Akashlipi

Akashlipi आकाशलिपि

A running log of every aircraft your radio dongle hears, written out with who flies it, where it’s going, the weather at both ends and the messages it sends.

Download for Linux Read the setup guide

Version 2.5.2. For Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) and other Linux, with an RTL-SDR dongle.

  1. IGO52036E 5203
    A20NVT-IJK
    BLR → HYDIndiGo
    112descending
    14:31
  2. AKJ1406QP 1406
    B38MVT-YAQ
    HYD → BOMAkasa Air
    245climbing
    14:33
  3. VTKRSno flight no.
    GALXG200
    overflightPrivate / general aviation
    370level
    14:36
  4. AIC559VDL2
    Message, in plain English: estimated arrival at Hyderabad 15:02, requests a gate.
    14:38
Example entries. Each pass is logged with what the aircraft broadcasts and what Akashlipi looks up.

What goes into one line of the log

An ADS-B receiver tells you an aircraft’s position, height and identity code. Akashlipi takes that and fills in the rest, mostly from data kept on your computer, so the log reads like a logbook rather than a list of hex codes.

Callsign and flight number
From the aircraft. The IATA flight number (6E 5203) is worked out from the callsign or looked up, never guessed.
Registration and type
From the aircraft’s transponder code, matched against the tar1090-db aircraft database, with corrections for types it gets wrong.
Owner, lessor and operator
For Indian (VT-) aircraft, from India’s DGCA register of civil aircraft and its list of non-scheduled operators, kept offline and refreshed every 30 days. Private and general-aviation aircraft are labelled as such.
Route and weather
The route from VRS standing data and OurAirports, and the METAR weather report at both ends from aviationweather.gov.
Winds and autopilot
Winds at the aircraft’s height and its autopilot settings, from the data it broadcasts.
Fuel and CO₂
Estimated on your computer with OpenAP, the aircraft performance model from TU Delft.

What you need

A Linux computer
A 64-bit PC or laptop, or a Raspberry Pi running a 64-bit OS. Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 11 or anything newer.
An RTL-SDR dongle and a 1090 MHz antenna
Any RTL2832U dongle. The RTL-SDR Blog V4 driver tools come with Akashlipi, so the V4 works without extra setup.
For aircraft messages, a second dongle
Optional. Give it the Messages job and a VHF dipole of about 110 cm, and Akashlipi decodes ACARS and VDL2 messages into plain English.

The ADS-B decoder (readsb), the messages decoders (dumpvdl2, acarsdec) and the dongle tools are included. If you already run readsb, Akashlipi uses yours.

Getting it running

  1. Install the package for your Linux

    A .deb, an .rpm or an AppImage. Downloads lists which one to pick and the one command that installs it.

  2. Open ADS-B Logger from your app menu

    The app is called ADS-B Logger in your menu until the new name ships in an update. Its command is adsb-logger.

  3. Click through the six setup steps

    System parts (asks for your password once), dongles, location, ADS-B decoder, messages (optional), and a final check. Then aircraft start appearing on the radar.

The setup guide covers each step, every command and what to do when something doesn’t work.

Also included

A watchdog
If the sky goes quiet it restarts the decoder, resets the dongle’s USB connection if needed, and tells you if it can’t fix things itself.
Its own app window
Live radar, aircraft in range, charts and every logged pass. Closing the window leaves logging running.
Handheld layout
For 640×480 screens such as the Waveshare PocketTerm35, driven by arrow keys and A/B/X/Y buttons.
Works offline
Registers, airports and map tiles are kept on your computer. The internet is used only to fill gaps.
Terminal commands
adsb-logger live, lookup VT-IJK, metar VOHS, messages -f, doctor and more.
Optional extras
MLAT, GPS for logging on the move, and scheduled export of your log.

The name

आकाश (ākāśa) is the sky and लिपि (lipi) is a script, a way of writing. Akashlipi writes down what crosses your sky. It was called ADS-B Logger, and SkyLogger before that; the package and command keep the name adsb-logger so upgrades carry your log and settings across.