AvioADSBBest RTL-SDR Dongle for ADS-B: What to Buy
Looking for the best RTL-SDR dongle for ADS-B? See which tuner, TCXO and filter options matter at 1090 MHz, and how to get your receiver feeding AvioADSB.
The best RTL-SDR dongle for ADS-B is a genuine one with an R820T2-class tuner, a temperature-compensated oscillator (TCXO) and, if you live in a noisy radio area, a built-in or add-on 1090 MHz filter. You do not need anything exotic. Here is what actually matters when you shop, and what you can ignore.
An RTL-SDR dongle. Photo: Joeceads, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
What an ADS-B dongle has to do
ADS-B aircraft transmit on 1090 MHz. The RTL-SDR Blog guide to ADS-B says an R820T or R820T2 tuner gives the best performance at that frequency, and that other tuners, such as the E4000, perform worse. It also notes that a dedicated commercial ADS-B receiver can cost $200 to $1000, which is why a $20-class RTL-SDR is so attractive for hobbyists.
Features worth paying for
- A TCXO. RTL-SDR Blog describes its dongles as having a temperature compensated oscillator with under 1 PPM drift, which helps keep the receiver on frequency.
- A built-in filter (optional). FlightAware recommends the Pro Stick Plus, which has its own filter that works well where there is a lot of radio noise, such as urban areas. The standard Pro Stick can be used on 1090 or 978 MHz.
- A bias tee (optional). The RTL-SDR Blog V3 and V4 provide a 4.5 V bias tee for powering an LNA over the coax. You only need this if you add an amplifier later.
Common choices
- RTL-SDR Blog V3 or V4. Popular, well documented, and listed by the vendor at $34.95 to $39.95 for the V3 dongle alone. The V4 has better front-end filtering against strong broadcast stations, per the vendor. Check stock before you plan around one model.
- FlightAware Pro Stick Plus. The simplest pick for a PiAware-style build in a noisy area, since the filter is built in.
- Any generic RTL2832U dongle. It can work, as our hardware guide says, but check whether it has a TCXO.
Avoid counterfeits
RTL-SDR Blog warns that fakes exist, and that dongles with blue or green cases, square silver cases with four screws, or "Pro" labels are not genuine versions of its product. Buy from the official store or a listed reseller.
The antenna matters more than the dongle
A mid-range dongle on a well-placed antenna beats a premium dongle behind a window. Read our antenna placement guide and, if you like to build, the DIY 1090 MHz antenna walkthrough.
From dongle to feeding
Once the dongle decodes aircraft on your Raspberry Pi, sharing that data takes minutes. If you already feed other networks, you can feed AvioADSB from the same receiver. Our Raspberry Pi receiver guide covers the whole build.
Start with this hardware list
Start with the AvioADSB hardware list, then connect your receiver to AvioADSB: create a free account, add a receiver and run the feeder script.