adsb.im

After the first boot, try http://adsb-feeder.local first. If that doesn't load, go to my.adsb.im, which redirects to your new feeder. If you planned to use WiFi but couldn't configure it while writing the SD card, the image creates a hotspot named adsb.im-feeder that you can connect to.

The three access paths, in order

1. Local address via mDNS (try first)

Open a browser on a device on the same network and go to:

http://adsb-feeder.local

This works when mDNS resolution is functioning on your home network. It's the fastest path because it talks directly to the feeder without any external service.

2. Redirect service (fallback)

If adsb-feeder.local doesn't resolve — common on networks that block or don't forward mDNS — use:

http://my.adsb.im

This should redirect you to your new ADS-B feeder. Use this when the local name fails but the feeder is otherwise reachable.

3. WiFi hotspot (when WiFi wasn't pre-configured)

If you intended to use WiFi and weren't able to set it up while writing the SD card, the image starts a hotspot:

• SSID: adsb.im-feeder

Connect to that hotspot, then reach the feeder through the browser. This is the path for a headless setup where no wired Ethernet is available and no WiFi credentials were baked into the card.

Before you try any of these

The steps that come before access, per the project's install flow:

1. Start with one of the supported single board computers.
2. Add an SDR radio dongle and an antenna.
3. Download the matching SD-card image and write it to an SD card.
4. Boot your SBC and wait — usually a few minutes, but in some cases 15 to 20 minutes depending on the model and image.

If you jump to the browser too early, the feeder may simply not be up yet. Give it the full wait window on slower boards before concluding something is wrong.

Quick decision table

Common sticking points

• Nothing loads at adsb-feeder.local: this is usually an mDNS issue on the home network, not a dead feeder. Switch to my.adsb.im.
• You never set up WiFi: don't wait for a network connection that won't appear — connect to the adsb.im-feeder hotspot instead.
• You checked too soon: first boot can take 15 to 20 minutes on some models. Wait before troubleshooting.
• No dongle or antenna attached: the hardware steps come before access; a feeder without its SDR and antenna isn't the setup you're trying to reach.

Once you're in, the feeder plots aircraft on your own map and can share to aggregators such as adsb.lol, ADS-B Exchange, FlightAware, FlightRadar24, and OpenSky Network, among others.

To set up an ADSB.im feeder you need three pieces of hardware — a supported single board computer (SBC), an SDR radio dongle, and an antenna — then you download the matching SD-card image, write it to a card, boot the board, and open the feeder's web interface. The SBC image route is the recommended starting point because it is the most tested and typically the easiest to use, with the fewest pitfalls.

Hardware you need

The same Feeder Image also supports AIS (ships), Sonde (weather balloons), and ACARS/VDL2/HFDL (aircraft-to-ground data), so the hardware you attach determines what you track.

Installation steps (SBC image — easiest)

1. Start with one of the supported single board computers.
2. Add an SDR radio dongle and an antenna.
3. Download the SD-card image that matches your board and write it to an SD card.
4. Boot the SBC and wait. Depending on the model and the specific image this usually takes a few minutes, but in some cases it can take 15 to 20 minutes.
5. If you have wired Ethernet — or after you have configured WiFi — go to http://adsb-feeder.local. If mDNS is not working on your home network, go to my.adsb.im, which should redirect you to your new ADS-B feeder.

If you plan to use WiFi

If you could not configure WiFi while writing the SD card, the image creates a WiFi hotspot named adsb.im-feeder that you can connect to in order to finish setup.

Other installation routes

Besides the SBC image, the site lists two alternatives:

• DietPi — described as easy.
• Linux — described as more advanced.

When in doubt, the SBC image should be your first choice.

What you get once it is running

Your feeder plots aircraft on your own map, showing recent tracks and information such as altitude, speed, and — for many commercial flights — the flight route. You can also share your data with aggregators including adsb.lol, adsb.fi, ADS-B Exchange, FlightAware, FlightRadar24, OpenSky Network, Plane.watch, Plane Finder, and others.

Choose the Single Board Computer (SBC) image unless you have a specific reason not to. ADSB.im's own documentation calls it the first choice: it is the most tested, typically the easiest to use, and has the fewest pitfalls. Pick DietPi if you want a lighter, more managed Linux base on supported hardware, and pick the plain Linux route only if you are comfortable administering a system yourself or need to run the feeder on hardware the images don't cover.

The three methods at a glance

All three end up running the same ADS-B Feeder Image software, so the difference is in setup and maintenance, not in what the feeder can receive.

Single Board Computer image (easiest)

This is the path ADSB.im tests most and recommends when you are unsure.

