Set up your station

From a blank SD card to feeding the network in about 30 minutes. No coding needed.

Builds Decode a message Start a station

1What you need

Any of the builds will do. At minimum:

Raspberry PiA Pi 4, Pi 3B+ or Pi Zero 2 W, with its power supply
microSD card32 GB, ideally a high-endurance card
ADS-B receiverA USB stick with a 1090 MHz filter built in
1090 MHz antennaIndoor to start, outdoor for the best range
InternetHome Wi-Fi, ethernet or a 4G router
A computerTo write the software to the card

2Write the software

We use the free adsb.im feeder image. It sets up the receiver and every network from a simple web page.

  1. On your computer, go to adsb.im and download the image for your Pi model.
  2. Install Raspberry Pi Imager or balenaEtcher and put the microSD card in your computer.
  3. Choose the image, choose the card, and click Write. It takes a few minutes.
Using Wi-Fi? Raspberry Pi Imager can save your Wi-Fi name and password onto the card before writing. Ethernet works with no setup.

3Plug it in

  1. Put the card in the Pi, label side facing out, pushed in until it stops.
  2. Plug the receiver into a USB port and screw the antenna onto it.
  3. Plug in ethernet if you're using it, then plug in the power last.
  4. Wait 3 to 5 minutes. The first start takes the longest.

4Enter your location

On a phone or computer on the same network, open http://adsb-feeder.local. If that doesn't load, find the Pi's address in your router's app and open that instead.

  1. Give the station a name, like vicadsb-horsham.
  2. Enter your latitude and longitude. Right-click the exact spot of your antenna in Google Maps and copy the numbers.
  3. Enter the antenna height above sea level in metres: ground level plus the height of your mast.
  4. Check the receiver type (it's usually found automatically) and save.
Get the position exact. MLAT, which locates aircraft that don't send their own position, only works if every station's location is right to within a few metres.

5Turn on the networks

Under Aggregators, tick every network you're happy to share with. They're all free, and each one adds your station to its map and MLAT:

adsb.lolOpen data, no account
adsb.fiCommunity network
airplanes.liveCommunity network
ADS-B ExchangeLong-running network
Flightradar24Needs a free sharing key
FlightAwareFree feeder account
Feeders get perks. Flightradar24 and FlightAware both give feeders a free premium account.

If you'd rather not show your exact address, adsb.im can share a less precise position publicly while still using the exact one for MLAT.

6Check it's working

  1. Open the map on your station's web page. Aircraft should appear within a few minutes.
  2. Check the adsb.im status page shows each network as connected.
  3. Leave it for a day, then look at the range outline. That's your coverage.

7Get the most range

  • Height beats everything. Getting the antenna above the roofline, trees and sheds matters more than the antenna itself.
  • Keep the coax short and good. Use low-loss cable, and put the Pi near the antenna if the run is long.
  • Seal outdoor connectors with self-amalgamating tape so water can't get in.
  • Use a decent power supply. Cheap ones cause dropouts, and a small UPS rides through power blips.
  • Keep the Pi cool. A case with a fan or heatsink helps in a hot shed.

8Troubleshooting

adsb-feeder.local won't open

Give it 5 minutes after first power-on. Then look in your router's app for a device called adsb-feeder and open its IP address. Some phones don't support .local addresses, so try a computer.

No aircraft on the map

Check the receiver shows on the setup page and the antenna is screwed on firmly. Indoors, try a higher window. There may also be nothing nearby, so check again during the day.

Range is very short

It's usually the antenna position. Metal roofs, tinted glass, hills and trees all block signal. Try outside, higher, or with a shorter coax run.

The station keeps dropping out

Most often a weak power supply or a worn SD card. Use the official supply and a high-endurance card, and check the Pi isn't overheating.

Station running?

Tell us where it is and we'll add it to the network map.

Add my station