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ADS-B Tracker Hosts

pa38112

Well Known Member
I recently received a free ADS-B flight tracker from FlightAware. They give these out for free in areas where they need more coverage. Areas they specifically need stations in the US are:

Alaska (except Anchorage)
Montana, Wyoming
North Dakota (except Fargo)
North Nevada
Southern Oregon

All you need is a internet connection and a place to install the antenna. In these areas you can request one here: https://flightaware.com/adsb/request

Personally I would also like to see more sites tracking 978mhz aircraft. Many GA aircraft are using 978mhz-out (tailbeacon, Garmin GDL 82, ect). For $100 you can build a Pieaware receiver and start contributing to the 978mhz network. https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/build
 
What benefit does the pilot in the air get from having these private receivers on the ground?
 
Rob, I don't know of any real benefit in the air, but it is nice for things like someone who is picking you up at an airport being able to see in real time how far out you are. Or in a case like mine where I have three kids flying, where they are, or when they will be home.
 
Here in western Oregon I do. But for various reasons I'm feeding ADSBexchange, not FA.

This is a composite of ADSBexchange's coverage (both 978 MHz and 1090 MHz) in the western US. You can modify the URL for a different airport and zoom level. Or just manually zoom and pan.

--
Joe

Thanks for the link. I run PiAware as my desktop but this site has some cool features. Interestingly, there are aircraft that my PiAware receiver picks up that don't show on ADSBexchange.
 
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... this site has some cool features.

I agree. tar1090 is a nice piece of work with a lot of time and effort by "wiedehopf" who made it available to all (open source on GitHub). I'm making some modifications for the copy I run on locally on my Raspberry pi and will see if I can learn how to put them into the branch master for others too.

Interestingly, there are aircraft that my PiAware receiver picks up that don't show on ADSBexchange.
Yes, this is "a thing". Not everyone feeds all services so some services have better/different coverage in certain areas than others (especially for UAT).

Alas, many ADSB enthusiasts only care about tracking airliners and like to brag about their "reception range" and "number of aircraft tracked". It doesn't take much of a setup to pick up a Boeing at FL400 200 NM away but it's a different story for G.A. aircraft where terrain is a factor, again especially for UAT.

And that brings us full circle back to the OP's wish that there was more UAT coverage <g>.
 
Personally I would also like to see more sites tracking 978mhz aircraft. Many GA aircraft are using 978mhz-out (tailbeacon, Garmin GDL 82, ect). For $100 you can build a Pieaware receiver and start contributing to the 978mhz network.

I'd like to see less 978mhz tracking. There are already enough things out there tracking my location, I can't possibly understand the reason for wanting more.

Thankful that there is an anonymous mode, even though it could be much better.
 
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