I consulted it a lot while working on an open-source ADS-B receiver project that decodes Mode S using RP2040 PIO. https://github.com/CoolNamesAllTaken/adsbee/
The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
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Re: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
#22I'll save someone the googling since I just did. You need some hardware to hack: I think this is what you need: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/
For optimal ADS-B reception, pair that RTL-SDR with a 1090MHz bandpass filter and place your antenna outdoors with clear sky view, as these signals are line-of-sight and easily attenuated by buildings.
The most common design for wire antennas at 1090 MHz is the quarter-wavelength monopole (such as a ground-plane or whip). For 1090 MHz, the quarter-wavelength in free space is approximately 68.8mm, but practical build recommendations round this to 65-66mm to account for the velocity factor of the conductor, especially if the antenna element is made from solid wire rather than thin tubing. For a dipole (the total length being half the wavelength), the length is approximately 137mm (ie. 2x68.5mm). Commercial antennas sold for 1090 MHz may appear longer because they are collinear or have internal elements designed for added gain or bandwidth.
Re: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
#23DOI: https://doi.org/10.34641/mg.11 Source files/code: https://mode-s.org/ Synopsis: In the last twenty years, aircraft surveillance has moved from controller-based interrogation to automatic broadcast. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is one of the most common methods for aircraft to report their state information like identity, position, and speed. Like other Mode S communications, ADS-B makes…
> aircraft surveillance has moved from controller-based interrogation to automatic broadcast I'd take issue with the phrasing "moved from" and would rather use "supplemented by". Controller-based interrogation is still widely used.
On the defense side ADS-B can provide a baseline air picture of cooperative traffic, but does not otherwise help with detecting non-cooperative aircraft.
Re: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
#24Re: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
#25Re: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
#26Re: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
#27I'll save someone the googling since I just did. You need some hardware to hack: I think this is what you need: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/
Re: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
#28Is Elon still super sensitive about ADS-B? Asking for a friend... who lives next to Austin Bergstrom airport. And has 6 rtl-sdr's on his desk begging for mission...
Ps Elon is not against ADS-B but against people sharing the received data and scrutinising his private jet use. Not sure why that would be a deterrent to do that though.
Re: The 1090 Megahertz Riddle: A Guide to Decoding Mode S and ADS-B Signals
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
For optimal ADS-B reception, pair that RTL-SDR with a 1090MHz bandpass filter and place your antenna outdoors with clear sky view, as these signals are line-of-sight and easily attenuated by buildings.
It is perhaps telling the author lives in the Netherlands! My findings were also that it's really super important to have them up high... at which point you need decent cable, termination and general radio knowledge otherwise you are exposing yourself to other issues. Basically, if there's complex topography, give up on this ever giving excellent results unless you have a radio tower or tree. The most common design f…
Well, 1090 Mhz is a crap frequency to run through coax cable for long distances. The attenuation is pretty high at that frequency already. So I wouldn't just mount the antenna on the roof and then coax the RF down a few floors. You will reduce your range.
I would simply mount the SDR itself right up on top of the mast, along with a raspberry pi to decode everything. Then add a PoE HAT and all you need to bring down is Ethernet for which long distances are no issue. The PoE uses 48V so it also bypasses the problem of voltage drop on 5V with high current. Put it all in a waterproof box of course. Ideally metal for heat dissipation because waterproof means no airflow from outside to inside.
Make sure you use real copper Ethernet cable and not that CCA crap (copper clad aluminium) because that has much higher resistance and does have big problems with PoE. All the cheap cables are CCA these days so beware.