DIY Rooftop Raspberry Pi Aircraft ADS-B Build

Published at : 23 Dec 2025

I've built an outdoor ADS-B aircraft position tracker on a budget! It uses a Raspberry Pi, two SDR USB receivers, two homemade antennas and an inexpensive enclosure to house everything on our roof.

Instructions for PiAware:
https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/

SDR Receivers for 1090 MHz and 978 MHz:
https://www.amazon.com/FlightAware-FA-PROSTICKPLUS-1-Receiver-Built-Filter/dp/B01M7REJJW
https://www.amazon.com/FlightAware-Pro-Stick-ADS-B-Receiver/dp/B01D1ZAP3C

Plastic box:
https://www.harborfreight.com/030-caliber-ammo-box-63135.html

Make your own antennas:
https://lucsmall.com/2017/02/06/making-antennas-for-1090mhz-ads-b-aircraft-tracking/

1/4 Wave Ground Plane Antenna Calculator:
https://m0ukd.com/calculators/quarter-wave-ground-plane-antenna-calculator/