diff --git a/apps/modes_gui b/apps/modes_gui
index 789bc01..303ae80 100755
--- a/apps/modes_gui
+++ b/apps/modes_gui
@@ -60,17 +60,18 @@ class mainwindow(QtGui.QMainWindow):
         self.dbinput = None
 
         #connect the database to the model and the model to the listview
-        self.dbname = 'air_modes.db'
-        self.db = QtSql.QSqlDatabase.addDatabase("QSQLITE")
-        self.db.setDatabaseName(self.dbname)
-        self.db.open()
-        self.datamodel = QtSql.QSqlQueryModel()
-        self.datamodel.setQuery("select * from aircraft order by icao")
+#        self.dbname = 'air_modes.db'
+#        self.db = QtSql.QSqlDatabase.addDatabase("QSQLITE")
+#        self.db.setDatabaseName(self.dbname)
+#        self.db.open()
+        self.datamodel = dashboard_data_model(None)
         
         self.ui.list_aircraft.setModel(self.datamodel)
         self.ui.list_aircraft.setModelColumn(0)
 
         #set up dashboard views
+        #TODO: figure out why you can't update the RSSI or compass widgets with this mapper
+        #pretty sure it's a Qt bug in the SQL code -- returns as string instead of double
         self.icaodelegate = ICAOViewDelegate()
         self.ui.list_aircraft.setItemDelegate(self.icaodelegate)
         self.dashboard_mapper = QtGui.QDataWidgetMapper()
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ class mainwindow(QtGui.QMainWindow):
         compass_palette = QtGui.QPalette()
         compass_palette.setColor(QtGui.QPalette.Foreground, QtCore.Qt.white)
         self.ui.compass_heading.setPalette(compass_palette)
+        #TODO: change the needle to an aircraft silhouette
         self.ui.compass_heading.setNeedle(Qwt.QwtDialSimpleNeedle(Qwt.QwtDialSimpleNeedle.Ray, False, QtCore.Qt.black))
         self.ui.compass_heading.setValue(315.0)
 
@@ -104,19 +106,6 @@ class mainwindow(QtGui.QMainWindow):
         rssi = index.model().data(index.model().index(index.row(), 2)).toFloat()[0]
         self.ui.prog_rssi.setValue(rssi)
 
-    #this is fired off by the main loop each time a packet comes in.
-    #eventually you might have this set to just QTimer, depending on how fast things go
-    #this is also updated on EVERY mode S packet, not just valid ADS-B
-    #the RIGHT way to do this is:
-    #all SQL is done inside the datamodel, which can be a QSqlTableModel type.
-    #No fields are editable by the user.
-    #when an update happens, the SQL model determines the row which has changed (by ICAO)
-    #the SQL model then invalidates that row, which will selectively update the list and hopefully the mapper.
-    def update_gui_widgets(self, msg):
-        #self.datamodel.reset() #this is hella bad
-        self.datamodel.setQuery("select * from aircraft order by icao")
-        self.dashboard_mapper.revert()
-
     #goes and gets valid antenna, sample rate options from the device and grays out appropriate things
     def populate_source_options(self):
         sourceid = self.ui.combo_source.currentText()
@@ -207,7 +196,7 @@ class mainwindow(QtGui.QMainWindow):
             except:
                 my_position = None
 
-            self.outputs = [self.update_gui_widgets]
+            self.outputs = []
             self.updates = []
 
             #output options to populate outputs, updates
@@ -254,7 +243,7 @@ class mainwindow(QtGui.QMainWindow):
 #all this does is fade the ICAOs out as their last report gets older
 class ICAOViewDelegate(QtGui.QStyledItemDelegate):
     def paint(self, painter, option, index):
-        paintstr = "%x" % index.model().data(index.model().index(index.row(), 0)).toInt()[0]
+        paintstr = "%06x" % index.model().data(index.model().index(index.row(), 0)).toInt()[0]
         last_report = str(index.model().data(index.model().index(index.row(), 1)).toString())
         age = (datetime.datetime.utcnow() - datetime.datetime.strptime(last_report, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")).total_seconds()
         #minimum alpha is 0x40 (oldest), max is 0xFF (newest)
@@ -264,6 +253,30 @@ class ICAOViewDelegate(QtGui.QStyledItemDelegate):
         painter.drawText(option.rect.left()+3, option.rect.top(), option.rect.width(), option.rect.height(), option.displayAlignment, paintstr)
         #TODO: draw highlight for selection
 
