strcpy's blog

SDR, radio security, hardware tinkering, and signal analysis.

• Tracking Aircraft with an RTL-SDR: ADS-B on 1090 MHz
  Every airliner overhead is broadcasting its position, altitude, and callsign in the clear on 1090 MHz. A twenty dollar dongle and dump1090 turn that into a live map. Here is the receive chain, the frame format, and how to get real range.
  August 28, 2026
• Decoding LoRa with an RTL-SDR: From Chirps to Frames
  LoRa's chirp spread spectrum defeats rtl_433, so decoding it needs different tools. A workbench walkthrough of receiving and demodulating LoRa frames with an RTL-SDR, SDRangel, and gr-lora_sdr.
  August 14, 2026
• Running OpenBTS with the Nuand bladeRF on Ubuntu (The Definitive and Step by Step Guide) – Extreme subversive tendencies
  November 16, 2016
• Decoding Unknown 433 MHz IoT Protocols with rtl_433
  How to identify and decode unknown wireless protocols from IoT devices using rtl_433 and RTL-SDR.
  June 10, 2016
• Building a Portable GSM BTS Using BladeRF, Raspberry Pi and YateBTS - The Definitive Guide
  Step-by-step guide to building a portable GSM base transceiver station for security research using a BladeRF, Raspberry Pi, and YateBTS.
  April 21, 2016
• Getting Started with RTL-SDR: A Beginner's Guide to Software-Defined Radio
  Everything you need to know to get your first RTL-SDR dongle working and start exploring the radio spectrum.
  February 14, 2016