ADSBexchange-mobile smartphone interface suggestions and/or experience

[spacellamaman]

i know this seems like a question that would be posed ten years ago, bear with me.

I have decided i am going to get a smartphone, probably a prepaid (which i presume eliminates apple models) primarily to watch adsbexchange.com in real time, not tethered to a desktop computer and the inevitable land line.

obviously some phones are going to handle it better than others. for instance, my generic flip phone does ok with webpages and text, but nada with much including adsbexchange. I sent a friend with an older model Apple phone (single digit model i believe) and he said the link opened for half a second and then closed, obviously no better.

essentially just looking for simple suggestions from those of you who use it as to what you might think i should look at getting.

pretend i am 80 years old and that i require even the most basic of info here (such as, "you need to download the App before anything is going to work on that phone dummy!)

thanks!

 

[trentbob]

I look at it every day on my Samsung phone. I basically follow the three Network news helicopters in my area while I monitor the three UHF repeaters which are the producer communicating with the helicopters themselves. I also follow the helicopters as they all travel together on the news chopper Aviation frequencies.

95% of my area now, the police are encrypted. Being able to follow the helicopters and see where they Orbit is very helpful in getting information that I am able to glean from whatever source I can. Once you get used to it it's easy to use and there's a lot of support on the internet as far as how to use it. It does follow some military aircraft.

I would clearly avoid a prepaid phone, just not the route to go financially or performance-wise. I can't really recommend a plan or company but there are cheap ones out there that you can get on a cut rate plan that will give you a lot of data time, maybe even Unlimited.

Phone carriers are not your friend and will try to trick you and Cheat you every way they can LOL, I'm only 68 and that's the way I think.

Although I have stayed with the most recent Samsung phones, intermediate you might say, I have kept the same plan even though they have tried to entice me with improved plans which simply means you will pay Mo Money.

I went over to Sprint about 7 years ago with a special plan. I still have that plan even though they have been bought by T-Mobile. I have unlimited data, talk minutes, text messages and roaming. I have a hotspot for up to four devices with a 60 GB a month limit. I got rid of my laptops when I retired. I have one desktop and I use about 2 GB out of the 60 a month. My cost is $127 a month including taxes and rip-off fees. I got rid of my internet provider and landline. I do use a TracFone flip phone for a backup for an emergency which I never use.

Customer support via phone is absolutely horrible with a very very strong language barrier, the people in the stores can range from very intelligent and helpful to being totally and completely useless and I take them to school, so I guess it's on par with all of the other carriers. LOL.

A flip phone, which is tantamount to driving a Model T will be a big contrast, now you are going to drive a 2022 sedan. That's about all I've got.

I'm sure people will contradict me and you will have plenty of help here.

 

[RaleighGuy]

I have decided i am going to get a smartphone, probably a prepaid (which i presume eliminates apple models) primarily to watch adsbexchange.com in real time, not tethered to a desktop computer and the inevitable land line.

Not the case, most, if not all, the prepaid carriers are offering free or reduced price iPhones with new service. If your primary reason for upgrading is ADSBx then I highly recommend the iPhone as the app available is much better than the Android version (I have android for other reasons).

 

[spacellamaman]

Not the case, most, if not all, the prepaid carriers are offering free or reduced price iPhones with new service. If your primary reason for upgrading is ADSBx then I highly recommend the iPhone as the app available is much better than the Android version (I have android for other reasons).

thank you gentlemen, i suppose in the case of my friend with the older iphone we were simply dealing with the fact he didn't have the app installed?

all the hassle with stores and carriers and tech support is my primary reason for looking at some sort of trac-phone like service (i too keep a back up tracphone/flip phone, primarily it seems, so i can find my regular phone by calling it and walking thru the woods listening for the rare nokia-bird, well samsungbird. wish those nokias hadn't gone extinct)

i would like to do everything in my power to walk into a generic store, wally world, dollar general, whatever, get an employee to unlock a box out of a case, pick up some time cards and walk out. sure there will be the week of time killed trying to figure out wtf i am doing, but its better than yelling at someone else for a problem i likely am responsible for in the first place. doing things the easy way is immoral anyway right?