+class dashboard_data_model(QtCore.QAbstractTableModel):
+    def __init__(self, parent):
+        QtCore.QAbstractTableModel.__init__(self, parent)
+        self._data = []
+        self._colnames = ["icao", "seen", "rssi", "latitude", "longitude", "altitude", "speed", "heading", "vertical", "ident", "type"]
+        self._data.append([0x012345, "2012-07-12 09:17:51", -12.23, 31.12345, -112.12345, 86200.0, 776.0, 251.0, 11200.0, "BUTTSEX", "WAT"])
+    def rowCount(self, parent=QtCore.QVariant()):
+        return len(self._data)
+    def columnCount(self, parent=QtCore.QVariant()):
+        return len(self._colnames)
+    def data(self, index, role=QtCore.Qt.DisplayRole):
+        if not index.isValid():
+            return QtCore.QVariant()
+        if index.row() >= self.rowCount():
+            return QtCore.QVariant()
+        if index.column() >= self.columnCount():
+            return QtCore.QVariant()
+        if (role != QtCore.Qt.DisplayRole) and (role != QtCore.Qt.EditRole):
+            return QtCore.QVariant()
+        if self._data[index.row()][index.column()] is None:
+            return QtCore.QVariant()
+        else:
+            return QtCore.QVariant(self._data[index.row()][index.column()])
+
 class output_handler(threading.Thread):
     def __init__(self, outputs, updates, queue):
         threading.Thread.__init__(self)
diff --git a/python/modes_sql.py b/python/modes_sql.py
index 24cc328..58612c6 100644
--- a/python/modes_sql.py
+++ b/python/modes_sql.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 # Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
 # 
 
-import time, os, sys, math
+import time, os, sys
 from string import split, join
 import modes_parse
 import sqlite3
@@ -54,20 +54,6 @@ class modes_output_sql(modes_parse.modes_parse):
                 "ident"    TEXT NOT NULL
             );"""
     c.execute(query)
-    query = """CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "aircraft" (
-                "icao" integer primary key not null,
-                "seen" text not null,
-                "rssi" real,
-                "latitude" real,
-                "longitude" real,
-                "altitude" real,
-                "speed" real,
-                "heading" real,
-                "vertical" real,
-                "ident" text,
-                "type" text
-            );"""
-    c.execute(query)
     c.close()
     #we close the db conn now to reopen it in the output() thread context.
     self.db.close()
@@ -85,8 +71,12 @@ class modes_output_sql(modes_parse.modes_parse):
       if self.db is None:
         self.db = sqlite3.connect(self.filename)
           
-      self.make_insert_query(message)
-      self.db.commit() #don't know if this is necessary
+      query = self.make_insert_query(message)
+      if query is not None:
+        c = self.db.cursor()
+        c.execute(query)
+        c.close()
+        self.db.commit() #don't know if this is necessary
     except ADSBError:
       pass
 
@@ -97,60 +87,49 @@ class modes_output_sql(modes_parse.modes_parse):
 
     data = modes_parse.modes_reply(long(data, 16))
     ecc = long(ecc, 16)
-    rssi = 10.0*math.log10(float(reference))
+#   reference = float(reference)
 
 
     query = None
     msgtype = data["df"]
     if msgtype == 17:
-      query = self.sql17(data, rssi)
+      query = self.sql17(data)
 
     return query
 
-  def sql17(self, data, rssi):
+  def sql17(self, data):
     icao24 = data["aa"]
     subtype = data["ftc"]
-    c = self.db.cursor()
+
+    retstr = None
 
     if subtype == 4:
-      (ident, typename) = self.parseBDS08(data)
-      c.execute("insert or ignore into aircraft (icao, seen, rssi, ident, type) values (%i, datetime('now'), %f, '%s', '%s')" % (icao24, rssi, ident, typename))
-      c.execute("update aircraft set seen=datetime('now'), rssi=%f, ident='%s', type='%s' where icao=%i" % (rssi, ident, typename, icao24))
+      (msg, typename) = self.parseBDS08(data)
+      retstr = "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO ident (icao, ident) VALUES (" + "%i" % icao24 + ", '" + msg + "')"
 
