Mode Inmarsat Aero

Inmarsat Aero: aircraft satellite data link, needs an L-band antenna.

Group	Satellite & navigation
Default frequency	1545.57 MHz
Default sample rate	4 Msps
In the mode list	Aero, L-band

Step-by-step: Tutorial-Inmarsat-Aero

What Inmarsat Aero is

Inmarsat Aero channels are the L-band satellite data link of aircraft (SwiftBroadband and the older Aero C/P channels).

Frequencies and settings

Aircraft satellite data link, L band.

Setting	Value
Start frequency	1545.57 MHz
Tuning range of the mode table	1525 to 1559 MHz
Sample rate asked	4 Msps
Lowest working rate	240 ksps
Channel width	20 kHz

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 Aero, L-band.

What OnAir shows

Messages, and positions on a map.

The mode's own tab has these screens: Messages, Aircraft map, Aircraft, Log-ons, Channels, Signal units. 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 satellite downlinks is generally legal. Encrypted or spread content is not decoded, and voice codecs that are patented are not shipped with OnAir. See Legal.

Related pages

• All modes, Satellite & navigation
• Supported radios, Troubleshooting, FAQ
• More in Satellite & navigation: GNSS, Inmarsat-C, Iridium, Meteor-M LRPT, GOES HRIT, Elektro-L, Orbcomm, QO-100, CubeSat telemetry, Globalstar