The cost of a Pi 4B is typically less than the current cost of a Pi 3B+ so if you are buying a Pi choose the 4, otherwise a 3 or 3b+ will work fine.
(You may even use a Pi Zero W though most premade images do not support it.)
Power Supply
Clean power is important in maintaining a stable decode.
- The Pi 3B+ requires 5V 2.5A power supply.
- The Pi 4B requires 5.1V 3.5A power supply.
If your Pi did not come with a power supply, or if you need to replace it, we highly recommend the following one on Amazon: CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (USB-C)
⚠️Power supply issues are very common when using a Pi based receiver and SDR. We can’t stress enough how important it is to provide stable, adequate power for the Pi SDR combo. Many common issues are caused by poor power supplies, and even if things appear to work, insufficient power can limit the performance of your SDR and LNA, reducing your overall range. If you’re running two or more SDRs, using a powered USB may improve range even further
Custom Cooled Case
ADSBexchange.com designed a custom case that takes a 30 mm fan and mounts the Pi and SDR in the airflow. Link to purchase the case from the ADS-B Exchange store here.
3D Case
3D printer STLs (exported from FreeCAD)
STL Link for 3D printing: https://github.com/adsbxchange/pi-4-feeder-case
SDR Hardware
Using a quality SDR (Software Defined Radio) receiver and LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) is essential for receiving long-range signals; however, reliable options are available at an affordable price point of around $40.
Antenna
ADS-B Exchange sells a very high-quality ADS-B Antenna which also happens to be one of the only 1090/978 Combo Antennas available. It is 26″ / 66 cm tall, and use of a Y cable and a second SDR allows you to receive both American Frequencies with a single antenna. View in the ADS-B Exchange Store
Coax Cable
Using good quality cable is important in optimizing range and decoding of ADS-B signals. Short runs of 3-5 feet / 1-2 meters can use RG-58 or other ‘poor’ cable. Runs of 10 feet / 3 meters or more require a low loss equivalent cable designed for high frequency.
Tip: Don’t underestimate the signal loss caused by poor cables and connections—top feeders use LMR400 or better for anything beyond very short runs.