$15 ADS-B? Yes, I wrote Fifteen dollars

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docmirror

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Cowboy - yeehah!
http://apps4av.com/2014/07/30/10-adsb-receiver-for-avare/

I'm using the Avare app for my GPS nav. Just tumbled on this article. Of course, it's not the cats meow, maybe doesn't have all the bells and whistles needed for the full set of info, but it's something at a microscopic price compared to the rest of the ADS-B stuff. Since I already use Avare, maybe I'll give it a try.
 
I have one and use it with Planeplotter. It works.
 
I have one of these sticks that I use on a desktop PC in my office with varying results.
 
GA won't install two way ADS-B until the price comes down.
The price for GA ADS-B won't come down until more units are installed.
And around we go.
 
I use Avare as well. I am very pleased with it. It fits my mission and I can't argue with the price. I was reading this same article recently. I had seen some ham radio uses for these SDR sticks but never thought about using the two together. When they get the additional band (978Mhz) done it will be more useful.

I plan to pick one up soon and test it with my Galaxy S5.
 
A few things to clarify this. It is a neat idea if you like to tinker. But please understand the limitations before saying "OMG OMG ADS-B for only $15!!!". This is the same gizmo used to setup an ADS-B In receiver at home for something like FlightRadar24. It lets you receive Mode S ADS-B from other aircraft only.

First, this is ADS-B IN only. It is not ADS-B Out, and does nothing for the 2020 unfunded mandate. Though I suppose that much should be an obvious assumption for $15. Nothing required costs less than an AMU.

Second, this devices receives on 1090mhz extended squidder only. It does not receive anything on the 978mhz UAT frequency. The only traffic you will see on this are other aircraft equipped with a Mode S transponder within air-to-air direct range.

You will not see:
- Traffic that uses the alternate 978mhz UAT
- TIS-B traffic from ground towers
- FIS-B Weather and aviation data
 
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Thanks for the link.
Ordered it. I'll post test results as soon as I have them.
 
In theory, it's possible to combine this with an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, to create a self contained system that can feed traffic data to ForeFlight. While you won't get ADS-B weather and other features, traffic can be fed into FF via an openly documented API they have. One could also add a I2C GPS, and feed that location data from the same Pi to a non-GPS-equipped iPad. Probably all doable for under $100 but would take some effort.

Edit: Also adding AHRS is theoretically possible this way. Of course, one shouldn't rely on a homebrew GPS/traffic/AHRS system for anything other than amusement
 
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Mike I said:
In theory, it's possible to combine this with an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, to create a self contained system that can feed traffic data to ForeFlight. While you won't get ADS-B weather and other features, traffic can be fed into FF via an openly documented API they have. One could also add a I2C GPS, and feed that location data from the same Pi to a non-GPS-equipped iPad. Probably all doable for under $100 but would take some effort.

Edit: Also adding AHRS is theoretically possible this way. Of course, one shouldn't rely on a homebrew GPS/traffic/AHRS system for anything other than amusement
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hm....I've been looking for a reason to learn iOS swift....
 
murphey said:
hm....I've been looking for a reason to learn iOS swift....
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No need to learn Swift. A bit of Python on a Raspberry Pi to pump out some UDP packets, properly formatted based on the RTL-SDR messages, I2C NMEA GPS data, and a $50 IMU, will do it. Could add a second SDR for an extra $15 to get both 978 and 1090 messages, but you'd have to figure out how to decode the UAT stream...not as simple as 1090ES. If you did, though, you could get full FIS-B info (and graphics), but you couldn't pipe them into ForeFlight. One could write some software to sit on the Pi and serve that data over its web server. A bit messy, but doable.

Edit: I see a forum member has worked on some of this already: http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65894
 
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Well, now that there's some interest in growing this, it looks like a fairly robust suite of ADS-B in will be along in a few years to take care of that at a very low price point. Sadly, the cost of the required ADS-B out will see no such huge reduction in prices, due entirely to regulation. Meh - it really doesn't matter to me, as I will NEVER b-cast an ADS-B signal from any plane which I personally fly. But that's just me.
 
docmirror said:
Meh - it really doesn't matter to me, as I will NEVER b-cast an ADS-B signal from any plane which I personally fly. But that's just me.
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And that is perfectly legal as long as you never fly in conditions or airspace that would today require Mode C.
 