1. Start with one of the supported single board computers. Most people use a Raspberry Pi; several other boards are supported.
2. Add an SDR radio dongle and an antenna.
3. Download the matching SD-card image and write it to an SD card.
4. Boot the SBC and wait. Depending on the model and image this usually takes a few minutes, but in some cases 15 to 20 minutes.
5. If you have wired Ethernet, or once you have configured WiFi, open http://adsb-feeder.local. If mDNS does not work on your network, use my.adsb.im, which redirects to your new feeder.

Expected result: a running feeder reachable from a browser on your local network, ready to plot aircraft on your own map and share to aggregators.

Common snag: if you planned to use WiFi and could not configure it while writing the SD card, the image creates a WiFi hotspot named adsb.im-feeder that you connect to in order to finish setup.

DietPi (easy)

Choose this when you want a smaller, more controlled operating system underneath the feeder and are willing to make a few more decisions during setup. It sits between the fully prebuilt SBC image and a manual Linux install: less hand-holding than the image, far less work than building the stack yourself. It still assumes supported hardware and an SDR dongle plus antenna.

Linux (more advanced)

Choose this if you are already running a Linux machine you want to reuse, if your hardware is not covered by the supported board list, or if you want full control over updates and services. You take on the operating system, dependencies, and ongoing maintenance yourself. If you are new to ADS-B feeding, this is the option most likely to cost you an evening of troubleshooting.

What the feeder can receive

The image is not limited to aircraft. Beyond ADS-B it supports AIS for tracking ships, Sonde for weather balloons, and ACARS/VDL2/HFDL for data transmissions from aircraft to ground stations. Each area has its own aggregators and communities, but the setup approach is the same across them.

You can plot aircraft on your own map and share to aggregators including adsb.lol, Fly Italy Adsb, TheAirTraffic, adsb.fi, sdrmap, 1090MHz UK, ADS-B Exchange, ADSBHub, HPRadar, airplanes.live, AVDelphi, FlightAware, FlightRadar24, OpenSky Network, Plane.watch, Plane Finder, Planespotters.net, AirNav Radar, Radar Virtuel, and more.

How to decide

• You just want it working this weekend: SBC image.
• You want a leaner OS and don't mind a menu-driven setup: DietPi.
• You have spare Linux hardware, unusual hardware, or want full control: Linux.
• You are unsure: the SBC image, per ADSB.im's own guidance.

The hardware requirements are the same in every case: a supported board or Linux host, an SDR radio dongle, and an antenna.

ADSB.im is the home of the ADS-B Feeder Image, a ready-made software image that turns your own hardware into a receiver for aircraft, ship, and weather-balloon signals. It is aimed at people who want to plot nearby traffic on their own map and share that data with public aggregators, without assembling a feeder stack by hand. The easiest path is a single-board computer (SBC) image, which the project describes as the most tested and least error-prone option.

What the Feeder Image actually does

The image started as a simpler way to set up an ADS-B feeder, and has since grown to cover several signal types:

• ADS-B — track aircraft, see recent tracks, altitude, speed, and for many commercial flights even the flight route.
• AIS — track ships.
• Sonde — track weather balloons.
• ACARS / VDL2 / HFDL — receive data transmissions from aircraft to ground stations.

Each of these areas has its own aggregators and communities, but they share the same setup approach through the Feeder Image.

Sharing your data with aggregators

One of the main reasons to run a feeder is to contribute to public networks. ADSB.im lists a long set of supported aggregators you can feed, including adsb.lol, Fly Italy Adsb, TheAirTraffic, adsb.fi, sdrmap, 1090MHz UK, ADS-B Exchange, ADSBHub, HPRadar, airplanes.live, AVDelphi, FlightAware, FlightRadar24, OpenSky Network, Plane.watch, Plane Finder, Planespotters.net, AirNav Radar, Radar Virtuel, and more.

You can plot aircraft on your own map first, then forward the same data outward.

Installation options

There are several ways to install the ADS-B Feeder Image, depending on where and how you want to run things. When in doubt, the project recommends starting with an SBC image.

Most people appear to use Raspberry Pis, though several other boards are supported.

Step-by-step: SBC image install

1. Start with one of the supported single board computers.
2. Add an SDR radio dongle and an antenna.
3. Download the matching SD-card image and write it to an SD card.
4. Boot your SBC and wait. Depending on the model and specific image this usually takes a few minutes, but in some cases it can take 15 to 20 minutes.
5. If you have wired Ethernet, or after you have configured WiFi, go to http://adsb-feeder.local. If mDNS isn't working on your home network, use my.adsb.im, which should redirect you to your new ADS-B feeder.

