INFO: ADPro Active Display software

[cHabu]

Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2019 10:00 PM

After two weeks of hoping against hope I have been asked on behalf of the Gatwick Aviation Society to circulate this unfortunate message to as many Active Display users as possible.



“I am sad and disappointed to have to report to you that Active Display, ADPro, the software that populates data into your SBS tracking system, has failed, very probably permanently.

Many years ago Gary Jones became a member of the Gatwick Aviation Society (GAS). He was a brilliant programmer who included significant work at IBM on his cv as well as being a keen aircraft enthusiast. With a few others he studied the then new SBS system, wrote Active Display and then recruited Kinetic to make the hardware required, and GAS so that the GAS website could act as a conduit from the hardware to the AD database. This all became a popular bit of electronic kit amongst spotters, and he happily supported users, many of whom were complete novices in the computing game. He also regularly improved the programme, as changes were required, like ADPro and ADLite.
And then, five and a half years ago, Gary died.

Four of us at GAS (two not even SBS users), decided to try and carry on with supporting AD by continuing to update the hex-code database, while Gary’s daughter maintained the administrative side, all because we felt the need to honour Gary’s memory. However, most of you will have realised by now that changes to AD itself were beyond our capabilities. Soon after this Kinetic understood that everyone who wanted a set had one, and in the absence of further sales they took the business decision to withdraw.

Since then, the systems operability has gradually declined without Gary’s input, these are its major drawbacks though there are others;

- Professional technical support is now no longer offered,

- The on-line forum for discussion of difficulties has withered,

- The system cannot resist the latest ‘electronic robots’, slowing it,

- The system cannot recognise some new registration marks (eg Guernsey 2-),

- The system cannot recognise some new hex-code batches (eg newer Chinese B-),

- The system is very difficult to align with Windows 10.


Two weeks ago the server which hosts the GAS website, and therefore the AD database, failed. There have been many recriminations between the interested parties, but it seems that the outcome is that much of the AD database, amongst other things, has been lost. Although it may be possible to rebuild the GAS website itself, within that it is very doubtful that any way can be found to re-establish the links between yourselves, the website, and whatever may be left of ADPro.

I think in our heart of hearts we all understood that ADPro would only have a limited life after Gary’s departure, but we certainly hoped that it’s end would come in a far less sudden and messy manner.

ADPro was a subscription service of course, even if the subscription was only nominal, and we would be happy to offer a pro-rata refund to those subscribers who wish it, it works out at £2.08p per month remaining on your sub. If you wish to take advantage of this please e-mail Nicky Jones at nicholajones@outlook.com

Finally, can we once more reiterate our sadness at how this has unfolded, we can only hope that once the dust has settled you will look back at your time using the various AD iterations with some pleasure.”