Mike I said:
No need to learn Swift.
Click to expand...

already know python - using this as an excuse....got an arduino, guess I need to get a rasberry pi.

A bit of Python on a Raspberry Pi to pump out some UDP packets, properly formatted based on the RTL-SDR messages, I2C NMEA GPS data, and a $50 IMU, will do it. Could add a second SDR for an extra $15 to get both 978 and 1090 messages, but you'd have to figure out how to decode the UAT stream...not as simple as 1090ES. If you did, though, you could get full FIS-B info (and graphics), but you couldn't pipe them into ForeFlight. One could write some software to sit on the Pi and serve that data over its web server. A bit messy, but doable.

Edit: I see a forum member has worked on some of this already: http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65894
Click to expand...
 
JHC... as if ADS-B is the first unfunded mandate in aviation. :rolleyes:

To my thinking, aviation is mostly unfunded mandate. :D

Why does every ADS-B thread have to to veer down this path?
 
petrolero said:
To my thinking, aviation is mostly unfunded mandate. :D

Why does every ADS-B thread have to to veer down this path?
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I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm very, very disappointed in my govt for wasting resources on ADS-B, and even more frustrated and angry that additional airspace is being locked out through regulation. I know enough about the history of GA vs airliners to understand the reason, and I know enough about technology to realize that this isn't remotely the best, or cheapest, or highest utility method. But again, this is just me.
 
docmirror said:
http://apps4av.com/2014/07/30/10-adsb-receiver-for-avare/

I'm using the Avare app for my GPS nav. Just tumbled on this article. Of course, it's not the cats meow, maybe doesn't have all the bells and whistles needed for the full set of info, but it's something at a microscopic price compared to the rest of the ADS-B stuff. Since I already use Avare, maybe I'll give it a try.
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Working for me. I've been playing with the RTL SDRs since the spring (mostly ham radio, scanner replacement and digital voice projects, and some laptop ADS-B monitoring); the last time I looked Avare hadn't picked up support for this yet. I also have a USB 3.0 port on my S5 and some of the programs were having trouble with it. Put the Avare addon programs on my S5 this afternoon (already had Avare) and it works perfectly once I step outside for the line of sight. May be entertainment value only, but certainly a good way for folks to get a taste of what ADS-B in is like before paying up for a Garmin or Stratus unit.
 
Is TIS-B sent from the ground towers on both 978mhz (UAT) and 1090mhz (ES)?
 
Pedals2Paddles said:
Second, this devices receives on 1090mhz extended squidder only. It does not receive anything on the 978mhz UAT frequency. The only traffic you will see on this are other aircraft equipped with a Mode S transponder within air-to-air direct range
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Actually, these devices are quite broadbanded, I've tuned my all over the place.

The software doesn't yet support the TIS services on UAT but the hardware is more than capable of doing so.
 
Sorry, that is what I meant when I said that. Of course the receiver hardware can receive the 978mhz frequency. But the software can't do anything with what i hears on it. Yet.
 
I've been playing with a couple of RTL dongles lately. A lot of fun, and well worth the investment. Surprised how much Mode S traffic I can see from the house and how little is running ADS-B
 
wsuffa said:
I've been playing with a couple of RTL dongles lately. A lot of fun, and well worth the investment. Surprised how much Mode S traffic I can see from the house and how little is running ADS-B
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Link? I live close to C space. Might be fun.
 
Geico266 said:
Link? I live close to C space. Might be fun.
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Sure.
Start here: http://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/

I am using a Jummax SDR that I got via Amazon (Amazon's ASIN number: B00C37AZXK). It was $11.95, Amazon Prime shipping (there are cheaper ones that are similar/same, but check where the ship from - I didn't want the shipper to be in Asia).

There are a number of software packages. SDR# (sdrsharp.com) package includes ADSB#, which one decoder for Mode S. There are instructions for using it with Virtual Radar package. The combo works pretty well.

Lots of other stuff out there, too, but for ~$12 you too can see 1090ES ADSB. As I said, not as much as I expected, but most of the international flights I see have it.
 
We have Mode S only in our plane. I can get an alert when someone flips on the master and starts taxiing. :)
 
Heheh - watching the ADS-B downlink today, there's a plane at 24,000' (23,975) that's been misprogrammed. Callsign is showing as "GOTO FMS".
 
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