Technical Infrastructure

Behind Pribilof Traffic is a distributed network of Raspberry Pis, Docker containers, AI models, and custom Python applications collecting real-time data from the Pribilof Islands.

2
Raspberry Pi Nodes
15+
Docker Containers
3
AI Models
20+
Python Scripts

Remote Data Collection

Raspberry Pi nodes deployed across the Pribilof Islands

PAPB ADS-B Receiver

Downtown St. George

Tracks aircraft within 250+ nautical miles using ADS-B signals.

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB)
  • FlightAware Pro Stick Plus
  • 1090MHz antenna
  • tar1090, readsb, fr24feed
Raspberry Pi Docker Python

PASN AIS Receiver

St. Paul Harbor

Marine traffic receiver tracking vessels in the Bering Sea.

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB)
  • RTL-SDR dongle
  • 162MHz VHF antenna
  • AIS decoder
Raspberry Pi Docker

PAPB ACARS Receiver

Downtown St. George

Decodes ACARS messages - datalink communications between planes and ground.

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB)
  • RTL-SDR dongle
  • 131MHz VHF antenna
  • acarshub, vdlm2dec
Raspberry Pi Docker

St. George Webcam System

Downtown St. George

IP camera with automated archival, timelapse generation, and AI analysis.

  • Network IP camera
  • Image capture every 15 seconds
  • Daily/weekly/monthly timelapses
  • AI vision analysis (Moondream)
Python AI Vision Nginx Proxy

AI & Machine Learning

Local AI models running on GPU for intelligent analysis

Weather AI Observer

Vision model analyzes webcam images to verify NOAA forecasts twice daily.

  • Moondream vision model (~1.7GB)
  • Analyzes sky, sea state, visibility
  • Tracks forecast accuracy
  • Runs at 11:55 AM & 5:55 PM AKDT
Ollama Python SQLite

Pribobs AI Commentary

Humorous AI-generated weather commentary comparing St. Paul and St. George.

  • Mistral-Nemo or Llama models
  • Compares island temperatures
  • Personality-driven responses
  • Updates multiple times daily
Ollama Python

Bush Pilot Commentary

AI analyzes approach conditions and generates pilot-style commentary.

  • Mistral or Llama models
  • Analyzes crosswinds, visibility
  • Ceiling and approach conditions
  • ILS, RNAV, and circling approaches
Ollama Python

Docker Applications

Containerized services for data collection and processing

ADS-B Stack

Complete aircraft tracking infrastructure using Docker Compose.

  • readsb: ADS-B decoder
  • tar1090: Web interface
  • fr24feed: FlightRadar24 feeder
  • planefence: Geofencing alerts
  • plane-alert: Special aircraft tracking
Docker Compose Web UI

ACARS Stack

Aircraft datalink message decoding and display.

  • acarshub: Message aggregator
  • vdlm2dec: VDL Mode 2 decoder
  • acarsdec: ACARS decoder
  • Message database storage
Docker Compose Database

Ollama AI Server

Local LLM server running multiple AI models for various tasks.

  • GPU-accelerated inference
  • Multiple models loaded
  • REST API endpoint
  • Efficient model management
Docker AI Models

Python Applications

Custom scripts for data processing, monitoring, and automation

Weather Monitoring

  • system_monitor.py
  • weather_ai_observer.py
  • pribobs_commentary.py
  • bush_pilot_commentary.py
Python 3 SQLite

Webcam Processing

  • webcam_archive.py (every 15s)
  • generate_timelapse.py
  • cleanup_old_images.py
Python 3 FFmpeg

Data Collection

  • adsb_logger.py
  • wind_watch.py
  • sensor_database.py
  • twitter_bot.py
Python 3 SQLite

Data Sources & APIs

External data feeds and integrations

Weather Data

  • NOAA API (forecasts)
  • AWC METAR (aviation weather)
  • SGXA2 Station (St. George/PAPB)
  • PADK Station (St. Paul/PASN)

Aviation Data

  • ADS-B (direct aircraft signals)
  • ACARS (aircraft datalink)
  • FAA (aircraft/airport database)

Note: We feed data TO FlightRadar24 and FlightAware, but collect our own ADS-B/ACARS directly.

Marine Data

  • AIS (vessel tracking)
  • MarineTraffic
  • NOAA Marine

Web Infrastructure

Server stack and hosting

Web Server

  • Nginx (web server & reverse proxy)
  • SSL/TLS (HTTPS encryption)
  • Proxies (webcam, AIS, ADS-B)
  • Static files (HTML/CSS/JS)
Nginx SSL

Databases

  • SQLite (sensor history, AI data)
  • JSON files (real-time data)
  • File archives (images, logs)
SQLite

Automation

  • Cron jobs (scheduled tasks)
  • Systemd services (always-on)
  • Monitoring & alerts
Cron Systemd