Setup Guide

Get your PlaneTicker Desktop showing live aircraft in about 5 minutes: connect it to your WiFi, claim it with the code shown on the panel, and watch.

What's in the box

PlaneTicker panel

160 x 80mm display

USB-C cable

1.5m

Power adapter

UK plug

Quick start card

links to this page

You'll also need your home WiFi name and password (2.4 GHz) and a phone, tablet, or computer.

1

Connect to WiFi

Your PlaneTicker needs a WiFi connection to fetch live aircraft data.

  1. Plug in the USB-C cable and connect it to a power socket. Any USB charger works.
  2. The panel lights up, shows the PlaneTicker logo, then a WiFi setup screen with the network name PlaneTicker
  3. On your phone or laptop, open your WiFi settings and join PlaneTicker (there is no password)
  4. A setup page opens automatically. If not, go to http://192.168.4.1
  5. Tap your home WiFi network in the list
  6. Enter your WiFi password and tap Connect
  7. The panel shows CONNECTING and restarts. This takes about 15 seconds.
1. Your panel looks like this when it needs WiFi.
192.168.4.1

PlaneTicker

WiFi Setup

BT-HOMEHUB-2A4F
••••••••••
Connect

Your panel restarts and joins your network.

2. The setup page at 192.168.4.1: pick your network and enter its password.

3. It confirms, then restarts on your WiFi.
Tip: If you don't see PlaneTicker, wait 30 seconds after plugging in and refresh your WiFi list.
2

Claim your panel

Your code will be different. It never uses 0, O, 1, I or L.

Once connected, the panel shows an 8-character setup code with planeticker.com/claim underneath. It uses easy-to-read characters: no zero, O, one, I, or L.

  1. Reconnect your phone to your home WiFi (it usually does this automatically)
  2. Go to planeticker.com/claim
  3. Create an account, or sign in if you have one
  4. Enter the 8-character code from your panel
  5. Enter your postcode or city (e.g. "BS1 4DJ" or "Bristol")
  6. Choose your tracking radius:

10 km

Just overhead

25 km

Recommended

50 km

See more

100 km

Wide area

Tap Claim & Start Tracking. Within a few seconds the panel switches from the setup code to live aircraft near you.

3

Watch live flights

The panel cycles through nearby aircraft, showing each one for roughly 15 seconds. When no planes are in range it shows a clock, and at night (roughly 10pm to 7am) it dims automatically.

A nearby aircraft.
Quiet skies: it shows the time instead.
Tip: Place the panel on a desk or shelf within WiFi range. It's designed to be read from 1-3 metres away.

Understanding the display

The LED panel shows 4 rows of information for each aircraft:

Colours

Callsign and aircraft type
Altitude and speed
Airline name
Distance from you
Route and flight phase

Status codes

CLB: Climbing
DES: Descending
CRZ: Cruising
FL340: Flight level (34,000 ft)

Settings

Change these anytime from your dashboard:

SettingWhat it does
LocationThe postcode or city the panel tracks around
RadiusHow far to look, from 5 km to 500 km (25 km recommended)
Unitskm or miles, feet or metres
Display elementsShow or hide individual rows
ColoursCustomise the display colours
Follow a flightPin one specific flight to the panel

Brightness: quick-press the BOOT button on the back of the panel to cycle brightness: 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%.

Where to find the button

back of the panelUSB-C powerBOOTtap: brightnesshold 5s: resetstatus light

What the status light means

CyanWaiting for you to claim it
GreenWorking normally
BlueConnecting or updating
RedCannot reach your WiFi

Changing WiFi or moving house

  1. Press and hold the BOOT button on the back of the panel for 5 seconds while it is running. This factory resets the panel: it clears the saved WiFi, restarts, and broadcasts the PlaneTicker network again.
  2. Follow Step 1 above to connect it to the new WiFi.
  3. Your panel stays linked to your account, so there is no need to claim it again.

Troubleshooting

If your panel is showing one of these, match it here first. All three clear themselves once the problem goes away, so there is usually nothing for you to do.

Cannot reach your WiFi. Check your router is on and the password has not changed.
Waiting for your router, usually after a power cut. It keeps trying and recovers on its own.
Connected to WiFi but cannot reach us. It reconnects automatically.

Panel is blank

Check the USB-C cable is firmly plugged into the panel and the power socket.

Can't find the PlaneTicker WiFi

Wait 30 seconds after plugging in, then refresh your WiFi list. The network only appears while the panel is on the WiFi setup screen. If the panel is already connected to a network, hold the BOOT button on the back for 5 seconds to reset it.

Setup page doesn't open

While connected to PlaneTicker, go to http://192.168.4.1 in your browser.

WiFi won't connect

Double-check your WiFi password. The panel returns to the setup screen so you can try again. Make sure your router is broadcasting a 2.4 GHz network.

Setup code won't work

Enter it exactly as shown, capital letters and numbers. It never contains zero, O, one, I, or L.

No aircraft showing, just a clock

This is normal when no aircraft are in range. Try a larger radius in your dashboard. Aircraft are most frequent during the day near airports and flight paths.

Status light is red

WiFi or internet problem. Check your router has internet, or hold the BOOT button for 5 seconds and redo WiFi setup.

Technical specs

Display64×32 RGB LED matrix, 160×80 mm, desktop stand
ConnectivityWiFi (2.4 GHz)
PowerUSB-C, 5V
DataLive ADS-B aircraft positions from community networks
CyclingShows each nearby aircraft for roughly 15 seconds

Need help?

Email us at hello@planeticker.com and we'll sort it out, or try the live demo to see PlaneTicker in action.

Try live demo