# Real-life ADS-B data

Use Tacview to record ADS-B radio signals in real-time.

You will need the following:

* RTL2832U compatible USB radio dongle (<https://www.rtl-sdr.com>)
* 1090MHz antenna
* 1090MHz ADS-B filter (optional)
* WinUSB drivers for your dongle (<https://zadig.akeo.ie>)

In our internal tests, the [FlightAware R820T2 dongle](https://flightaware.store/), which is optimized for ADS-B reception, provided more reliable aircraft tracking than the general-purpose [RTL-SDR Blog V4 (R828D)](https://www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/) under the same conditions. Results may vary depending on antenna, environment, and receiver configuration.

Make sure everything is properly connected to your computer and configured, then connect:

![ADS-B Menu Option](/files/YyWmGyPAPZEWHwDZADn3)

![ADS-B Connect](/files/Liu0hgVIG4wPM7RIPq73)

![ADS-B Connected](/files/t0pR55YY6wkwS29BNgEf)

### Terrain Textures and Terrain Elevation

To add terrain textures and terrain elevation files, see the [customization - terrain documentation](/tacview/customization/terrain.md)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://raia-software-inc.gitbook.io/tacview/real-life-data/real-life-ads-b.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.