Avare ADSB & Avare ADSB Pro — User Guide

Please note:
YOU NEED ADDITIONAL HARDWARE TO USE THIS APP.

This app enables your device to receive live ADS-B data (978 MHz UAT and 1090 MHz ES). All you need is a supported USB dongle and an OTG cable, both available from various sources on the internet. No subscription required.

The test version is fully functional but comes with a data limit. The app will continue to work after reaching the limit, but please consider buying the Pro version to support the development of this app. Thanks!!


Contents

  1. Hardware Setup
  2. Permissions
  3. Main Screen
  4. Frequency Modes
  5. Screens
  6. Options Reference
  7. Saving and Sharing Data
  8. Error Messages

Hardware Setup

Please check this list of reference hardware.
ItemNotes
USB SDR dongleRTL-SDR (RTL2832U) recommended
OTG cableUSB-A female → USB-C or Micro-USB to match your device
Android deviceMust support USB Host (OTG) mode
OptionalExternally powered USB hub if your device can't power the dongle
OptionalExternal antenna + amplifier (use Bias Tee setting to power it)

Connect the dongle before tapping Start. Android will prompt you to grant USB access to the app — tap OK.


Permissions

PermissionUsed for
Precise Location (GPS)Map ownship dot, proximity alerts, GDL90 ownship reports
NotificationsStatus updates while running in the background

Location is requested at first launch. The app works without it, but the map will not show your position and proximity alerts will be unavailable.


Main Screen

Buttons

ButtonAction
StartBegins receiving. Tap again to restart.
TrafficOpens the Traffic list screen.
MapOpens the Google Map with live aircraft positions.
WeatherOpens UAT weather reports (only useful in 978 MHz mode).
OptionsOpens Settings.
HelpThis page.
ExitCloses the app.

Statistics panel

While receiving, the panel shows live counts and percentages:

1090 MHz (ES) mode

StatMeaning
TotalFrames received
ValidCorrectly decoded frames
FixedFrames recovered by error correction
Bad CRCCorrupted frames (discarded)
Frames/secThroughput

978 MHz (UAT) mode

StatMeaning
UplinkGround-to-air weather/traffic messages
Short DLShort downlink (aircraft) messages
Long DLLong downlink messages
Messages/secThroughput

A pie chart shows the frame-type breakdown visually. The heartbeat line reads "Processing data…" when the signal is healthy, or counts down during startup verification.


Frequency Modes

Change frequency in Options → Frequency. A restart is required after changing.

1090 MHz — Extended Squitter (ES)

The worldwide ADS-B standard. Used mainly by airliners and larger GA aircraft. Best choice for most locations and use cases. Default.

978 MHz — Universal Access Transceiver (UAT)

Used in the USA by general aviation. In addition to traffic, it carries integrated weather products: METAR, SPECI, TAF, WINDS, PIREP, AIRMET, SIGMET, NOTAM, and SUA. Tap Weather to browse received products.

1090 & 978 MHz — Dual Mode (Pro version only)

Alternates between both frequencies every 60 seconds. Useful for long-term logging when you want both traffic and weather data. Requirements:


Screens

Traffic

A table of currently visible aircraft, ordered by most recently received. Each row shows ICAO address, callsign, altitude, speed, heading, and distance (if GPS is available). Aircraft expire after 120 seconds without a new transmission.

Map

Aircraft appear as icons on a Google Map. Features:

Tapping an Aircraft

Tap any aircraft icon to select it. Two things happen:

  1. A callout appears above the icon showing the flight's callsign, altitude, speed, distance, and ICAO address.
  2. An aircraft panel slides in from the bottom of the screen (see below).

Aircraft Panel

The panel fetches live data from two external sources and shows:

DataSource
Aircraft photo (tap to open the photo page)planespotters.net
Aircraft type, registered operatorhexdb.io
Open on ADSB Exchange link (opens in browser)globe.adsbexchange.com

If no photo is available the panel collapses to a compact strip showing any available metadata and the ADSB Exchange link. Tap elsewhere on the map to dismiss the panel.

Note: The aircraft panel requires an active internet connection. It is independent of the SDR dongle signal.

Weather (UAT 978 MHz only)

Browse the latest received weather products by type. Data is only available while receiving on 978 MHz.


