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[EN] Virtual Radar Server — legacy Push Feed

This method is intended for Virtual Radar Server users who want to send data without installing an additional feeder application. VRS opens an outbound TCP connection and sends a BaseStation stream directly to ADS-B.Pro.

Recommendation: feeder v2 is more secure, uses TLS, and provides a local status page. The VRS legacy method remains available for compatibility and for computers where feeder v2 cannot be used.

Important information

  • server: feed.ads-b.pro;
  • port: 48581;
  • format: BaseStation;
  • connection type: Push feed;
  • the ADS-B.Pro token in Passphrase is optional;
  • the legacy connection does not use TLS.

When an ADS-B.Pro token is entered as the Passphrase, VRS sends it once while establishing the TCP connection. It is not added to every ADS-B message. Because port 48581 is not encrypted, the token is transmitted over the Internet in clear text.

Leaving Passphrase empty still allows an anonymous data feed, but the feed will not be associated with a user account.

Step-by-step configuration

  1. Start Virtual Radar Server.
  2. Open Tools → Options.
  3. Expand Data Sources in the tree on the left.
  4. Select Rebroadcast Servers.
  5. Click the button to add a new server.
  6. Configure the fields as shown below.
VRS field Value
Enabled enabled
Name ADS-B.Pro legacy — this is only a local label
Receiver the Receiver or Merged Feed that you want to send
Format BaseStation
Push feed enabled
Address feed.ads-b.pro
Port 48581
Passphrase the complete ADS-... token or an empty field
Max. message age 3 seconds
Send keep-alive packets may remain disabled
Idle timeout 30 seconds

Important: the Name field is only a description of the configuration. Naming it feed.ads-b.pro:48581 does not configure the destination. The actual Address field must contain feed.ads-b.pro, and Port must contain 48581. Do not use 127.0.0.1 or port 30003 here.

  1. To associate the feed with your account, copy the complete token from your ADS-B.Pro account into Passphrase.
  2. Paste the token itself, for example ADS-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Do not add TOKEN:, quotation marks, or spaces.
  3. Save the configuration with OK.

VRS will automatically try to connect to ADS-B.Pro. No additional script is required.

Verify the connection

Find Rebroadcast server status in the main VRS window.

A working configuration should have all of the following:

  • an ADS-B.Pro legacy row is visible;
  • Bytes Sent keeps increasing;
  • Bytes Discarded remains at 0 or does not increase;
  • the selected receiver is Connected and its Total Messages counter increases.

When a correct token was supplied, the account should receive feeder status after the first valid message. The account update can take up to approximately 60 seconds.

The legacy method does not provide the local :54321 status page. That page is available only with feeder v2.

Do not send the same receiver twice

Do not leave both of these enabled for the same data source:

  • VRS Push Feed to feed.ads-b.pro:48581;
  • feeder v2 connecting to feed.ads-b.pro:48582.

Sending the same receiver using both methods creates duplicates and wastes bandwidth.

When switching to legacy, stop feeder v2 after confirming that VRS Bytes Sent is increasing.

Windows PowerShell opened as Administrator:

Stop-Service ADSBProFeeder
Set-Service ADSBProFeeder -StartupType Disabled

Linux:

sudo systemctl disable --now adsbpro-feeder

Troubleshooting

VRS shows a configuration but ADS-B.Pro receives no data

Check the actual Address and Port fields first. The configuration name does not set the destination.

The correct values are:

Address: feed.ads-b.pro
Port: 48581

Bytes Sent does not increase

The selected Receiver is not producing data or the wrong receiver was selected. Check its Connection Status and Total Messages in the main VRS window.

Data is visible but the account has no feeder status

  • make sure Passphrase contains the complete ADS-... token;
  • remove spaces before or after the token;
  • do not add a TOKEN: prefix;
  • allow 60 seconds after the first message is sent;
  • an empty Passphrase creates an anonymous feed.

VRS cannot connect to the server

Check DNS, Internet connectivity, and the firewall. VRS must be allowed to open an outbound TCP connection to feed.ads-b.pro:48581.

Bytes Discarded keeps increasing

Set Max. message age to 3 seconds and check the network connection. Old messages discarded by VRS are not sent to ADS-B.Pro.

More information about Rebroadcast Servers is available in the official Virtual Radar Server documentation.

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