ADS-B or Mode-S for the purpose of identifying and tracking aircraft flying in the vicinity of the Vertistation.
Radio interface
Vertistation v1 is a receiver-only radio equipment, and as such it does not intentionally transmit any radio signal.
The standard aerial for Vertistation v1 is a 60cm long fibreglass aerial with N-type connector.
The aerial can be installed directly on the Vertistation v1 or remotely by using the shortest possible length of a high-quality coaxial cable.
Installation
Vertistation v1 should ideally be installed in an elevated position, away from sources of interference around the 1Ghz frequency, and with the aerial fully exposed.
The signals received by Vertistation v1 operate only within line-of-sight, which means that inside a valley or with tall buildings around, the reception is obstructed and parts of the airspace obscured from visibility.
Range
In optimal conditions, Vertistation v1 is capable of receiving transponder data from as far as 400Km.
Always consider that due to the effect of terrain, the vertical coverage of Vertistation v1 is not homogeneous through the horizontal coverage.
Below is a simplification of how the coverage area looks like due to the effect of terrain.
To improve the coverage in a specific geographical area, multiple Vertistation v1 can be deployed. Spacing between the individual Vertistations should be studied so that each antenna has the other within line of sight. This offers optimal coverage from ground level.
As a general guideline spacing between individual devices should be at least 1km.
Where it is foreseeable to track targets that do not carry an ADS-B transponder, a minimum of 4 Vertistation v1 should be installed in the area of intended coverage. Note that at the moment Vertistation v1 is able to track Mode-S transponders only while all stations involved in the multilateration calculation are receiving at least one common ADS-B traffic, as this signal is used to synchronise the time while calculating the time of flight.
Retrieval of the data
Data from a Vertistation v1 or a set of Vertistations can be retrieved through the aviowiki API, using the flight tracking endpoints.
The aviowiki Support team will be able to assist you with any custom integration and data feed for your specific application.
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