ACARS and VDL2

ACARS


Like text messaging for planes. Not 1090MHz and appears to be falling out of style... acarsdec Still parsing info from these, seem to be from mostly older planes which don't have adsb-out.


Active Frequencies around KHOU:

  • 129.125MHz
  • 129.350MHz
  • 130.025MHz
  • 130.450MHz
  • 131.125MHz
  • 131.550MHz
  • 131.725MHz
  • 136.850MHz

Example message

Mode : 2 Label : H1 Id : 5 Nak
Aircraft reg: N595UA Flight id: UA2795
No: F50A
#M2BREQPWI/TS040406,180418/WQ410.370.320:AEX.IAH.WEEED.WAILN.REDNK.RODIO.MARCS.BRAUN.TROOP.CRISS.JATAX.REUBE.HASDO.ALAMO.RW13R.EMBOW/DQ400C705

VDL Mode 2

More modern ACARS replacment, can also carry ACARS messages. Seems to use IATA identifiers for flights instead of ICAO.

CPDLC sigidwiki

  • 136.725 Europe (ARINC)
  • 136.775 Europe (SITA)
  • 136.825 Europe (ARINC)
  • 136.875 Europe (SITA)
  • 136.975 Worldwide (SITA & ARINC)

vdlm2dec


Very few messages actually have the 'depa' message:

{"timestamp":1546955433.4004121,"station_id":"piass","channel":3,"freq":136.975,"icao":10603978,"toaddr":1069434,"mode":"2","label":"QQ","block_id":"6","ack":"!","tail":"N215TM","flight":"XA0001","msgno":"M05A","text":"KHOUKLZU1350\r\n001FE08135016N2937.8W09517.30151850083","depa":"KHOU","dsta":"KLZU","wloff":"1350"}
{"timestamp":1547023078.402709,"station_id":"piass","channel":3,"freq":136.975,"icao":11362281,"toaddr":1063258,"mode":"2","label":"83","block_id":"2","ack":"!","tail":"N961AM","flight":"AM0008","msgno":"M17A","text":"EGLL,MMMX,090837, 29.44,- 95.52,34000,298,-151.3, 13100","depa":"EGLL","dsta":"MMMX"}
{"timestamp":1547036085.4382191,"station_id":"piass","channel":3,"freq":136.975,"icao":10674430,"toaddr":1053754,"mode":"2","label":"QQ","block_id":"0","ack":"!","tail":"N285EM","flight":"XA0001","msgno":"M05A","text":"KIAHKDAL1214\r\n001FE09121444N2957.9W09521.3---0180035","depa":"KIAH","dsta":"KDAL","wloff":"1214"}
{"timestamp":1547073568.572907,"station_id":"piass","channel":3,"freq":136.975,"icao":10638550,"toaddr":1070234,"mode":"2","label":"83","block_id":"8","ack":"!","tail":"N24972","flight":"UA0283","msgno":"M51A","text":"KSFO,KIAH,092239, 29.99,- 95.52, 2987,172,  82.5, 13100","depa":"KSFO","dsta":"KIAH"}