i intend to use to use this smart phone basically as a standalone device for occasional checking of adsbx, and not something running full or even part time, theoretically allowing me to keep data usage to a minimum, tho i think we all know the dark path this will start me on.

reading between the lines here it looks like i can probably have success with apple or "the rest" its just a matter of doing all the legwork, does that sound about right?

and i truly am not averse to specific model number suggestions, so don't hold back

 

[trentbob]

thank you gentlemen, i suppose in the case of my friend with the older iphone we were simply dealing with the fact he didn't have the app installed?

all the hassle with stores and carriers and tech support is my primary reason for looking at some sort of trac-phone like service (i too keep a back up tracphone/flip phone, primarily it seems, so i can find my regular phone by calling it and walking thru the woods listening for the rare nokia-bird, well samsungbird. wish those nokias hadn't gone extinct)

i would like to do everything in my power to walk into a generic store, wally world, dollar general, whatever, get an employee to unlock a box out of a case, pick up some time cards and walk out. sure there will be the week of time killed trying to figure out wtf i am doing, but its better than yelling at someone else for a problem i likely am responsible for in the first place. doing things the easy way is immoral anyway right?

i intend to use to use this smart phone basically as a standalone device for occasional checking of adsbx, and not something running full or even part time, theoretically allowing me to keep data usage to a minimum, tho i think we all know the dark path this will start me on.

reading between the lines here it looks like i can probably have success with apple or "the rest" its just a matter of doing all the legwork, does that sound about right?

and i truly am not averse to specific model number suggestions, so don't hold back

You are a pretty funny guy, very witty, I'm very hesitant to recommend anything specific as I will be contradicted.

My first cell phone experience was the Motorola dynaTAC at work, decades ago, then we got the first starTAC, with the black leather case on it, we called it the shoe phone as in Maxwell Smart. LOL.

As far as prepaid phone or economy service plan with a carrier, there are some things to consider.

You know the way they set the cards up deliberately as a marketing ploy. The last thing you want is to be scrambling to buy more time. You say that theoretically, it'll stay off and you will rarely use it so as to minimize data time. By the way there's more flight apps than just ADSB Exchange.

You also wisely identified what we already know... that dark path that this will start you on. You will love having a smartphone to watch the flight apps on... plus much more.

All I can say is do your research, shop around.

 

[Cognomen]

If you already have a cellular phone with a data plan, you can set it up as a hot spot and then whichever smart phone you get for monitoring ADSBExchange doesn't require its own data plan; just use it via Wifi. You can usually find older Android or Apple phones for free if you ask around.

Also, you don't necessarily need to run an "app"; you can get to ADSBExchange via a browser.

 

[trentbob]

If you already have a cellular phone with a data plan, you can set it up as a hot spot and then whichever smart phone you get for monitoring ADSBExchange doesn't require its own data plan; just use it via Wifi. You can usually find older Android or Apple phones for free if you ask around.

Also, you don't necessarily need to run an "app"; you can get to ADSBExchange via a browser.

I actually run it off of the browser myself and don't use the app, I think the poster said that he had a flip phone, so he may be able to change his plan to include a hotspot from the flip phone... I guess it would depend on what flip phone he had and his carrier. I know the razor, you can do it with Verizon and then run an old used smart phone without a data plan on Wi-Fi off of the flip phone hotspot? That could definitely work if the flip phone is capable of a hotspot.

 

[spacellamaman]

You are a pretty funny guy, very witty,

and might i say sir, you are quite a perceptive gentleman yourself, a fine judge of character and undoubtedly rugged and handsome to boot.

I'm very hesitant to recommend anything specific as I will be contradicted.

no you won't. nike: just do it!

with regard to hotspots:

heck i never even thought of a flip phone as hotspot capable. it would be worth looking into were it not for my lack of enthusiasm for anything more than the most basic simplicity possible. but it is noted and appreciated.

