Skip to content

rtl-433

Decoder for the unlicensed ISM bands — weather stations, sensors, tyre monitors

What it does

Receives on 433, 868 and 915 MHz with an SDR and decodes the several hundred device protocols used by consumer sensors: weather stations, temperature probes, doorbells, tyre-pressure monitors, energy meters.

Why you would want it

It is the fastest way to demonstrate to yourself that an SDR works and that the air around you is full of traffic. It is also genuinely useful: a local weather station's data is yours to read, and the decoder list is the best reference for what these bands carry.

Before it will work

An RTL-SDR or other supported receiver and an antenna for the band you want. The default is 433.92 MHz.

How it installs

  • apt: rtl-433

Known problems

Protocol coverage varies -- an unrecognised device produces nothing rather than an error, so silence does not mean the receiver is broken. Kali ships 26.07 while Debian 13 and Parrot ship 25.02, and decoder numbering changes between releases.

Keeping it current

  • probe: apt policy
  • strategy: apt_upgrade

Source: catalog/packages/rtl-433.yaml