Options Reference

Map Display

SettingDefaultDescription
Map ThemeDefaultChoose Default, Silver, Retro, Night, or Dark to adjust contrast for ambient lighting.
Use Metric SystemOffSwitches altitude (ft → m), speed (kt → km/h), and vertical speed (fpm → m/min) throughout the app.
Disable Flight PathOffHides the trail drawn behind each aircraft. Reduces clutter in busy airspace.
Disable Flight Path ColorsOffRemoves altitude-based coloring from trails.
Disable Maximum Reach CircleOffHides the circle marking your farthest received aircraft.

Traffic Display

SettingDefaultDescription
Traffic FilterAllShow only aircraft of a specific category: Light, Small, Large, Heavy, Rotorcraft, Glider, UAV, etc.

Monitoring

SettingDefaultDescription
Alert on Traffic Closer ThanOffPlays a sound and shows distance/bearing when an aircraft enters the set radius. Requires GPS.
Proximity Slider5 miTrigger distance (1–150 mi). Shown in km when Metric is on.
Monitor Callsign(empty)If set, alerts only for this callsign (e.g., UAL123). Leave blank to alert on all traffic.

Frequency (requires restart)

See Frequency Modes above.

Send Data to Network (UDP) (requires restart)

The app can forward decoded data over UDP for use by avionics apps (e.g., ForeFlight, Avare).

SettingDefaultDescription
Send GDL90OffEncodes traffic and ownship in GDL90 binary format and sends via UDP. Requires GPS for ownship.
Disable GDL90 OwnshipOffSuppresses your own position in the GDL90 stream. Useful if your avionics app already has GPS. Only available when Send GDL90 is on.
Send Raw (AVR Format)OffForwards raw dump1090/dump978 frames for use by other SDR tools.
Custom Destination IP/PortOffOff: data goes to 127.0.0.1:4000. On: enter any valid IP and port (1024–65535).

The app also listens on UDP port 47909 for incoming raw frames from an external SDR source.

Advanced

SettingDefaultDescription
Gain0 (auto)RF gain in dB (−99 to +99). 0 = automatic gain control. Increase for weak signals; decrease if overloaded. Requires restart.
Enable Bias TeeOffSupplies DC power through the antenna port to power an external LNA or active antenna. Requires compatible hardware. Requires restart.
Enable Auto-RestartOffRestarts automatically if no data is received for ~30 seconds. Pair with "Send to Background" for unattended operation.
Send to Background After StartOffMinimizes the app 1 second after tapping Start. Useful with Auto-Restart.
Disable Data TimeoutOffKeeps services running indefinitely even with no signal. Off = services stop after ~20 s without data. Uses more battery when on.

Saving and Sharing Data

Enable in Options → Save Data to Internal Storage.

SettingFileFormat
Save Raw DataADSB/ES.txt or ADSB/UAT.txtAVR hex frames
Save TrafficADSB/Traffic.csvCSV: ICAO, Flight, Squawk, Category, Speed, Vertical Speed, Heading, Altitude, Lat, Lon, Timestamp

The Share button (folder icon) zips all saved files and opens the system share sheet so you can email or upload them.

The Delete button (trash icon) permanently deletes all saved files after a confirmation prompt.

Note: The CSV header reflects the unit system (metric vs. imperial) at the time the file was first created. Toggling the Metric setting later does not update the header.

Error Messages

MessageCauseFix
No supported USB dongle foundDongle not detectedCheck OTG cable; try re-inserting the dongle
Device found but access deniedUSB permission deniedRe-attach cable and tap OK when prompted
Not enough power to the dongleInsufficient USB powerUse a powered OTG cable or powered USB hub
Data flow stoppedDriver crashedRe-attach OTG cable
Cannot restart/stop serviceInternal errorRe-attach OTG cable
Unsupported tunerIncompatible dongle chipsetContact support
Your device is not supportedAndroid platform incompatibleContact support

Support: https://hiz.ch/fwd/contact


Copyright

HIZ LLC © 2014–2026

Credits

List of sources/credits

Disclaimer

This software is provided as-is without any warranty. It is intended for informational and hobbyist use only. Do not use it as a safety-critical system. Never rely on this app for collision avoidance or any other safety function. The developers accept no liability for any damages arising from its use. Use at your own risk.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Privacy

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