Show / Describe your FR24 hardware

[MillerBerlin]

Receiver: FlightAware Pro Stick Plus on RaspberryPi 3B via USB extension
Antenna: Jetvision A3 ADS-B
Filter: 1090 MHz Filter from FlightAware, the dark blue version.
Cable: 5 meters Ecoflex 10 Plus with N Type male - SMA male connectors
Software: noobs with fr24 rpi

All mounted Outdoors on the balkony, connected via WIFI to the homenetwork and internet.
The other Raspberry in the cabinet is only for HF-SDR.

I know the ProStickPlus has a integrated filter, but I have two big cellular antennas in the neighborhood. The extra filter brings a lot.

The SpeakerCable is for extra grounding.


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Range rings in 50km distance steps. Outer Ring is at 450km. The edge in range in south/west is the shadow of the house.

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[NeoDude]

Just moved my antennas from the loft to my roof...

Receiver(s)

rPi 3
RTL-SDR v3
RTL-SDR Triple Filtered LNA

Antenna(s)

FlightAware Antenna

Cables/Connectors

Westflex 103
Compression fittings both ends, 1x N-Type, 1x SMA.

Software

PiAware Image + 360radar + FR24

Outside...

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Inside...

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Live Feed...

http://radar.clanlawrence.co.uk

[ScrappyLaptop]

T-KDVO9
San Francisco Bay Area

Receiver:
Nooelec NESDR SMArt v4 SDR
https://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/nesdr-smart-sdr.html

Antenna:
https://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/sd...-5dbi-sma.html

Filter:
FlightAware ADS-B Dual 978 MHz + 1090 MHz Band-Pass SMA Filter
https://www.amazon.com/ADS-B-Dual-10.../dp/B010GBQXK8

Cables/Connectors:
(none)

Pigtail/step down adapters:
(none)

Software:
DietPi current + install_fr24_rpi.sh script, running on a R-Pi 3 model B, WiFi to home network

Comments:
I noticed the Nooelec SDR runs really hot & with a little experimentation found I could nearly double the range by adding heat sinks (better signal:noise maybe?). So I mounted it to a couple pieces of scrap aluminum with a Arctic thermal tape at the interfaces. The R-Pi is in an aluminum case designed to act as a heat sink for the three main chips (more thermal tape), stuck to the frame/large radio heat sink & insulated from it using 3M 5952 tape. The triangular bracket hanging off the bottom is just a counterweight to keep the whole thing vertical. The white cord runs to a USB psu plugged into a nearby outlet for the garage door opener.

The whole assembly is mounted in the garage rafters after I found almost no loss in max distance compared to 5 feet above the garage roof peak. This should be convenient for trying different antennas should I catch that bug.

The system can currently follow flights as far North as Corning, as far South as Madera and as far East as far as the Sierra Nevadas. So, about 150 miles at or above 28,000 ft.

The view to the West is blocked by the coastal hills behind the house, so the only detections above the coast that's maybe 20 miles away are above 14,000 feet or so. Mostly above the SFO traffic, heading down to LAX & elsewhere.


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[ABi69]

T-EDLE293
Wanne-Eickel/Herne, Germany


Receiver:
RTL-SDR Blog V3 R820T2 RTL2832U Dongle

Antenna:
Selfmade Spider

Filter:
RTL-SDR Blog ADS-B Triple Filtered LNA and FlightAware dark blue ADS-B/Mode-S Filter (because of a cellular antenna tower in the neighborhood)

Feeders:
FlightRadar24, ADS-B Exchange, FlightAware, PlaneFinder, AirNav Radarbox

Website:
http://flugradar-wanne-eickel.eu


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[Turbo68]

My shack is used to monitor aircraft comms on hf/vhf also decode hfdl with multipsk,acars i decode with kgacars also track aircraft plus i feed to airnav & flightaware..

Regards Lino.

