{"id":876,"date":"2026-05-16T00:57:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T05:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lagmrs.com\/wp\/?p=876"},"modified":"2026-05-25T13:08:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T18:08:36","slug":"sdr-for-ads-b-aircraft-decoding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lagmrs.com\/wp\/2026\/05\/16\/sdr-for-ads-b-aircraft-decoding\/","title":{"rendered":"SDR for ADS-B aircraft decoding."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Users can track aircraft by installing ADS-B software like PiAware and Virtual Radar Server on a Raspberry Pi. While pre-built images are available, manual Debian installations allow for additional features such as remote desktop management, system monitoring, and custom integrations for time and temperature updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The setup supports military aircraft tracking and multilateration for identifying planes without GPS signals. By integrating external databases, users can log flight history, identify aircraft owners, and display airline logos. Occasional database maintenance through a desktop interface ensures the tracking system remains stable during long-term operation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

FRom the Flightaware Console you can see the planes . However I also run Virtual Radar with is much better software. This is windows software that can connect to your pi however I installed using mondo on the PI itsself. This is somewhat harder to do bit works great because it connects to a database and logs everything. The plans will get looged the number of times seen and you can make notes look up the owners and correct the ones marked private.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can also receive and track military aircraft including the ones that dont transmit GPS signals. If you use flightaware 1090 your signal will triangulate with other users and triangulate the aircraft. called MLAT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeder Type: PiAware (Debian Package Add-on) 10.0.1<\/strong>
Feeder Mode: Mode-S (1090 MHz)<\/strong>
Multilateration (MLAT): Supported \/ Enabled (synchronized with 37 nearby receivers)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can either download a pi image or build your own. I preferer to build my on system because it runs more than absd it also tells the time and temp through a pa system.

If you have a debin installed on a pi you just install dump1090 here https:\/\/github.com\/flightaware\/dump1090<\/a> Remember there is a older version online you want this new version with MLAT.


complete instructions on using a prebuilt image are here.
https:\/\/www.flightaware.com\/adsb\/piaware\/build<\/a>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual radar is located here
https:\/\/www.virtualradarserver.co.uk\/<\/a>
You might want to install the windows version first to Understand how it works Then install the mondo version. One of the reasons i use my own system and not the image is because i install the desktop and webmin for remote operation and i use teh remote desktop to fix any problems with virtual radar by opening it in the console there is a small bug that will corrupt the database on load you will get a option to repair. But the command line that boots up has no console and doesnt offer the repair option and just refuses to work. SO once every 6 months or so if it stops working i have to load it from the desktop and see if it says repair database. The databases it uses contain all the flight logos and aircraft your going to have to download these. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These files come from the old base station program http:\/\/woodair.net\/SBS\/Utilities\/Kinetic_Utilities4_Bitmaps.htm<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Users can track aircraft by installing ADS-B software like PiAware and Virtual Radar Server on a Raspberry Pi. While pre-built images are available, manual Debian installations allow for additional features such as remote desktop management, system monitoring, and custom integrations for time and temperature updates. The setup supports military aircraft tracking and multilateration for identifying […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ai_generated_summary":"Users can track aircraft by installing ADS-B software like PiAware and Virtual Radar Server on a Raspberry Pi. While pre-built images are available, manual Debian installations allow for additional features such as remote desktop management, system monitoring, and custom integrations for time and temperature updates.\n\nThe setup supports military aircraft tracking and multilateration for identifying planes without GPS signals. By integrating external databases, users can log flight history, identify aircraft owners, and display airline logos. Occasional database maintenance through a desktop interface ensures the tracking system remains stable during long-term operation.","footnotes":""},"categories":[258],"tags":[261,260,262],"class_list":["post-876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ads-b","tag-ads-b","tag-build","tag-sdr"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t