How to improve coverage in your area
There are several ways you can help improve OpenSky's coverage.
We recommend the following two options to purchase a Mode S/ADS-B receiver and contribute to the network. Both receivers have the OpenSky feeder preinstalled and require little technical expertise to setup and operate.
The OpenSky Receiver Kit from Jetvision is the cheapest (and our recommended) solution. The kit costs only 175 Euros (plus VAT) and includes all the hardware equipment and software that you need to setup a receiver at your place. This setup will give you already quite good reception with ranges of up to 600 km (depending on your environment). Setup and maintenance are very well documented in our manual.
The Radarcape is a more expensive alternative for users who want to support OpenSky with more accurate multilateration. The Radarcape costs 708.05 Euros but is equipped with an integrated GPS receiver for precise timestamps as required in multilateration applications.
Building your own radar is cheap and simple!
You can build your own home radar to receive and view air traffic on your computer in real-time for as little as 50$. With this cheap setup, you can track air traffic with ranges of up to 600km (depending on your environment and antenna installation). Don't worry if you are a beginner, setting up the receiver and software is pretty straight forward. There are plenty of manuals around and we recommend starting with the following links:
- https://github.com/openskynetwork/raspberry-pi-adsb
- https://github.com/jprochazka/adsb-receiver
- https://hub.docker.com/r/mikenye/opensky-network
- https://github.com/ketilmo/balena-ads-b#part-6--configure-opensky-network
As soon as your receiver is up and running, showing aircraft on the map, you can start feeding data to the OpenSky Network.
How to feed data to OpenSky?
Feeding data to the OpenSky Network is easy and straight forward. We support various receiver setups including dump1090 and Radarcape. Just select your type of receiver here and follow the instructions to start feeding.
OpenSky's Sponsoring Program
Some organizations and individuals want coverage in their area but cannot install a receiver, for example due to bureaucracy or housing restrictions. On the contrary, many people would host a receiver at their home, company, or institution if the hardware comes for free. We bring these two groups together with our sponsoring program. It allows people who are willing to host a free receiver to offer their site while everyone who wants coverage in that area (or simply wants to support our project) can sponsor the site by making a donation. The OpenSky Network Association will take care of the rest.
How to Apply for a free receiver?
You want coverage in your area but you do not want to buy/build a receiver? Then apply for hosting a free receiver for us or someone else! The only requirements are 24/7 Internet access (Wifi or LAN) and power supply, and the possibility to install the antenna outdoors with a good line of sight in all directions. If you meet all these requirements, apply here for becoming a host of one of our receivers.
OpenSky's Sponsoring Program
You or your organization want coverage in your area but you cannot install a receiver, for example due to bureaucracy or housing restrictions? Then have a look at our sponsoring program! There are people close to your location who would host a receiver for you! Our sponsoring program allows you or your organization to sponsor a receiver site by making a earmarked donation. The OpenSky Network Association will take care of the rest.
Why become a sponsor?
As soon as the receiver has been deployed by the respective host, the airspace around your location will be covered by the OpenSky Network. That means that you can monitor and explore the air traffic at your location in our OpenSky Explorer, your area will be covered by future research, and you can access the live air traffic in your area via our API. In addition to that, as a donor, you can become an official OpenSky Partner.