Best free ACARS software?

[Pyr8]

I'm wondering what the consensus is on the best ACARS decoding and tracking/mapping software available that is free.

 

[crayon]

Kinda sorta what you are looking for ..

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70674

 

[morfis]

I'm wondering what the consensus is on the best ACARS decoding and tracking/mapping software available that is free.

ACARSD

WACARS wasn't bad but was never fully developed.
KRACARS was OK in it's day but quickly overtaken by WACARS at the time

Out of the paid for software Lowe Airmaster (an early version of it was marketed in the USA by AEA/Timewave) was about the best but is no longer available.
Planeplotter - currently my favourite, good features, excellent customer support from the author
Airnav is good though expensive
Hoka Code 3, Code 300 etc. will decode ACARS but not well

 

[ka3jjz]

And you can find the link for ACARSD in our ACARS wiki - I have an older version of the software, and it really is excellent. 73s Mike

 

[DaveNF2G]

Also take a look at JACARS. It is different from the others mentioned because, instead of decoding ACARS from your receiver, it compiles ACARS position plottings received from all over the world via a server on the Internet. I use it in combination with Posfix to display aircraft positions in whatever area I want to see.

 

[ka3jjz]

Dave do you have a link for JACARS that we can add to our wiki? Sounds like an interesting app 73s Mike

 

[DaveNF2G]

JACARS might be part of the ACARSD package. Here's the link:

www.jacars.acarsd.org

 

[morfis]

Also take a look at JACARS. It is different from the others mentioned because, instead of decoding ACARS from your receiver, it compiles ACARS position plottings received from all over the world via a server on the Internet. I use it in combination with Posfix to display aircraft positions in whatever area I want to see.

JACARS is an ACARSD client using JAVA