     elif subtype >= 5 and subtype <= 8:
       [ground_track, decoded_lat, decoded_lon, rnge, bearing] = self.parseBDS06(data)
       altitude = 0
       if decoded_lat is None: #no unambiguously valid position available
-        c.execute("insert or ignore into aircraft (icao, seen, rssi) values (%i, datetime('now'), %f)" % (icao24, rssi))
-        c.execute("update aircraft set seen=datetime('now'), rssi=%f where icao=%i" % (icao24, rssi))
+        retstr = None
       else:
-        c.execute("insert or ignore into aircraft (icao, seen, rssi, latitude, longitude, altitude) \
-                   values (%i, datetime('now'), %f, %.6f, %.6f, %i)" % (icao24, rssi, decoded_lat, decoded_lon, altitude))
-        c.execute("update aircraft set seen=datetime('now'), rssi=%f, latitude=%.6f, longitude=%.6f, altitude=%i" % (rssi, decoded_lat, decoded_lon, altitude))
+        retstr = "INSERT INTO positions (icao, seen, alt, lat, lon) VALUES (" + "%i" % icao24 + ", datetime('now'), " + str(altitude) + ", " + "%.6f" % decoded_lat + ", " + "%.6f" % decoded_lon + ")"
 
     elif subtype >= 9 and subtype <= 18 and subtype != 15: #i'm eliminating type 15 records because they don't appear to be valid position reports.
       [altitude, decoded_lat, decoded_lon, rnge, bearing] = self.parseBDS05(data)
       if decoded_lat is None: #no unambiguously valid position available
-        c.execute("insert or ignore into aircraft (icao, seen, rssi) values (%i, datetime('now'), %f);" % (icao24, rssi))
-        c.execute("update aircraft set seen=datetime('now'), rssi=%f where icao=%i" % (icao24, rssi))
+        retstr = None
       else:
-        c.execute("insert or ignore into aircraft (icao, seen, rssi, latitude, longitude, altitude)  \
-                   values (%i, datetime('now'), %f, %.6f, %.6f, %i)" % (icao24, rssi, decoded_lat, decoded_lon, altitude))
-        c.execute("update aircraft set seen=datetime('now'), rssi=%f, latitude=%.6f, longitude=%.6f, altitude=%i where icao=%i" % (rssi, decoded_lat, decoded_lon, altitude, icao24))
+        retstr = "INSERT INTO positions (icao, seen, alt, lat, lon) VALUES (" + "%i" % icao24 + ", datetime('now'), " + str(altitude) + ", " + "%.6f" % decoded_lat + ", " + "%.6f" % decoded_lon + ")"
 
     elif subtype == 19:
       subsubtype = data["sub"]
       if subsubtype == 0:
         [velocity, heading, vert_spd] = self.parseBDS09_0(data)
+        retstr = "INSERT INTO vectors (icao, seen, speed, heading, vertical) VALUES (" + "%i" % icao24 + ", datetime('now'), " + "%.0f" % velocity + ", " + "%.0f" % heading + ", " + "%.0f" % vert_spd + ")";
 
       elif 1 <= subsubtype <= 2:
         [velocity, heading, vert_spd] = self.parseBDS09_1(data)
-      else:
-        return None
-      
-      c.execute("insert or ignore into aircraft (icao, seen, rssi, speed, heading, vertical) \
-                 values (%i, datetime('now'), %f, %.0f, %.0f, %.0f);" % (icao24, rssi, velocity, heading, vert_spd))
-      c.execute("update aircraft set seen=datetime('now'), rssi=%f, speed=%.0f, heading=%.0f, vertical=%.0f where icao=%i" % (rssi, velocity, heading, vert_spd, icao24))
+        retstr = "INSERT INTO vectors (icao, seen, speed, heading, vertical) VALUES (" + "%i" % icao24 + ", datetime('now'), " + "%.0f" % velocity + ", " + "%.0f" % heading + ", " + "%.0f" % vert_spd + ")";
 
-
-    c.close()
+    return retstr
diff --git a/res/modes_rx.ui b/res/modes_rx.ui
index 8d2fc29..aa8e2c9 100644
--- a/res/modes_rx.ui
+++ b/res/modes_rx.ui
@@ -785,6 +785,9 @@
         <height>91</height>
        </rect>
       </property>
+      <property name="readOnly">
+       <bool>true</bool>
+      </property>
       <property name="lineWidth">
        <number>4</number>
       </property>
@@ -859,9 +862,15 @@
       <height>271</height>
      </rect>
     </property>
+    <property name="editTriggers">
+     <set>QAbstractItemView::NoEditTriggers</set>
+    </property>
     <property name="layoutMode">
      <enum>QListView::SinglePass</enum>
     </property>
+    <property name="selectionRectVisible">
+     <bool>true</bool>
+    </property>
    </widget>
   </widget>
   <widget class="QMenuBar" name="menubar">