Mode ADS B

ADS-B aircraft position and identity reports.

Group	Aviation
Default frequency	1090 MHz
Default sample rate	4 Msps
In the mode list	Aircraft, 1090 MHz

Step-by-step: Tutorial-ADS-B

What ADS-B is

ADS-B is the transponder broadcast aircraft use to announce their identity, position, altitude and speed on 1090 MHz. It is deliberately open, which is why flight trackers can show planes on a map.

Frequencies and settings

Aircraft transponders, 1090 MHz.

Setting	Value
Start frequency	1090 MHz
Tuning range of the mode table	1085 to 1095 MHz
Sample rate asked	4 Msps
Lowest working rate	2 Msps
Channel width	2 MHz

OnAir takes any frequency you type; the numbers above are the mode's starting point and the range its table describes. In the app the shortcut label is Aircraft, 1090 MHz.

What OnAir shows

Aircraft on a map, with altitude, speed and callsign; units switch between aviation (kt, ft, nm, ft/min) and metric (km/h or m/s, m, km, m/s) in the table, details, map labels and CSV export (SBS and feeds stay in aviation units).

The mode's own tab has these screens: Map, Table, Radar, Range. The other tabs (Overview, Receiver, Scan, History) are described on the Main window page.

Tips and caveats

• Checked with generated signals and impairments; recordings of real signals welcome.
• Which radio: Probably not: an RTL-SDR tunes up to about 1.7 GHz. A HackRF (1 MHz to 6 GHz) or another wideband radio is the usual choice for this frequency range.
• Try it without a radio: most modes include a built-in synthetic test signal, so you can open the screen and try the controls first.
• Receiving and the law: Receiving aircraft broadcasts is legal in many countries, but some restrict listening to or using what you hear. OnAir is a receiver. Check the rules where you live. See Legal.

Related pages

• Aircraft with ADS-B and the map
• Live map
• All modes, Aviation
• Supported radios, Troubleshooting, FAQ
• More in Aviation: Mode S uplink, ACARS, VDL2, VDL4, HFDL, Airband, VOR, ILS, NDB, Drone Remote ID, UAT, FLARM, DJI drones