 

[trentbob]

and might i say sir, you are quite a perceptive gentleman yourself, a fine judge of character and undoubtedly rugged and handsome to boot.



no you won't. nike: just do it!

with regard to hotspots:

heck i never even thought of a flip phone as hotspot capable. it would be worth looking into were it not for my lack of enthusiasm for anything more than the most basic simplicity possible. but it is noted and appreciated.

LOL rugged maybe, handsome? Look at me, I'm hideous.

Well I would say to definitely go back to your original idea. Go back to a noncommittal Prepaid Plan, perhaps a deal with a phone. No strings attached and as simple as possible!

 

[krokus]

I was just looking at phone carriers over the weekend. T-Mobile has some decent plans, with reasonable data amounts, on phones with zero down. Using prepaid for data could be more costly, or leave you in a bind, so I would suggest a plan based service.

Another option would be Ting, which will get you data in your plan, and sell you more in a chunk, if you go over your allotment. (A friend just started using them, as they are rather inexpensive.)

Buying a refurbished phone, that is a few years old, can save a lot of money for those that do not care about having the latest model. (Check the local phone repair shops or Ebay.)

 

[N3CI]

What app works best on iPhones for ADSB?

 

[MtnBiker2005]

OpenADSB iOS app uses data from ADSBexchange, or it can use other sources of ADS-B data.

OpenADSB iOS app - Display Virtual Radar Server and dump1090 air traffic on iPhone and iPad

OpenADSB iPhone and iPad app - display Virtual Radar Server air traffic on iPhone and iPad

openadsbapp.com

 

[spacellamaman]

well fellers, I looked at the specs on some of the phones at Dollar General, and frankly at $30 for the phone and $20 for a phone card, I think i am just going to wing it and if its a loss it will be one of the cheaper "learning experiences" i have suffered.

Affordable Prepaid Phones and Devices | Dollar General

Shop prepaid phone devices from Tracephone, Simple Mobile and more at Dollar General.

www.dollargeneral.com

LOL rugged maybe, handsome? Look at me, I'm hideous.

Oh don't sell yourself short, a Lawn Mower 2.0 and you'll be Good2Go!

 

[trentbob]

well fellers, I looked at the specs on some of the phones at Dollar General, and frankly at $30 for the phone and $20 for a phone card, I think i am just going to wing it and if its a loss it will be one of the cheaper "learning experiences" i have suffered.

Affordable Prepaid Phones and Devices | Dollar General

Shop prepaid phone devices from Tracephone, Simple Mobile and more at Dollar General.

www.dollargeneral.com

Oh don't sell yourself short, a Lawn Mower 2.0 and you'll be Good2Go!

View attachment 116832

You know I was going to suggest Dollar General as the place to go. I agree with your decision. Let us know how it works!

 

[spacellamaman]

You know I was going to suggest Dollar General as the place to go. I agree with your decision. Let us know how it works!

and might i say sir, you are quite a perceptive gentleman yourself, a fine judge of character and undoubtedly rugged and handsome to boot.

ADDENDUM:
And clearly an entity of high intelligence as well.

 

[n6hgg]

You'll have a blast. I don't use an app, I just go to the website with the chrome browser on a cheap Samsung tracfone and it's great. I'm sure other products and apps or whatever are more polished but I grew up with tube radios and all of this stuff including just the radios is still magic to me.

 

[spacellamaman]

Well the results are in!

Not much to tell, but hardware specifics and couple of time saving tips should be of interest to some of you. I figure I'll make a new thread and title to make it more easily searchable. Suggestions for title that would be most likely noted by individuals looking for said info???

 

[trentbob]

Well the results are in!

Not much to tell, but hardware specifics and couple of time saving tips should be of interest to some of you. I figure I'll make a new thread and title to make it more easily searchable. Suggestions for title that would be most likely noted by individuals looking for said info???

Good to see that you got things up and running. If you do an internet search on the topic there is so much out there which I assume you have.

I think a good topic for a thread would be... ADS-B Exchange- Tips and Tricks.

There are so many knowledgeable people out here I'm sure it would be a very popular thread!