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Air Traffic Monitoring => Listener Forum => Topic started by: JetBlue on September 25, 2005, 11:52:41 AM

Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: JetBlue on September 25, 2005, 11:52:41 AM
Hi all
First, CAR will be down until further notice. Grounding problems, plus I'm moving to a new place next week and have to figure out how to make a good HF antenna for the Icom.

Second, since I do have a laptop also that half the time does nothing, is anyone interested in an ACARS feed, whether HF or VHF?

Have a good weekend all
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: stealth71 on September 25, 2005, 01:37:13 PM
You bet. Hey, I'll listen to ACARS if you'll listen to Missoula when I get it up and running. :D
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: AJ Long on September 25, 2005, 07:29:47 PM
Quote from: stealth71
You bet. Hey, I'll listen to ACARS if you'll listen to Missoula when I get it up and running. :D


I guess ACARS is outta the question...  :wink: Kidding Kidding... An ACARS feed would be quite interesting... 8)
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: Check Airman on September 25, 2005, 11:24:50 PM
I'm into ACARS
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: stealth71 on September 26, 2005, 03:03:40 AM
Quote
I guess ACARS is outta the question...  Kidding Kidding...


DOH!!! :shock:
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: Jason on September 26, 2005, 07:31:02 AM
A new ACARS feed would be great!

I'm still working on an answer for you Kerian--I didn't forget  :lol:
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: JetBlue on September 26, 2005, 08:52:35 AM
Sure, I'll listen to Missoula...why not? I don't know if you can feed an ACARS program from the sounds being transmitted over the net, but I guess it's worth the try.

Jason, no sweat. We got time.

Now the next question...ACARS; HF or VHF?
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: keko126.5 on October 05, 2005, 12:01:25 AM
OK....call me a newbie...whats acars?? i guess im to lazy to google it
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: davolijj on October 05, 2005, 08:42:16 AM
Quote from: keko126.5
OK....call me a newbie...whats acars?? i guess im to lazy to google it


Aircraft communication addressing and reporting system
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: dave on October 05, 2005, 08:50:41 AM
Quote from: keko126.5
OK....call me a newbie...whats acars?? i guess im to lazy to google it


Now I've heard it all!  :-)
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: digger on October 05, 2005, 09:15:03 AM
Here, I googled it for you.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=acars&btnG=Google+Search

It took me one mouse click and five keystrokes. Now I'll have to go take a nap--I'm exhausted!     :D
Title: Any Interest in ACARS Feed?
Post by: PHL Approach on October 05, 2005, 10:59:04 AM
Look what I found with only five key strokes and two clicks!!! Amazing!  :lol:



What exactly is ACARS anyway? ACARS ([A]ircraft [C]ommunication [A]ddressing and [R]eporting ystem) is a digital data link system transmitted via VHF radio which allows airline flight operations departments to communicate with the various aircraft in their fleet.

This VHF digital transmission system, used by many civilian aircraft and business jets, can be likened to "email for airplanes," as the registration of each aircraft is it's unique address in the system developed by aeronautical radio giant ARINC (Aeronautical Radio, Inc.). Traffic is routed via ARINC computers to the proper company, relieving some of the necessity for routine voice communication with the company. With ACARS, such routine items as departure reports, arrival reports, passenger loads, fuel data, engine performance data, and much more,can be requested by the company and retrieved from the aircraft at automatic intervals. Before the advent of ACARS, flight crews had to use VHF to relay this data to their operations on the ground.

The ACARS system is comprised of the following elements:

1. The Airborne Subsystem, onboard the aircraft, which consists of the:

a.) Management Unit Receives ground-to-air messages via the VHF radio transceiver, and also controls the replies.

b.) Control Unit is the air crew interface with the ACARS system, consisting of a display screen and printer.

2. The ARINC Ground System, which consists of all the ARINC ACARS remote transmitting/receiving stations, and the ARINC computer and switching systems.

3. The Air Carrier C2 (Command and Control) and Management Subsystem, which is basically all the ground based airline operations such as operations control, maintenance, crew scheduling and the like, linked up with the ACARS system.

Messages can be categorized in two ways: "Downlinks" which are those ACARS transmissions which originate in the aircraft, and "uplinks" are those messages sent from the ground station to the aircraft.

A typical series of ACARS transmissions will look something like this example of United 767-300ERs departing from Washington Dulles International (IAD):

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: .N651UA
Message label: QF Block id: 1 Msg. no: M82A
Flight id: UA0978
Message content:-
IAD2241FRA