GoKawiilPants for Birds launches ADSBee m1421, a dual-band ADS-B module built on Semtech's LR2021
Pants for Birds has released the ADSBee m1421, a new open-source aircraft tracking module that combines TI's CC1314 microcontroller with Semtech's newly launched LR2021 chip. The pairing lets the device receive both Mode S and UAT aircraft signals, including TIS-B and FIS-B uplink data, in a much smaller and lower-power package than the company's existing ADSBee 1090U receiver.
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By offloading RF demodulation work that used to require discrete components onto a single chip, the design sharply cuts size, cost and power draw, making dual-band ADS-B reception practical for battery-limited platforms like drones and weather balloons. This kind of miniaturization could broaden access to detect-and-avoid capability, an important safety feature as more autonomous aircraft share airspace.
- ADSBee m1421 pairs TI's CC1314 with Semtech's new LR2021 chip for dual-band ADS-B reception.
- The design shrinks the RF front-end that previously needed discrete components, cutting size and power use.
- It's aimed at low-power, low-cost detect-and-avoid uses like drones and weather balloons, sold as a solder-down module.
FlightAware Pro Stick Plus ADS-B USB Receiver — If the ADSBee 1421 has you curious about tracking aircraft yourself, the FlightAware Pro Stick Plus is the classic starting point for a 1090MHz ADS-B setup with a Raspberry Pi. It plugs straight into USB with a built-in filter and amp, so you can start pulling in Mode S packets from planes overhead the same day it arrives.
See FlightAware Pro Stick Plus ADS-B USB Receiver on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: pantsforbirds.com, 2026-08-26
Published there as: “Show HN: We built the smallest dual-band aircraft tracker”
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