Hello!
Below you can read detailed information about my antenna station for receiving aircraft data.
In the future, I plan to expand the station with additional antennas and receivers, allowing it to capture a wider range of frequencies and data. My goal is to create a comprehensive receiver for real-time air traffic monitoring. 👨✈️
I invite you to visit this page regularly and follow the progress! 🛰️ 🚀
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that if you purchase products or services through these links, I will receive a small commission on the sale. This does not increase the cost to you, but allows me to maintain and further develop this site and my projects. I appreciate your support!
Custom receiver for ADS-B? It’s easy!
Interested in creating your own ADSB receiver and viewing air traffic in your own home? Take a look at my article, in which I explain step by step how to build such a system from widely available and inexpensive components. This is a great start to your air traffic monitoring adventure!
📡 Poland, Warsaw
Hardware
- Device: Raspberry Pi 5 (Link to store),
- CPU: Broadcom BCM2712 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU
- RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM
- Memory: WD Purple 32GB microSD WDD032G1P0C (Link to store),
- Power supply: Waveshare PoE HAT 802.3af/at (Link to store),
- Receiver and antenna
- ADS-B
- Receiver: AirNav FlightStick ADS-B, integrated 1090 MHz band filter, ESD protection, built-in 20.5 dB amplifier, model: RBFS1 (Link to store).
- Antenna: AirNav ADS-B 1090 MHz, 7 dBi gain, 50Ω ± 5Ω impedance, vertical polarisation, 20 mm diameter/width, manufactured from glass fibre, 9 metre coaxial cable (Link to store).
- ACARS/VDL/Airband
- ACARS receiver: Stick RTL-SDR RTL2832U & Rafael Micro R820T2
- VDL receiver: Stick RTL-SDR RTL2832U & Rafael Micro R820T2
- Airband receiver: Stick RTL-SDR RTL2832U & Rafael Micro R820T2
- Antenna: AirNav VHF Airband 118-136 MHz, 5dBi gain, vertical polarisation, 20 mm diameter/width, manufactured in fibreglass, 9 metre coaxial cable (Link to shop).
- Open Glider Network / FLARM
- Receiver: Stick RTL-SDR RTL2832U & Fitipower FC0012
- Antenna: CDBAIRUI 868 MHz LoRa antenna with N connector, 3 dBi gain, 20 cm length, manufactured fibreglass (Link to store).
- ADS-B
Software
- Docker, managed through a central Portainer.
- Containerisation in Docker Compose created by SDR-Enthusiasts.
- Software for OGN Glidernet developed by the Open Glider Network team.
Where do I send the data?
🚥 Development plan
🟠 Planned
- Enabling ATC listening from Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA) Approach, Ground, Tower: docker-rtlsdrairband;
- Installing an antenna to receive HFDL (3-22 MHz) and providing data received from this antenna: docker-dumphfdl;
- Replacing the hermetic box with a larger one;
- Replacement of medium-quality RTL-SDR receivers with original RTL-SDR v4;
- Assembling an antenna to receive ACARS via SATCOM and sharing the data received from this antenna: docker-satdump;
🟢 Completed
- 2023
- Signing an agreement with a residential community to use a part of the common roof for non-commercial use of my receiving station;
- Installation of a non-invasive mast with accessories on the roof of a residential block;
- Purchase and installation of Raspberry Pi 4B, along with PoE power module;
- Purchase and installation of an antenna for ADS-B (1090 MHz);
- Sharing the data received from the stations to aviation data aggregation portals.
- 2024
- Replacement of Raspberry Pi 4B with Raspberry Pi 5, along with PoE power module;
- Installation of an antenna for receiving the air band (118-136 MHz);
- Share data received from ACARS: docker-acarsdec,
- Share data received from VDL: docker-vdlm2dec;
- Antenna mounting for FLARM / OGN Tracker signals (868 MHz)
- Release of data received from OGN: Software to OGN;
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Thank you for any form of support and for appreciating my work!