If you plan to use WiFi

If you weren't able to configure WiFi while writing the SD card, the image creates a WiFi hotspot named adsb.im-feeder that you can connect to in order to finish setup.

What you need before starting

• A supported single-board computer.
• An SDR radio dongle.
• An antenna.
• An SD card to write the image to.
• A wired Ethernet connection, or a way to join the adsb.im-feeder hotspot to configure WiFi.

Common sticking points

• mDNS not resolving. adsb-feeder.local depends on mDNS working on your network. If it doesn't, fall back to my.adsb.im.
• First boot taking a while. Don't assume something is broken if the initial boot runs long; 15 to 20 minutes is within the expected range for some models and images.
• WiFi not pre-configured. You can still recover by connecting to the adsb.im-feeder hotspot the image creates.

If your goal is simply to get an aircraft-tracking feeder running with minimal fiddling, the SBC image is the intended starting point. If you want to run it inside an existing Linux environment, that path exists but is described as more advanced.

ADSB.im is not limited to aircraft tracking. According to the project's own description, the ADS-B Feeder Image has expanded beyond its original ADS-B purpose to also support AIS (ship tracking), Sonde (weather balloon tracking), and ACARS/VDL2/HFDL (data transmissions between aircraft and ground stations). Each of these areas has its own aggregators and communities, but they share the same setup approach through the Feeder Image.

The Four Signal Types ADSB.im Handles

The project describes itself as "the easiest way to track nearby aircraft, ships, or even weather balloons with your own hardware and share with others." So the scope is deliberately broader than plane spotting alone.

What Each Non-Aircraft Signal Gives You

AIS — Ship Tracking

AIS lets you plot vessels on your own map rather than only aircraft. If you live near a coast, a harbor, or a busy shipping lane, this is the reason to add AIS to your feeder. The same hardware-and-image workflow applies; you are just decoding a different signal.

Sonde — Weather Balloons

Sonde tracking follows weather balloons (radiosondes) as they ascend and drift. This is a niche but active community. It is useful if you want to follow launches in your region and contribute that data, and it runs on the same Feeder Image rather than a separate system.

ACARS / VDL2 / HFDL — Aircraft-to-Ground Data

These are data transmissions sent between aircraft and ground stations, not position broadcasts. Receiving them gives you a different view of aviation activity than ADS-B position data. As with AIS and Sonde, the project notes each area has its own aggregators and communities.

Sharing Your Data

ADSB.im is built around feeding aggregators. The project lists many aircraft-focused destinations, including adsb.lol, Fly Italy Adsb, TheAirTraffic, adsb.fi, sdrmap, 1090MHz UK, ADS-B Exchange, ADSBHub, HPRadar, airplanes.live, AVDelphi, FlightAware, FlightRadar24, OpenSky Network, Plane.watch, Plane Finder, Planespotters.net, AirNav Radar, and Radar Virtuel, among others. The non-aircraft modes (AIS, Sonde, ACARS/VDL2/HFDL) have their own aggregators and communities, which you would select based on which signal you are decoding.

What You Need to Get Started

The setup path is the same regardless of which signal you choose:

1. Start with one of the supported single board computers (Raspberry Pi is the most common; several other boards are supported).
2. Add an SDR radio dongle and an antenna.
3. Download the matching SD-card image and write it to an SD card.
4. Boot the SBC and wait — usually a few minutes, though some models and images can take 15 to 20 minutes.
5. With wired Ethernet, or after configuring WiFi, go to http://adsb-feeder.local, or use my.adsb.im if mDNS is not working on your network, which redirects to your new feeder.
6. If you could not configure WiFi while writing the SD card, the image creates a WiFi hotspot named adsb.im-feeder that you connect to.

The project recommends the Single Board Computer image as the first choice when in doubt, since it is tested the most, is typically easiest to use, and has the fewest pitfalls. DietPi is described as easy, and a plain Linux install as more advanced.

How to Decide Which Signals to Receive

• Already running an ADS-B feeder and want more? Add AIS if you are near water, or Sonde if you want to follow weather balloon launches.
• Interested in aviation communications rather than positions? ACARS/VDL2/HFDL is the relevant mode.
• Just want the simplest start? Begin with the standard ADS-B setup on a supported SBC, then expand to the other signal types once the feeder is running.

Because all four signal types run through the same Feeder Image and the same hardware-and-boot workflow, the choice is mainly about which antenna, dongle, and aggregator match the signal you care about — not about learning a separate installation process for each one.