Build Your Own ADS-B Receiver

Track every aircraft overhead and feed enriched data (engine type, MSN, operator) to ADSBiq. Total build time: under 30 minutes.

What You'll Get

250+ nm
Typical Range
55 fields
Per Aircraft
Free
REST API Access
<5W
Power Draw

Bill of Materials

Everything you need. All parts are vendor-neutral and widely available. Prices are approximate (March 2026).

#ComponentRecommendedPriceNotes
1 Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB) Vilros Starter Kit ~$90 Includes case, 27W power supply, fan, 32GB SD card. 4GB is plenty for ADS-B + ACARS. Pi 4 also works.
2 SDR Dongle (1090 MHz) FlightAware Pro Stick Plus ~$22 Built-in 1090 MHz bandpass filter + LNA. Best value for ADS-B. SMA connector.
3 Outdoor Antenna (1090 MHz) Eifagur 5dBi Fiberglass ~$30 Weatherproof fiberglass, 5 dBi gain, N-female connector. Includes 10ft cable w/ SMA adapter.
4 SMA Male to SMA Male Cable RG58, 10-25ft ~$10 Connects antenna cable to SDR dongle. Shorter = less signal loss. Some antennas include this.
5 microSD Card (32GB+) — ~$8 Skip if your Pi kit includes one. Class 10 / A1 minimum.
Total (with Pi kit) ~$145 Everything to go live today

Click each component link above to view on Amazon. Cable and SD card may already be included in the Pi kit.

Already have a Pi? You only need the SDR dongle (~$22) and antenna (~$30). That's under $55 to start tracking aircraft.
Budget option: A Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB) works great and can be found for ~$35. Pair with a $10 generic RTL-SDR dongle and a $15 indoor antenna for a ~$60 total build.

Build Steps

1 Flash the SD Card 5 min

  1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager on your PC/Mac
  2. Insert the microSD card into your computer
  3. In the Imager: Choose OS → Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit)
  4. Click the gear icon to pre-configure:
    • Enable SSH (password authentication)
    • Set username: pi, choose a password
    • Configure your Wi-Fi SSID and password
    • Set locale/timezone
  5. Write to the SD card

2 Assemble the Hardware 5 min

  1. Insert the microSD card into the Pi
  2. Plug the SDR dongle into any USB port on the Pi
  3. Connect the antenna cable's SMA connector to the SDR dongle
  4. Mount the antenna as high as possible with clear sky view — roof, attic, or high window
  5. Connect Ethernet (recommended) or rely on the Wi-Fi you configured
  6. Plug in the power supply — the Pi will boot automatically
Antenna placement is everything. Height and line-of-sight matter more than antenna gain. A cheap antenna on a roof will outperform an expensive antenna indoors. Even a window-mounted setup works well for 100+ nm range.

3 Install readsb (ADS-B Decoder) 10 min

SSH into your Pi and run:

ssh [email protected]

Then install readsb (the ADS-B decoder):

sudo bash -c "$(curl -sL https://github.com/wiedehopf/adsb-scripts/raw/master/readsb-install.sh)"

Verify it's working:

sudo systemctl status readsb

You should see active (running). If the SDR dongle is detected, you're decoding aircraft.

4 Install tar1090 (Local Map) 2 min

Optional but recommended — gives you a beautiful local aircraft map at http://raspberrypi.local/tar1090:

sudo bash -c "$(curl -sL https://github.com/wiedehopf/tar1090/raw/master/install.sh)"

5 Feed ADSBiq 1 min

This is the one-liner that connects your receiver to the ADSBiq network. You'll immediately get enriched data (engine type, MSN, operator, route) on every aircraft:

curl -sL adsbiq.com/install.sh | sudo bash

After install, visit your feeder dashboard to set your location and see live stats.

6 Feed Other Networks (Optional) 5 min each

ADSBiq runs alongside all other networks with zero conflicts. Feed as many as you want simultaneously:

Optimizing Range

After your receiver is running, use these tips to maximize coverage:

  1. Antenna height wins. Every meter higher = ~2 nm more range. Rooftop or attic mounting is ideal.
  2. Shorter cable runs. Every 10ft of RG58 cable loses ~1 dB at 1090 MHz. Keep it under 25ft, or use LMR-400 for longer runs.
  3. Use the Pro Stick Plus filter in urban areas — cell towers and FM stations create interference that the built-in filter eliminates.
  4. Check your signal chart on your feeder dashboard. The live RSSI plot shows signal quality in real time — adjust antenna position while watching the chart.
  5. Avoid obstructions. Trees, buildings, and terrain block 1090 MHz signals. Even a single wall reduces range significantly.
Typical ranges: Indoor window = 80-150 nm. Attic = 150-200 nm. Rooftop = 200-300+ nm. A well-placed rooftop antenna at 30ft elevation can see aircraft 300+ nm away.

Troubleshooting

ProblemFix
No aircraft showing Check sudo systemctl status readsb. If it says "no supported devices found", unplug/replug the SDR dongle or try a different USB port.
Very low range (<50 nm) Antenna is likely indoors behind walls. Move to a window or higher location. Check cable connections are tight.
Pi won't connect to Wi-Fi Connect via Ethernet and check sudo raspi-config → Network Options. Or re-flash the SD card with corrected Wi-Fi credentials.
SSH can't find raspberrypi.local Check your router's DHCP leases for the Pi's IP address, or connect a monitor to find it.
ADSBiq says "not connected" Run sudo systemctl status adsbiq-feed. If it's not running, re-run the install script.

Need Help?

Once you're feeding, use the Support link on your feeder dashboard to open a ticket. We'll help you get the best range possible from your setup.