Technical Specifications

This section provides detailed technical specifications for the FlightRadar device.

Hardware Specifications

Wireless Connectivity

WiFi Standard:

IEEE 802.11 b/g/n

Frequency Band:

2.4 GHz only (5 GHz not supported)

WiFi Modes:

Station (STA), Access Point (AP)

Security:

WPA, WPA2, WPA2/WPA3 mixed

Antenna:

On-board PCB antenna

Note

FlightRadar does not support 5 GHz WiFi networks. Ensure your router has 2.4 GHz enabled.

Display

Type:

7-inch IPS colour LCD (RGB parallel)

Resolution:

800 x 480 pixels

Backlight:

White LED (dimmable on supported hardware)

Touch Panel:

Capacitive multi-touch

Surface:

Glass

Power Requirements

Input Voltage:

5 V DC ±5% (via USB-C)

Input Current:

500 mA typical, ~1 A peak

Power Consumption:

2–4 W typical

Connector:

USB-C

Battery Support:

Via USB-C power bank (not included)

Warning

Use only a quality 5 V USB-C power supply rated for at least 1 A. Insufficient power may cause boot loops, display flicker, or instability.

Physical Specifications

Form factor:

7-inch landscape tablet-style enclosure

Mounting:

Desktop or shelf; supports 180° screen rotation for inverted mounting

Environmental Rating:

Indoor use only

Operating Environment

Operating Temperature:

0 °C to 40 °C (32 °F to 104 °F)

Storage Temperature:

−20 °C to 60 °C (−4 °F to 140 °F)

Humidity:

20% to 80% RH non-condensing

Altitude:

Up to 2000 m

Caution

Do not operate in direct sunlight, high humidity, or extreme temperatures. Avoid exposing to moisture.

Network Specifications

Supported Protocols

Aircraft Feed:

HTTPS (TCP port 443) to opendata.adsb.fi

Enrichment:

HTTPS (TCP port 443) to api.adsbdb.com

Firmware Updates:

HTTPS (TCP port 443) to u.topbytes.net

Web Setup Page:

HTTP (TCP port 80, AP setup mode only)

Time Sync:

NTP (UDP port 123)

DNS:

UDP port 53

Aircraft Data Feed

Source:

adsb.fi open-data ADS-B network

Protocol:

HTTPS REST (bounded by lat/lon and radius around home)

Poll Interval:

~15 seconds (steady state)

Contacts Tracked:

Up to 24 in range

Range:

5–250 km (configurable)

Aircraft / Route Enrichment

Source:

adsbdb.com (free, no API key)

Aircraft Lookup:

type/model, registration, operator (by ICAO24 hex)

Route Lookup:

IATA flight number, origin, destination, destination coordinates (by callsign)

Caching:

Per-aircraft, prioritised for the selected contact

Time Synchronisation

Protocol:

NTP (Network Time Protocol)

Servers:

pool.ntp.org, time.google.com

Timezone:

Configurable (~18 worldwide zones, automatic DST)

Time Format:

24-hour HH:MM:SS with Mon DD Mon date

Configuration Limits

Max WiFi Networks:

3 (priority-ordered)

Max Alert Prefixes:

6

Max Aircraft in Range:

24

Range Presets:

5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 250 km

Sweep Periods:

Off, 5 s, 8 s, 12 s

Brightness:

90% (dimmable hardware; no on-screen control)

Radar Scope

Scope Area:

480 x 480 pixels (square, left half of the display)

Detail Panel:

320 x 480 pixels (right)

Range Rings:

4 concentric, kilometre-labelled

Orientation:

North up; N/E/S/W compass marks

Sweep:

Rotating line with fading afterglow trail

Performance Specifications

Boot Time

Cold Boot:

~1–2 seconds to UI ready

WiFi Connection:

5–30 seconds (network dependent)

NTP Sync:

1–3 seconds after WiFi

First Aircraft:

Typically within a few polls of coming online

Reliability

Watchdog Timer:

Yes

Automatic Recovery:

WiFi and feed disconnections

OTA Failure Handling:

Failed updates leave the running firmware untouched

Compatibility

WiFi Router Compatibility

Compatible With:

  • All 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n routers

  • WPA / WPA2 / WPA2-WPA3 mixed

  • Most home and portable routers (including phone hotspots)

Not Compatible With:

  • 5 GHz only networks

  • WPA3-only networks (use WPA2/WPA3 mixed-mode)

  • Enterprise WiFi with 802.1X

  • Captive portals requiring web-form authentication after joining

Power Source Compatibility

Compatible With:

  • USB-C wall adapters (5 V, ≥1 A)

  • USB-C ports on computers

  • USB-C power banks

  • USB-C car chargers

Not Recommended:

  • Charge-only USB-C cables (won't expose serial / recovery over USB)

  • Supplies under 1 A — display flicker likely

Data Sources

FlightRadar relies on third-party community services for its data:

  • Aircraft positions: adsb.fi

  • Aircraft type / registration / operator / route: adsbdb.com

These are independent services not affiliated with TopBytes Ltd. Availability and coverage are subject to those projects.

Support and Documentation

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