Mobile ADS-B

FlightAware ADS-B Flight Tracking
1

Is there anyway to set up a mobile ADS-B receiver that has intermittent internet access?

I would like to put a mobile ADS-B receiver in my car that I can connect to my laptop or even better to my iPad. It would only have intermittent internet access when I am near a WiFi area.

2

Give Stratux a try: https://www.reddit.com/r/stratux

It’s specifically designed for use in an airplane where you don’t have internet. Be sure to change the options for 1090ES from the default 978UAT. If you’re running on an iPad/iPhone, use the free FltPlan app.

3

I dont have iPad or iPhone, but fo have an old phone Samsung Galaxy S4 which I no more use as phone, but as mini tablet, because it became defective, and will not pick the SIM card.

I searched Google Play for “adsb” and found many Apps., as shown in screenshot below. I already had Flightaware’s Flightfeeder which does not display map when internet connection is dropped. Just to try, I installed “Adsb Receiver” and “Ads-b on Android” (the top two on the screenshot). Both display map and data without internet connection, but I did not find any method to use these as server to feed data to tracking sites like Flightaware, or to feed data to dump1090 of my RPi, when the phone is on the same LAN as the RPi.

Has anyone tried these?

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/663/23169224791_3471a2a2b7.jpg.https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5816/22739157577_251c38e1a3.jpg

4

@arerecich:
Nice cantenna with built-in amplifier. What is the maximum range you get?
I also use cantenna as my primary antenna, but I don’t use amplifier, since my coax is short (15 ft/5meters). My maximum range is 250 nautical miles.

5

Here are some screenshots of Android App “ADS-B 0n Android” installed on my old phone Samsung Galaxy S4.

Does not depend on internet connection. Map & data will be displayed with or without internet.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5773/23161660432_82d34ab8df.jpg.https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5637/22757134337_acbbec4283.jpg.https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5728/23187169341_a315f95869.jpg

6

Here are some screenshots of Android App “ADSB Receiver” (shows as Avare ADSB after installation) installed on my old phone Samsung Galaxy S4.

Does not depend on internet connection. Map & data will be displayed with or without internet.


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/619/22782604139_b52ffbbaa0.jpg.https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5824/23186509881_bfc9e27781.jpg.https://farm1.staticflickr.com/622/22782648129_0cb2ec4b02.jpg

7

Was playing around with Stratux during Thanksgiving dinner at a house with line-of-sight to SeaTac’s ground stations. Everything seemed to work pretty well except for a couple items:

  • Never received any CONUS radar, only regional. It is only sent out every 15 minutes or so and knowing this I let the iPad sit for a while. Nothing.
  • No TIS-B. I set Stratux up for two antennas 1090 and 978 and it would only get direct traffic from 1090, no TIS-B over 978. I was about 5 miles from ADS-B OUT airplanes and should have piggybacked on their TIS-B, but maybe Stratux can’t decode TIS-B yet. I’ll have to do some research on the latest capabilities.

I have a Clarity SV that I use for flying and should have brought with me compared. I’ve seen the full capability of the Clarity including TIS-B and it’s beautiful.

Thanks! It’s been a great antenna built from your design. It’s weather-proofed (and now bird-proofed) and has been mounted above my chimney for nearly a year. With the satellite amp and DC blocker, I’m running the top stats in Washington, Oregon, and BC. Max range is just shy of 250nm to the North over BC but I’m all aspect terrain limited with the Cascades and Olympics. I’ll track Vancouver traffic down to about 8,000ft. Can’t complain for an antenna that cost me nearly nothing. The secret sauce? I’ve turned down the SDR amp to maximize signal to noise. I’ll have to do a little write up for this forum on the tuning technique.

I’m still working on getting my UAT antenna tuned and outside…

8

How did you weather-proof & bird-proof it? Any photos will be great help to others.

Birds are sometimes a problem :smiley:

9

Weatherproofing was pretty simple. I used PlastiDip to seal the F connector end from where the antenna wire sticks out. I also sealed around the connection between the amp and voltage blocker. Care must be taken to keep the connection to the can clean. The coax cable has an o-ring in the male end for a compression seal. Two little drain holes keep water from pooling in the can bottom. All the other equpiment is down in the basement on the other end of the 25’ quad shield coax cable.

As for bird-proofing, check out my new profile picture. A handful of zip-ties and the wire stays straight.

We get a lot of rain and wind here in Seattle and it’s held up just fine after nearly a year. Only have a little bit of corrosion on the wire & faded paint on the can.

10

Excellent! Very simple and effective method.

Thanks for sharing your work. I recommend that for others to take advantage of your methods, you post all this detail with photo in the thread Three Easy DIY Antennas for Beginners