Tracking live aircraft anywhere on a Nintendo Switch

I probably wouldn't have written this post except I had a MicroSD card burn up on me (literally).

switch adsb

What is that?

That's a Nintendo Switch with a slim USB hub and an SDR plugged in that listens to ADS-B data and plots aircraft it picks up on the map without anything else, including internet. Basically FlightAware or FlightRadar24 but in your hands, anywhere.

Prerequisites

  1. MODDED Nintendo Switch, able to boot Linux.
    • I use Fedora 42, but this should work on Ubuntu or others.
    • Version 1, Version 2, OLED, all should work, but unless you have a version one you will need to install a modchip.
    • If you want someone else to do it, I recommend this service. Once you get your Switch back, you'll be ready to install Linux right away.
  2. An SDR and any necessary adapters to plug it in. Most likely, USB-C male to USB-A Female, or use a hub.
    • Since this is Linux, most hubs should work fine, even if they don't work for Switches when playing games.
    • I like the Nooelec NESDR Nano 2.
    • Make sure your SDR can receive at 1090MHz.

How to set up tar1090 to monitor ADS-B data live via the Nintendo Switch

Install your preferred Linux distro on your Switch, get logged in, and customize it as you like.

If you want to install Fedora 42, go thattaway.

You might want a different browser, too. I like Vivaldi for a number of reasons, but also because it's fairly lightweight. This is good to consider because the Switch only has 4GB of RAM.

If you have WiFi issues, try jiggling your security settings. Realistic expectations of a device released in 2017, people.

Optional: enable SSH: sudo systemctl enable sshd && sudo systemctl start sshd so you can use a different keyboard to do the typing.

Install