A receiver's current JSON changes continuously. Once an aircraft disappears from the active list, a question about its earlier position needs another source. dump1090-recorder keeps position observations in SQLite so a station can retain and inspect its own history.
Record with a clear purpose
SQLite in write-ahead logging mode provides the storage layer. Summary, track, and proximity queries offer ways to examine the collected observations without building a separate analytics application first. The result is a local history of what the receiver supplied, with the same coverage gaps and limitations as that source.
Move the data where it is useful
CSV, GeoJSON, and the ecosystem's shared NDJSON format support different follow-on tasks. A CSV can be inspected in a spreadsheet, GeoJSON can feed a spatial workflow, and NDJSON can be used by replay tooling. Exporting a useful subset is often more convenient than moving the entire database.
Plan retention from the start
Continuous collection needs a storage policy. Pruning support makes retention an explicit choice rather than waiting for a disk to fill. Choose a period that fits your use case, review growth, and keep backups if the history matters. The repository documents recording, querying, and exporting.
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