[Duccio]

Receiver
Raspberry pi 3b with RTL-SDR RTL2832U

Antenna(s)
3D printed Ground Plane Antenna https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3335101

Cables/Connectors
RG6 cable with F connectors

Pigtail/step down adaptors
Meanwell RS 25-5 PSU

Software
Flight Radar 24

Comments
I've used a UV resistance 3d printer filament

[CaughtMoments]

Feeder T-EDSB186

Finally, my first feeder is online. Based on a raspberry pi 3b+ i am feeding only into FR24. I have managed to write a Python script, that monitors the function and send me a "Status Mail" with a text file attached. If traffic is seen on Port 30003, a blue LED on the front signals this.

This mail is sent when:

• The CPU temperature rises above 90°C before the Pi is shut down.
• In response to a received mail with the subject "status" from a defined sender address.
• A push-button on the front panel of the ground station is pressed.
• Further "triggers" if necessary...

File attachments can also be sent

Content of the text-file:

• Timestamp
• CPU temperature,GPU-Temperature
• CPU voltage, Voltage of the SRAM-Banks
• Time since restart
• Status of the FR24 feeder (output of "fr24feed-status" and "service fr24feed status")
• Last 10 "buffers" received on port 30003
• Overview of the IP settings
• to be continued...

Further additional functions, which are implemented:

• Display of existing aircraft in the reception area via an LED on the front panel of the ground station. This LED is allways on, as i have much traffic in my region.
• Fan control via PWM with emergency shutdown in case of overheating. Characteristic curve completely parameterizable.
• Reboot and shutdown as reaction to a received mail with the subject "shutdown" or "reboot" from a defined sender address
• A "Lifebeat-LED" shows that the Pi is running (just fun)
• All programms are started after booting using crontap
• ToDo: Install an 3D-printed part to suck the air directly through the Case of the Pi, Impement a additional Temp-Sensor to measure the temperature of the FlightStick

The Antenna is the large one from AirNav (7db gain), located on the highest point of my attic. the Stick is the RadarBox-FlightStick.

Summary:

• Raspberry Pi 3B+ with FR24-Image
• AirNav ADS-B 1090 MHz Outdoor-Antenna 7bB gain
• AirNav RadarBox FlightStick (integreated 20,5dB amplifier and 1090MHz Filter)
• Pigtail for connection: Generic from Amazon
• Cooling-Fan: EE40100S1-1 from Sunon
• PSU: Original Raspberry 5V/1,5A

My location is about 5km south from the Airport Karsruhe/Baden-Baden (FKB/EDSB).

Detailed description: https://stripf-elektronik.jimdofree....e/flightradar/

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[CaughtMoments]

Feeder T-EDSB183

Finally, my second feeder is online (not located on his final location).

Make it more compact:

he first station was made to be located on my attic. Not a very clean environment. The second one will be paced about 150km away from the first one and will be living in the living room. So i designed a small PCB to be able to fit all the drivers for the LED's and the cooling in an original Raspberry-Pi Case.

he features are the same as implemented in the first Feeder:

Based on a raspberry pi 2b i am feeding only into FR24. I have managed to write a Python script, that monitors the function and send me a "Status Mail" with a text file attached. If traffic is seen on Port 30003, a blue LED on the front signals this.

This mail is sent when:

• The CPU temperature rises above 90°C before the Pi is shut down.
• The cooling fan runs too long without reaching the specified delta of temperature
• In response to a received mail with the subject "status" from a defined sender address.
• A push-button on the front panel of the ground station is pressed.
• Further "triggers" if necessary...

File attachments can also be sent

Content of the text-file:

• Timestamp
• CPU temperature,GPU-Temperature
• CPU voltage, Voltage of the SRAM-Banks
• Time since restart
• Status of the FR24 feeder (output of "fr24feed-status" and "service fr24feed status")
• Last 10 "buffers" received on port 30003
• Overview of the IP settings
• to be continued...

