Version 4 takes what is already great about LiveSectional V3 software and expands its abilities even further. Take a look at the list of added features;

  • Updated to run under Python 3.7
  • Added the ability to display TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts).
  • Added the ability to display MOS (Model Output Statistics). Only available for the United States and its Territories.
  • Added the ability to decode METARs from weather stations not located on airports, such as KMYP – Monarch Pass, CO. (Thank you Nick C.)
  • Heat Map was added to display what airports have been landed at, and how often. Home airport can be designated.
  • Added the ability to install a rotary switch so viewer can select what data to display, METAR’s, TAF’s, MOS or Heat Map.
  • If rotary switch is not installed, the software can set a default data to display. i.e. METAR’s.
  • Sleep Timer – The Map can be put to sleep at night (or anytime) if desired. Pressing a pushbutton will turn on temporarily.
  • Reload the config settings automatically. The map will restart and reload the settings when new settings are saved.
  • Map builder has the ability to use both types of LED’s, either RGB and/or GRB color encoding on same map.
  • Decodes the airport ID to show City and State.
  • Will display IP address if an LCD/OLED display is used.
  • Logging capabilities were added to help with diagnosing issues.
  • The builder can now download and backup the config file, airports file, Heat Map file and logfile.
  • The builder and import a config file and airports file to make maintenance and upgrading easier.
  • Wind direction can now be displayed using an arrow or numbers in degrees.
  • The user interface was improved to optimize for mobile applications.
  • Config Profiles available to load to help start the configuration process.
  • Many new Transitional Wipes were added for when the FAA weather is being updated.
  • Ability to setup wifi remotely through the use of Android or IPhone app thanks to Berrylan.org.
  • A System Information page was added to help with diagnosis if necessary.
  • A Phone App was added to allow the casual user to control the data displayed on the map if a Rotary Switch was not installed. (Thank you Lance B.)
  • To help the casual user to access the App, a ‘Create QR Code’ feature was added to Utilities to display next to the map.
  • Added the ability to set the RPI’s Time Zone without needing to enter the command line.
  • Added the ability to rotate OLED display 180 degrees, and to reverse the position order of OLED’s due to build constraints.
  • Automatically update software online, rather than re-burn an image. *Major updates may require an image re-burn.
  • Import Settings File, Airports File and Heat Map File was added to expedite software upgrades that need an image re-burn.

Version 4 provides a vast number of build combinations to suit most anyone’s needs. This software was written by the same people who are involved with LiveSectional.com.

Version History

Version 1 created a map with a display of LED’s that periodically would read METAR data from the FAA and then set the LED’s to a solid color which represented the Flight Category as listed in the METAR. These Flight Categories are;

  • VFR – Visual Flight Rules. This is a clear sunny day.
  • MVFR – Marginal Visual Flight Rules. This is a cloudy day.
  • IFR – Instrument Flight Rules. This is bad weather with little visibility.
  • LIFR – Low Instrument Flight Rules. This is very bad weather with low clouds and no visibility.

There is a set color that is used to depict each Flight Category.

  • VFR = Green
  • MVFR = Blue
  • IFR = Red
  • LIFR = Magenta

On Version 1, these colors were static. Except for when the Flight Category changed at an airport, the LED would remain on in this color and brightness. Very little action takes place on the map. Note: V1 software author is not affiliated with LiveSectional.com.

Version 2 was an upgrade that added a number of major enhancements;

  • Blink airport’s LED when winds exceeded a user defined speed in knots.
  • Flash an airport’s LED when the METAR reported Thunderstorms in the area to simulate lightning.
  • Ability to add a Legend that was denoted by LED’s being appropriately colored. The blink and flash of the High Wind and Lightning Legend LED allowed the user to verify that everything was running properly and added interest and more information to the viewer.
  • Added the ability to use an Ambient Sensor to lower the brightness when the lights were turned off.
  • Added the ability to install push buttons that would reboot/turn-off the map along with restarting it.

Where the previous version used crontab to run the script every 10 minutes or so, Version 2 runs continuously and uses a timer to update the FAA weather. The time between updates was user defined. A number of other settings were user defined, including colors, legends, timing of blinks and flashes, etc. Version 2 was written by the folks associated with LiveSectional.com.

Version 3 was huge change from the previous versions in that it was completely re-written from the ground up to make the LED control more efficient and included the addition of more features. These include;

  • High Winds and Lightning was refined and expanded upon.
  • The builder could designate a Home Airport that could be highlighted to stand out from the other airports if desired.
  • Added the ability to display Reported Weather along side of Flight Category. i.e. A VFR day with rain would show a long Green (for VFR) with a short pulsing Blue (for Rain) then repeat the process. This is true for Snow, Freezing Rain, Dust-Ash-Smoke etc.
  • A new Web Interface was created to make administrating the map’s airports and settings much easier. No longer was it necessary to go to the command line on the RPI to make changes. Features such as starting and stopping the map was available from a click of a button on a web page.
  • Finally, the addition of Displays was also added. The builder could include an 16×2 LCD, a single OLED or Multiple OLED displays to the map which would provide Airport winds and direction information, along with local and Zulu times and a welcome message if desired.

Version 3 is backwards compatible with version 2 and version 1. In other words, this version can act just like version 1 did by disabling the new features if desired. This version was also written by the people at LiveSectional.com.

Modified MIT License

Copyright (c) 2023, 2024 Bill Bryson III and Mark Harris

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the Software), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The software may NOT be sold or distributed on its own, or with other products for sale without express permission from the author. Visit; http://www.livesectional.com/contact/ to contact the author.

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.