Cheap+very low power USB SDR for ADS-B?

FlightAware ADS-B Flight Tracking
1

Hello,

Does anyone know of a cheap and very low power USB SDR to use for ADS-B? I currently use the Nooelec NESDR Mini 2, but it consumes a lot of power - when I plug it into my Raspberry Pi and power the Raspberry Pi from a power bank, it will go through the 10,000 mah power bank really fast.

I am looking for something that has a super-low power consumption; I am willing to sacrifice on range.

Thanks!

2

rpi is more of an issue than the SDR probably.

You can look at stuff like adsbee (ADSBee 1090 – Pants for Birds) but it’s not a raspberry pi of course.

3

What’s the Pi model being used?

A Pi Zero 2 W will do the job using less power.

I lost count of how many power supplies I replaced over the years while using a Pi3B+. I think a Pi 4 or 5 would be even worse.

The Pi Zero 2 W uses an El Cheapo USB power adapter from the dollar store and has not failed in a year of use.

1 Like
4

Something to watch is the ratings on powerbanks.
Most are dishonest and rate the pack the same as the cells within.
So if the cells are 3.7V and 10Ah, that works out to be 37Wh.
after conversion to 5V, you only get 7.4Ah (7400mAh) (ignoring all losses)

1 Like