FROM ANTENNA TO SCREEN

A dedicated radar you can touch.

Our hardware prototype combines reception, decoding and display in one compact device.

FUTURE PLAN · PROTOTYPE

From software to a dedicated radar appliance.

The next step is a self-contained ADS-B Radar built around a Raspberry Pi and a 10-inch touchscreen in a custom enclosure. Power it up and operate the radar directly by touch — no phone, tablet or companion app required.

Concept rendering of the future ADS-B Radar prototype with 10-inch touchscreen and custom enclosure
Concept rendering · final enclosure and hardware configuration may change during prototype development.
10″

Touchscreen

The full radar interface is designed for direct touch operation on the device.

PI

Raspberry Pi inside

A compact Linux platform capable of receiving, decoding and displaying busy local ADS-B traffic.

3D

Custom enclosure

A purpose-built case turns the display and computer into one portable unit.

12V

Spotting ready

Planned 12-volt operation makes the concept suitable for mobile use, including aircraft spotting from a car.

FROM ANTENNA TO SCREEN

A complete local chain.

The planned ADS-B Radar appliance combines the supported receiver hardware, Raspberry Pi computer, display and decoding software in one system. Connect the antenna and power, configure networking where required, and the radar handles the normal operating workflow locally. The goal is a box you can place at home, at a spotting location or beside an airport and simply use — with no recurring radar service to pay for.

1090 MHz
Antenna→Receiver
Hardware→libadsb-reader
Decode→ADS-B Radar
Display

Receiver and computing platform

The prototype uses a Raspberry Pi 5 and an RTL-SDR Blog V4 receiver. The receiver supplies the radio samples; the reader processes ADS-B and Mode S messages; the application renders the radar and contact details on a local display.

Touchscreen and portable operation

A 10.1-inch touchscreen makes the interface usable without a separate phone or computer. The enclosure design provides for a 12 V power connection, antenna connector and power button at the rear. An X1202 battery board is part of the hardware testing. The enclosure and hardware arrangement are still being refined.

Reception range is not a guarantee

A clear view of the sky, antenna quality, cable losses and nearby interference all affect reception. Hundreds of kilometres are possible in favourable conditions, but results vary considerably between installations.