[Feature Request] Implement GPS-Module support

[MiBatu]

Hi Ketil,

Based on my experience with Stratux receiver, I thought it might be useful to add GPS module support to your project. For example VK172 USB or similar module for GPS/GLONASS. It cost ±5$ and gives mobile users, who use run receiver from a car or vessel, flexibility with GEO Variables. No need to set LAT and LON if GPS module detected on the device.

B.R. Michael

[ketilmo]

Thanks for your input, @MiBatu!

[DanBuBerlin]

Hi,

heres a good work around

https://gist.github.com/hsiboy/a24933ec63c004d10e2377d93aae80f6

Daniel

[janipewter]

Is there any update on this?

[ketilmo]

Thanks for reaching out, @janipewter.

Not at this stage, as I still need to get a suitable GPS device to implement this functionality.

[shawaj]

I have been looking into this a little bit as I have one of the cheap GPS receivers in question.

The issue I think is going to be that dump1090-fa does not support a GPS input net connector. Whereas readsb does support --net-connector localhost,2947,gpsd_in - ref

So whilst it is possible to get GPS location to work with some services (the ones that are using readsb here and a couple custom ones), there are some things to consider before adding this:

• we have to expose /dev/ttyACM0 to each service container. As not all people will be using GPS, this means that any containers we want to sort GPS for will need to use privileged: true unless there is a balena workaround for this that I'm not aware of
• i think piaware, rbfeeder can use the GPS
• services using readsb (adsbexchange, wingbits) can use the GPS
• I don't believe fr24feed, planefinder or opensky can use the gps

So adding gpsd support is fairly simple, it's just a case of whether to do so, it is ok to make piaware, rbfeeder, adsbexchange and wingbits containers privileged?

[ketilmo]

Thanks for the writeup, @shawaj! This is very interesting and something we should consider if it gives enough value/solves a given use case. The announced changes at Wingbits might make something like this (or similar) highly relevant. Another question that arises: Should we consider a move to readsb? It seems alive as a project, with a steadily increasing feature set. Again, thanks for all your efforts on this.