DIY WingBits ADSB Flight Tracking Setup Guide

WingBits Hardware Requirements:

System Requirements:

One of the following is required. We basically just need any efficient and low powered computer we can get our hands on. Any Raspberry PI, Intel NUC, or similar will do. They don’t have to be all that powerful. However I will recommend you have at least 32g-64g of storage, 4g of ram, and at least 2 cpu threads. For this we will be targeting a budget of around $100-$200 for hardware but feel free to go higher if it suits your needs. Our power target is 25w or better on average.

Raspberry Pi:

Hard to get ahold of these days but they are super low power and are quite customizable.

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• Raspberry Pi 4B Model B DIY Kit
• GeeekPi Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Starter Kit
• GeeekPi Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Starter Kit

Intel Nuc:

Wide variety of models out there. Feel Free to choose a newer one.

• Intel NUC 12 Pro
• Intel NUC 8
• Intel NUC 6

Any Mini PC with Intel N5100 or similar

For super low power Raspberry Pi equivalent but on x64 platform.

• Beelink U59 Mini PC
• TRIGKEY Mini Computer

ADSB Specific Equipment:

ADSB Receivers

We go into this in much greater detail in our Guide on Best ADSB RTL-SDR Recievers

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• (Preferred) AirNav Radarbox Flightstick
• ADSBexchange.com Blue R820T2 RTL2832U

ADSB Antennas

• (Preferred) AirNav RadarBox ADS-B Antenna
• SIGNALPLUS 1090MHz ADS-B Antenna
• 1090MHz 978MHz Dual Band ADS-B Antenna

Optional Extras

The ADSB receivers linked above have LNA and Filters built in. Only consider using a LNA or Filters if you have a non specific SDR

• Nooelec SAWbird+ ADS-B: Premium, Dual-Channel, Cascaded Ultra-Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) & Filter Module for Airplane Tracking Applications.

Band Pass and SAW Filters

• (Preferred) ADSBexchange.com 1090 Mhz Saw Filter
• 1090MHz Band Pass Filter, Saw Band Pass Filter

Low Noise Amplifiers

• (Preferred) Nooelec Lana - Ultra Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA)
• Low Noise Amplifier 20dB High Gain

SMA Pigtails

• 2 Pack 6inch SMA to SMA Adapter Cable
• 5pcs RF Coaxial Coax SMA Male to SMA Male

OS Installation:

We won’t go into the technical details of how to install an operating system here. However here are some great resources to get you started.

Raspbian:

• Getting started
• The New Method to Setup Raspberry Pi

Ubuntu:

• Install Ubuntu desktop
• Ubuntu Server - Basic installation
• Ubuntu Complete Beginner’s Guide: Download & Installing Ubuntu

Setup Instructions for Installing WingBits

Wingbits Home Page

Wingbits Home Page

Wingbits technology stack currently operates like this.

readsb -> vector -> wingbits

To get started is simple, just follow these steps:

1. Run the WingBits setup script by using the command:

curl -sL https://gitlab.com/wingbits/config/-/raw/master/download.sh | sudo bash

Note: Make sure you have your device ID/antenna name, which you can find in your original WingBits email or on the WingBits dashboard.

Note: Make sure you have your device ID/antenna name, which you can find in your original WingBits email or on the WingBits dashboard.

2: Setting Up Your Location

Setting your mining location is crucial. Use tools like LatLong.netto find the coordinates for your installation site. Replace the example coordinates with your own:

sudo readsb-set-location 50.12344 10.23429

3: Optimizing Gain Levels

Now, it’s time to optimize your receiver’s gain levels. Run the following command, if it fails, come back to this step after a few minutes.

sudo bash -c "$(curl -L -o - https://github.com/wiedehopf/adsb-scripts/raw/master/autogain-install.sh)" hash -r
sudo autogain1090
# Run ever 2 minutes, in the background, for an hour to optimize gain even further
sudo for i in {0..30}; do sudo autogain1090; sleep 120; done &

Note: Read the Troubleshooting and Helpful Commands section below on how to set the gain levels more optimally.

Note: Read our Troubleshooting and Helpful Commands guide to learn how to set the gain levels more optimally.

4. Profit?

At this point you’re done. Sit back and relax. However if you discover you are running into issues, or you’d like to learn more, read below.