Decoder Lab and Research Labs
Decoder Lab handles known protocols and live packet output. Research Labs adds adaptive pattern discovery, distributed searching, and contextual checks.
Open Decoder Lab
- Press DECODER LAB.
- Select a protocol, receiver, and frequency.
- Review the profile's antenna guidance.
- Press START DECODER, or install the supported engine first when prompted.
Built-in live decoders
| Protocol | Typical frequency | Validation |
|---|---|---|
| Mode-S / ADS-B | 1090 MHz | CRC-validated aircraft frames |
| APRS North America | 144.390 MHz | AX.25 frame-check sequence |
| APRS International | 144.800 / 145.175 MHz | AX.25 frame-check sequence |
| Paging / POCSAG | Regional VHF/UHF | BCH and message structure |
| NOAA Weather Radio / SAME | 162.400-162.550 MHz | SAME header validation |
Supported live decoder engines
| Profile | Engine | Live output |
|---|---|---|
| 315 / 433 / 868 / 915 MHz devices | rtl_433 | Sensor and remote model, ID, and readings |
| AIS Marine | AIS-catcher | NMEA vessel messages |
| Digital voice events | DSD-FME | DMR, P25, NXDN, and D-STAR sync and talkgroup events |
| NOAA APT weather satellite | SatDump | Pass products in Engine Output |
INSTALL ENGINE downloads an official Windows build, checks it against a pinned SHA-256 digest, and installs it locally. START DECODER then serves the selected receiver's IQ or demodulated audio through a private local stream. Decoded events enter the same receiver-tagged packet feed as built-in decoders. STOP & RESTORE returns the receiver to its previous tuning.
Research Labs
Press RESEARCH and enable the master switch. Research controls persist between panel refreshes.
Pattern Hunter
Learns a per-receiver baseline and flags departures such as chirps, Doppler-like drift, hopping, periodic bursts, wideband events, and otherwise unclassified novelty. The novelty threshold ranges from 30 to 99 percent.
Search Director
Distributes Aerospace, Digital Discovery, or Wide RF Survey plans across available non-ADS-B receivers, then restores their previous tuning when stopped.
Skywatch Correlator
Checks qualified findings against known allocations, tracked aircraft, cached CelesTrak orbital elements, multi-receiver confirmation, inferred bearing, and apparent movement. REFRESH TLE CATALOG updates the satellite catalogue.
A research score prioritizes evidence for review. It is not a probability and does not identify a cause.
Evidence and lawful use
Qualified findings are stored locally with their reasons, spectral signature, and contextual checks. SPECTER SDR is receive-only. Monitoring laws vary by country and band, and decoded private traffic must not be redistributed.