Troubleshooting Guide

Solutions to common errors and issues when using the Vail ReRBN API.

Common Issue

Getting empty results but expecting data

Problem

{
  "spots": [],
  "total": 0,
  "offset": 0,
  "limit": 100
}

Possible Causes

  1. Default time range too narrow

    By default, the API only returns spots from the last hour. If the station wasn't active recently, you'll get no results.

    Solution: Expand the time range using since parameter 
    curl "https://vailrerbn.com/api/v1/spots?call=W1AW&since=1704739200"
  2. Typo in callsign

    Double-check the callsign spelling. The API does partial matches, so "W1A" will match "W1AW".

  3. Station hasn't been spotted

    RBN only reports stations it can hear. If no skimmers detected the signal, there won't be any spots.

429 Rate Limit

Rate limit exceeded

Error Response

{
  "error": {
    "code": "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
    "message": "Too many requests, please try again later",
    "retryAfter": 45
  }
}

Solution

The API allows 100 requests per minute. If you hit this limit:

  1. Wait for the time specified in retryAfter (seconds)
  2. Reduce your polling frequency (poll every 5-10 seconds instead of every second)
  3. Use after_id pagination for real-time monitoring (more efficient)
Common Mistake

Timestamp format confusion

Common Mistakes

  • Using milliseconds instead of seconds for Unix timestamp
  • Using local time instead of UTC
  • Forgetting that since defaults to 1 hour ago

Correct Formats

Format Example Notes
Unix (seconds) 1704825600 ✅ Correct for since/until
Unix (milliseconds) 1704825600000 ❌ Too large, will be rejected
ISO 8601 2025-01-09T15:30:00Z ✅ Also accepted
ISO without Z 2025-01-09T15:30:00 ⚠️ Interpreted as UTC
Common Issue

Missing recent spots when polling

Symptom

When using offset pagination for real-time monitoring, you're missing some spots or seeing duplicates.

Solution

Use after_id instead of offset for real-time monitoring:

Scenario Use offset Use after_id
Real-time monitoring ❌ Can miss/duplicate ✅ Perfect for this
Historical browsing ✅ Good for pages ❌ Can't jump to page 5
Continuous polling ❌ Unreliable ✅ Reliable
Learn more about pagination →

Still Having Issues?

Check the Glossary for terminology or visit the API Playground to test your query interactively.