Basic Tactical SIGINT: Tracking Aircraft and SDR Scanning

S2 Underground
S2 Underground
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Published 2022-08-26
Edit: Just to be abolutely clear, if you are scanning with SDRSharp, you can set the bandwidth to anything from 12500 Hz to down to 5000 Hz as demonstrated in the video, or even lower for certain types of transmissions. This also changes as you move up and down the band, as all ham bands are subdivided for various types of transmissions. For most people, a bandwidth of 12500 Hz will probably be more effective for standard analog unencrypted mesage traffic. But as always, try it out and experiment for yourself. Remember, this is just a very short introduction to the topic.

Links:
SDRSharp - airspy.com/download/
RTL1090 - rtl1090.com/
Zadig - zadig.akeo.ie/
PlanePlotter - www.coaa.co.uk/planeplotter.htm
Artemis - aresvalley.com/

00:00 - Introduction
02:08 - Getting Started with Gear
04:26 - SDR Devices
06:49 - Needed Software
11:00 - Intalling the Software
24:43 - PlanePlotter Install and Config
44:21 - Summary
48:57 - Closing Thoughts

Disclaimer:
No company sponsored this video. In fact, we have no sponsors. We are funded 100% by you, the viewer. All of the equipment and materials used in this video were purchased by us with our own personal funds. As such, we have no financial incentive to recommend certain brands or products, and none of the companies mentioned in this video were given prior notice that we would be featuring their products. We are happy to help companies develop better products, but we must maintain neutrality in order to ensure the longevity of this content. Specific gear comes and goes, but doctrine lasts a lifetime.

We take this unique approach to encourage a more educational perspective, rather than getting caught up in the tiny details of gear that sometimes overwhelms the tactical community and warfare doctrine in general.

This content is purely educational and does not advocate for violating any laws. Do not violate any laws or regulations. This is not legal advice. Consult with your attorney.

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All Comments (21)
  • @Tocsin-Bang
    My late father was a sigint specialist and instructor in the UK Royal Navy. He started as a wireless operator during WWII and served until 1963.
  • @FreeStyleSloth
    Loved the video topic, more people should learn about this! That being said, if powerusers are looking for a 'stronger' software that enables quite a bit more for a skill ceiling, looking into SDRAngel. From a tactical perspective aside from tracking you can also; - Listen to all unencrypted voice channels (Baofeng bois I'm looking at you) - Receive weather satellite images in case TV/Internet shuts down - Decode most digital forms of communication (Police typically use P-25 Phase 2 for comms) - Locate signal locations using KerberosSDR Honestly the sky's the limit and I'm still learning a lot as well!
  • @henrypuyi5485
    Like most former mil aviation folks I'm always looking up and seeing what is overhead. A number of times I've seen light general aviation craft making orbits every 10-15 minutes. after the 4th or 5th time stopped what I was doing and glassed the A/C and it had something hanging off the port side the length of the A/C. Reminded me of a side looking lidar. Love these vids. You're taking me back in time 🙂
  • @9tengu
    Thank you for all of the work you do on this channel. It has been a great place to learn.
  • @Blaculo
    Thank you for everything you’re doing.
  • @pcchris02
    There is a tool to pass ADSB, AIS, and a few other automatic reporting protocol contacts to an Atak server, that it then pushes out to connected clients.
  • @jasonbegaming244
    This is amazing information. Getting into stuff like this as a lone wolf civilian can be pretty intimidating. Now I have a better idea of what I can and want to do. Amazing channel.
  • @ChiefMiddleFinger
    The airwaves are very polluted and getting worse. Regardless, this is a great series. Keep up the great work !
  • @jwcross6110
    Just ordered an SDR and set of antennas…can’t wait to give it a shot!
  • @SamtheoriginalClassic
    Next you gotta use DSD+ with ambe voice encoder with two RTL-SDRs for P25 and NXDN. Love your content! keep it up.
  • @M81_WOODLAND
    "Panasonic tough books are rugged." Maliciously chuckles in aircraft maintainer.
  • @jjrobiso
    Saw an AWACS style aircraft flying a pattern over St. Louis the other day on my flight tracker app. Crazy! Thanks for the info keep it coming. I’d love to see a full setup running everything into a pi or tough book. I dream of a setup like that.
  • @MountainMan7.62x39
    Hey man, I honestly think this is one of the best videos you've put out. Thanks!
  • @johnqpublic2718
    As a systems admin for a non-profit, cannibalizing parts and setting up windows to run correctly is a way of life. Although I did convince the VPs to spring for vxrail - soon, soon.
  • @DistractoTactix
    I must have tuned in to you guys (no pun intended) about a week ago as thats when I started messing with this stuff...really good video, thank you for the awesome content as always. keep it up
  • @njw1977
    I work at the Panasonic National Repair Center, so keep rocking those tough books!!! But please don't send in that CF-19. I HATE working on those! You should check out the CF-20. Super thin and light
  • @awpatt
    Always appreciate your videos, sir! Thank you!
  • @peebreezy5015
    Another great video on a mostly overlooked topic. Keep up the great work!!