Further additional functions, which are implemented:

• Display of existing aircraft in the reception area via an LED on the front panel of the ground station. This LED is allways on, as i have much traffic in my region.
• Fan control via PWM with emergency shutdown in case of overheating. Characteristic curve completely parameterizable. Small LED is powered by the same PWM-Signal to report that the fan is on.
• Reboot and shutdown as reaction to a received mail with the subject "shutdown" or "reboot" from a defined sender address
• A "Lifebeat-LED" shows that the Pi is running (just fun)
• All programms are started after booting using crontap
• ToDo: Install an 3D-printed part to suck the air directly through the Case of the Pi, Impement a additional Temp-Sensor to measure the temperature of the FlightStick

The Antenna is the large one from AirNav (7db gain), located on the highest point of my attic. the Stick is the RadarBox-FlightStick.

Summary:

• Raspberry Pi +B+ with FR24-Image
• AirNav ADS-B 1090 MHz Outdoor-Antenna 7bB gain
• AirNav RadarBox FlightStick (integreated 20,5dB amplifier and 1090MHz Filter)
• Cooling-Fan: MF30060V1-1
• PSU: Original Raspberry 5V/1,5A

My location is about 5km south from the Airport Karsruhe/Baden-Baden (FKB/EDSB) and about 25km north/east from the Airport Staßbourg (SXB/LFST).

Detailed description: https://stripf-elektronik.jimdofree....e/flightradar/

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Note: This is not my primary feeder. I use this small one to develop software.

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[CaughtMoments]

DIY-Project: "Traffic Detected" Remote Unit

My "big" feeder hangs in the staircase to the attic. So I have no way to monitor the traffic and the function via the traffic LED of the feeder. I designed a small "remote-unit", which monitors the stream on port 30003 of the feeder via WLAN, mirrors the function of the traffic-LED in every room of the apartment. A small green LED indicates an existing WLAN connection. Based on an ESP32 in a small case for costs under 10€. All it needs is a micro-USB power supply.

Solution for:

Problem 1: The FR24-Feeder is mounted far away on my attic. Beside checking the website looking on my radar, you have no control if it works. The "Traffic Detected" Remote Unit signals that the feed to the Server of FR24 is in function by “listening” to the data stream. As long as is “hears” the stream running, the blue LED is on. If anything fails (or there is no aircraft in the remote area) the blue LED is off.

Problem 2: If you live in a “lost” area, there is the chance that you see just some aircraft per day. If you want to know, that there is traffic in your receive area, the blue LED informs you about that.

More Info: LINK

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[Humayon MAHMOOD]

Hello, I got very interested in this project,

I just bought
raspberry pi 3 v1.2
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Radio Receiver, 100 KHz‑1.7 GHz Receiver Kit Independent Antenna Input for Radio RTL2832U + R820T2

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My question was can I use this hardware for tracking purposes on Flightradar24?

[f14driver]

You can use that for FR24 indeed but don't expect to much of the decoder (blue case). I have a similar one for testing purposes but it has limited capability and range. I never got anything further then 50 NM with it. Also the antenna is pretty generic so it will pick some signals up.

[Humayon MAHMOOD]

You can use that for FR24 indeed but don't expect to much of the decoder (blue case). I have a similar one for testing purposes but it has limited capability and range. I never got anything further then 50 NM with it. Also the antenna is pretty generic so it will pick some signals up.

Thank you.

[JoeF]

Here goes... collinear antenna on a fiberglass mast about 38 feet (12 meters) high; also supports my ham radio inverted-V dipole. There is about 73 feet (22 meters) of LMR-600 cable from the antenna to a surge protector, through a bulkhead into the house and to a Raspberry Pi 3 running a FlightAware filter/receiver. Cable is pretty expensive but loss is critical at these frequencies.

Also showing performance over last 2 days.

I have gone from a little antenna stuck to a license plate in the attic with a low-cost dongle, to a short collinear array in the attic, to a FA dongle, to a longer array in the attic to the current outside configuration. Things have improved with each iteration.

Couple of takeaways: clear views without obstructions and low loss to the receiver are very important.

[IZ8292SWL]

I recently purchased a used Raspberry Pi 2B
This machine still works great for ADS-B servers.
I also developed a web interface with a lot of nice functions

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