Information for all users of Flarm, OEM FLARM supplier and Flarm PowerFlarm

On Thu, 03 Mar 2016 13:25:31 -0700, Dan Marotta wrote:

It is my understanding that the reason for Flarm signals to be encrypted
was to thwart a rogue group of Brits (tongue deeply in cheek) from using
a network of cheap receivers to receive and process Flarm signals to
post the locations of the gliders on a webpage for them to track the
progress of the gliders in flight. And if I'm correct in that
recollection, isn't that what the other sailplane trackers currently do?
Not necessarily using Flarm signals, but some other means to display
the locations and tracks of gliders.

I thought they were a German group, but I digress and could be wrong. I
don't recall any FLARM users objecting to them building ground-based
FLARM receivers and using them to track gliders, indeed this was seen as
a useful service throughout Europe, PROVIDED that they obeyed the pilot's
wishes and did not publish identification data for gliders using stealth
mode. However, there were some hardline 'all data is free' fanatics in
the group who refused to play nice with stealthed gliders and so FLARM
encrypted the messages to make them behave.

At least, thats why I remember encryption was introduced: it had
absolutely nothing to do with commercial secrets or anybody getting rich
and everything to do with third parties violating another's privacy.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |