Installing new client
Last updated
Wingbits - English
Last updated
The GeoSigner is used in addition to your existing ADS-B SDR (RadarBox, FlightAware etc) - do not remove your existing USB receiver or antenna setup.
We have a new Wingbits client that replaces Vector to feed data to the Wingbits servers and facilitates enhanced security by utilizing the cryptographic feature of the GeoSigner and accurate GPS coordinates.
Please note that the new client utilizes outgoing port :443 requests for several tasks and this is a change from the previous transport tool. Ensure that any firewall/dns tools are not blocking these requests if you previously set one up for this purpose (you should know if this applies to you).
During the install, it will prompt for station id currently. Your current id for the station will be shown and you can just hit enter. This prompt will be removed very soon.
If you don't have the GeoSigner yet or do not have access physically at the moment, you can skip this step and return to it later. The deadline to have it installed is March 17th, 2025.
When you physically install, it might be smart to first shutdown the pi with a sudo shutdown now.
We are noticing that almost any bump to the SDR (your usb adsb receiver already plugged in) can result in it going offline for receiving messages... as they can be finicky. This bumping is quite easy to do based on the size of most SDRs and the close proximity of the other USB ports on your station.
Once the GeoSigner is installed, you can power the station back up.
Remove GeoSigner from box
Attach included GPS puck antenna (located under GeoSigner in box) by gently screwing the SMA connector fully onto the matching connector on the side of the GeoSigner
Insert the GeoSigner into an open USB port on your station, using the USB extension if needed for space issues.
Ensure both the GeoSigner addon device and the original ADSB USB receiver are both properly seated in the USB ports and they are not putting strain on each other due to space.
Place the GPS antenna where it should have reasonable access to the satellite signals it will receive (window sill, in the non-metal external enclosure, or try different locations based on reported number of satellites). The GPS antenna is IP68 rated, so water/weather is not a concern.
The status command below will show if you have an adequate signal. Please give it at least 15mins to acquire enough satellites if it is indoors.
Please do not remove the GeoSigner for at least 30mins after you insert it.
To verify everything is working:
You should see something like the following:
If your GeoSigner is connected:
If your GeoSigner is not connected:
If you recently connected your GeoSigner, you might see it being updated:
We will be updating tools like wb-config and the Debug script in the next couple of days to change from Vector to the Wingbits Client. In the coming weeks the dashboard will be updated to show the status information as well.
When a geosigner is linked, the station is replaced by a new one that is unique based off the geosigner’s serial number. Until rewards are calculated for the day it links (1am UTC the following day), it will have no rewards visible on the Station's details page, just like if you setup a new station... as it basically is a new station.
You have not lost any rewards.
Your old station id from "prior to linking" will continue to show historical rewards on the Overview page.
We are brainstorming how to make this better before the auto-update roll out to everyone that didn’t follow this guide manually.
New geosigner stations will take on the previous station's alias as their name in the UI, if the old station had an alias.
If no alias was set, the previous animal name will be used instead.
The geosigner serial is visible under the GeoSigner area for each stations in the Stations page.
Data Input Status: FailedIf you see this message, readsb is no longer receiving messages from your ADS-B SDR. Most likely cause is that it was bumped during install of the GeoSigner (without powering the station down) or it is no longer firmly seated in the USB port. First just try a reboot and check again. If you still see failed, shut it down again and check the seating of the devices in the USB ports.
Error: GeoSigner not availableObviously first ensure that the GeoSigner is physically installed. If you haven't received it yet from shipping or you haven't installed it, this is to be expected.
If it is installed, please wait 5 minutes before running sudo wingbits status again to verify it is still not showing before proceeding.
If it still not showing the GeoSigner flashing progress or OK with the number of satellites, there is a good chance that the initial flashing of the GeoSigner was interrupted by power issues or failed in some other way. To resolve, do the following:
You should see the system flash the GeoSigner over the next minute (or longer on slower hardware) and the output should end with:
If this fails flashing part way through, run the above command again.
If you do see success, you can run the following command to restart the services and the issue should be resolved:
Location not available, ensure antenna is facing the skyThis output means that the GeoSigner's antenna is unable to obtain see enough satellites to calculate the location.
Please double check that you have the included gps antenna attached and the connector has been fully (but gently) screwed onto the GeoSigner.
It is also possible that the environment around the antenna is too restrictive for the RF signals to reach the antenna... such as in a metal box, basement room with no window, or even an attic with solar panels directly above. Try changing it's location to see if the GeoSigner starts showing OK and a satellite count.
Warning: No connection to serverThis will typically be shown only as the client negotiates a connection with the Wingbits servers and will change to Wingbits connection: OK within a minute. If it still continues to show the error after 5 minutes, please join the discord server and ask for help in the #general or #newbies channel.
