We built the smallest dual-band aircraft tracker
We've been building open source embedded ADS-B receivers for a while, and spent the past 8 months smallifying our existing receiver tech with a new chip from Semtech. Ask me anything about ADSB or hardware manufacturing!
In plain words
The ADSBee 1421 is an open-source dual-band ADS-B receiver module designed to detect aircraft signals. Made by Pants for Birds, it represents a miniaturized version of their existing receiver technology using a new Semtech chip. The device is intended for applications like drone detect-and-avoid systems, ground stations, and weather balloons that need low-power, low-cost aircraft tracking without extensive features. It is available in standard and NDAA-compliant variants.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Pants for Birds is excited to introduce a new product in the ADSBee family of open-source ADS-B receivers: ADSBee 1421! In the past year, developers and enthusiasts have brought ADSBee 1090U’s open source aircraft tracking technology to a wide range of platforms, from airport ground stations to drones to weather balloons. While working closely with some of our customers, we discovered that many applications have a need for an ultra low-power, low-cost ADS-B receiver tuned specifically for aircraft detect and avoid applications, without the need for the full feature set of ADSBee 1090U. Simultaneously, Semtech released their fourth-generation LoRA IP on a chip called the LR2021, which…from pantsforbirds.com
Pricing, as stated on its site
Paid from $48/mo — ADSBee m1421 is a hardware product sold at $48 USD for single quantities (standard variant from China), with volume discounts available. An NDAA-compliant USA variant costs $75.
checked September 2026 · prices change
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