Frequently asked questions

Your home WiFi name and password, your location (a quick lookup at latlong.net gives you the two numbers), your order number from your confirmation email, and any USB power supply.

No. You set it up straight from your phone or laptop's web browser — there's no app to install and no account to create.

It works on 2.4 GHz home WiFi (WPA or WPA2) — that's what nearly every router provides. It does not use 5 GHz-only networks or WPA3. Most routers broadcast both, so this is rarely an issue.

Any USB power source — a phone charger works perfectly. We recommend a 5V 2A adapter so firmware updates run smoothly.

62mm high × 42mm wide × 62mm long — small enough to sit on a desk or shelf.

Yes — that's how it's meant to run, and it keeps every setting if the power goes. There's no battery and no on/off switch, so unplug it or use a switched socket if you'd rather it wasn't on overnight.

BBBRadar pulls live aircraft data over your internet connection from global community-fed ADS-B tracking networks — currently Airplanes.Live. It needs no antenna or receiver of its own — just your WiFi.

You choose during setup: 12, 16 or 20 km around the location you set — the planes actually flying near your home, rather than a whole region. A wider range shows more aircraft but packs them closer together on the dial, so pick whichever suits where you live. You can change it later at any time.

It refreshes the aircraft around you every 30 seconds, and the dots move smoothly between updates so you can see aircraft tracking across the display.

Yes — aircraft coverage now spans Europe, from Iceland and Ireland across to Turkey and Cyprus, including the Mediterranean islands. It does not reach the Canary Islands, Madeira or the Azores, which sit outside the covered area. Two things worth knowing either way: we still only deliver to UK addresses, so you'd need somewhere in the UK to ship to; and how much you actually see depends on how busy your local sky is, not just on being inside the covered area — a quiet rural spot will show far fewer aircraft than somewhere near a flight path.

A few reasons: it may be outside the range you picked in setup, it may not be broadcasting a position yet, or the next 30-second refresh hasn't landed. Give it a moment and check your location numbers are correct — and if it's often just off the edge, try setting a wider range.

It just means nobody has published what that aircraft is yet. It's still shown in the right place on the dial, and it isn't a fault.

Airliners file a route, so the radar shows where they've come from and where they're heading, like LHR→JFK. Light aircraft, most helicopters and many private jets don't file one, so they show type, registration and altitude only. Routes come from public flight data and are occasionally out of date or missing, and it isn't a fault.

Yes — orders are open. Head to the product page and order there.

Introductory price of £35, plus £4 UK delivery via Royal Mail Tracked 48.

£4 via Royal Mail Tracked 48 — fully tracked, arriving within 2 working days of dispatch.

Securely by card at checkout. You don't need an account of any kind to pay.

To the email address you give at checkout — so make sure that inbox is one you can check.

Ships within 3 working days of ordering.

Each radar is activated with a unique order number, which you'll receive after purchase. You enter it once during setup and your device is ready.

Not at the moment — we ship within the UK only, so your delivery address needs to be in the UK. Aircraft coverage is a separate thing and is now much wider: it spans Europe, so a radar taken or sent on abroad will work across most of the continent. Email support@bbbradar.co.uk if you'd like us to let you know when we ship to your country.

No — each radar activates on its own order number, and both are in your confirmation email. Use the same one twice and the second radar says "Order number already used on another radar".

Yes — 14 days from receiving it, without giving a reason. Email support@bbbradar.co.uk with your order number, then send it back within 14 days of telling us. We'll refund what you paid including standard outbound delivery, less any reduction for handling beyond inspecting it. Return postage is at your cost; full wording in our terms.

Yes — BBBRadar updates itself automatically over WiFi. New features and improvements arrive with nothing for you to do. You'll briefly see an update screen, then it restarts on its own.

None. Give it power and WiFi and it looks after itself, including updates. There's no subscription and no ongoing cost.

No. The dial keeps showing the last aircraft it saw, then after a few minutes it restarts itself and sits on "Connecting WiFi..." until your network is back. It picks up on its own — there's nothing to reset.

It'll count down and return to the setup screen automatically. Double-check your WiFi password (they're case-sensitive) and that you typed your order number exactly as it appears in your email. Still stuck? Email us and we'll help.

Get in touch at support@bbbradar.co.uk with your order number and we'll sort a replacement.

Email support@bbbradar.co.uk — please include your order number if you have one, so we can find your device quickly.