Nooelec Flycatcher - High Performance Dual-Channel RTL-SDR Raspberry Pi HAT for Flight Tracking & Aviation Monitoring. ADS-B 1090MHz and UAT 978MHz Software Defined Radio w/Local & Remote LNA Bypass

TL/DR: This is a legitimately odd design in that it is USB powered but hat format. Once you get past that, it seems to work quite well for its intended purpose. You can install it on the bottom of the PI or use GPIO pass-through if having it over the GPIO pins is interfering with something for you so I don't see it as the end of the world.Longer: I've had various pi-based ADS-B solutions since Stratux and the like first started coming on the scene circa 2017. This hardware seems to be more oriented towards FlightAware or similar, but would work for a Stratux type build as well.This module solves the problem of physically mounting individual SDR modules without using hot glue. That's really about it. It results in a more professional seeming and solid seeming total device, except for the presence of two USB jumpers which probably reverse any reliability gains you might see. A standard SDR module has the USB A port built in so there is only one connector vs. the two connectors on these.Antennas are not included. If you don't have them that will run you another $20 or more depending on what you want. I somewhat agree with their decision not to include antennas in this configuration because it is more likely people will want to use it for FlightAware and maybe have a mounted antenna.Part of me wants to knock a star off for those two points, especially since for $75 Nooelec will sell you two USB RTL-SDR modules with antennas. But I am not sure that's really fair. It works, it does what it was designed to do, and this will solve problems for some people.Apart from antennas, this seems to have everything you need on the hardware side to turn your existing Pi into a FlightAware base station. Except the software and documentation. There are plenty of guides to setting up FlightAware or Stratux type systems so that isn't a huge problem.Performance seems top notch. I have a bag of RTL-SDR setups including some that are tuned for 1090 and 978 and this performed as well as the best of them. At the end of the day, the combination of performance and purpose makes this a 5 star product for me. If it doesn't match your purpose you can knock it down a star or two but the unit I received works well.

The Nooelec Flycatcher is a powerful tool for aviation enthusiasts and professionals looking to track flights and monitor air traffic. This dual-channel RTL-SDR Raspberry Pi HAT supports both ADS-B 1090MHz and UAT 978MHz frequencies, making it ideal for monitoring a wide range of aviation communications and flight data.With its high-performance design, the Flycatcher ensures excellent reception and accurate tracking, and the local and remote LNA bypass enhances signal strength, ensuring reliable performance in various environments. It’s compatible with Raspberry Pi, allowing for easy integration with flight tracking software for both local and remote monitoring.What stands out most is the versatility and performance of this unit, making it perfect for anyone interested in real-time flight tracking and aviation monitoring. The Nooelec Flycatcher offers advanced features in a compact, easy-to-use package, ideal for hobbyists and professionals alike.

The Nooelec Flycatcher RTL-SDR Raspberry Pi HAT is a fantastic tool for aviation enthusiasts. The dual-channel design allows for simultaneous reception of ADS-B signals on 1090MHz and UAT signals on 978MHz, making it ideal for flight tracking and aviation monitoring. The high-performance RTL-SDR chip and included antennas provide excellent reception, and the software-defined radio (SDR) capabilities open up a world of possibilities for experimenting with radio signals. I've been impressed with its performance and ease of use.

To say I am disappointed is an understatement. For a hundred bucks you get no guide on usage, no interfacing/api help, and you have to buy antennas separately ...really?? A hat that doesn't need to be a hat because it has USB... there's literally no good reason to use it as a hat since there's a USB interface, you don't even need the GIPO pin access (oh and the GPIO aren't even used for the board). Basically it turns out to be an overpriced, less functional, un-shielded...USB SDR.While the lack of info is frustrating and something you can surely get around if you poke and search enough, not having antennas and having to buy them separate means you have to spend at least one-hundred and twenty plus to get this thing usable. And THEN...you realize that the 'pass through' header they used is not the correct header length and that it doesn't connect to anything. They used a standard header, which is poorly soldered. There is so much solder running up the pins it's crazy and blocks usage of other headers and connectors. Back to the fact that it's not a proper header, the pins are far too short and do not allow connectors to actually grab the pin and make contact. The pins on a regular header meant for connectors like DuPont and so forth stick out about six millimeters. They have used a six millimeter header through the board and that only leaves about four point three millimeters of pin, which is not enough to connect standard jumper wires and the like. It would barely be enough for a full board header, if it weren't for the solder.Their website is also nearly useless. It does have a datasheet now, which maybe it didn't before judging by another reviewer. But said datasheet gives you a very simplified schematic and some basic electrical specs. Again nothing about pinout or how to interface etc. And the datasheet even advertises add-ons at the bottom, which maybe are things required to make it useful? And the links in the datasheet even go to the wrong products.All around pretty horrible.

Nice quality board, passthrough pins are nice if I wanted to run other stuff off the PI, Brings in quite a few local aircraft, I need better antennas to see it's full potential. Very cool having my own aircraft tracking server, it runs well in a headless mode,