Starting iNTERCEPT
The repo provides a start.sh script that can be used to start up the web server and begin listening on the configured port. The instructions say to run it with sudo for easiest operation so that it has permission to automatically disable drivers that conflict with its usage of the SDR device. If you have more experience with Linux, you can handle this manually with modprobe and then you would not need to use sudo.
cd intercept # go into the directory if not already there sudo ./start.sh
Access the Server
If you're accessing the system locally on the Pi itself, open the browser and enter http://localhost:5050 in the address bar.
If you're accessing from another computer on the network, open the browser and use the IP address from the "Listening on __" section of the startup output or hostname of the Pi to reach the server, for example http://192.168.1.160:5050 or http://raspi5:5050.
The login screen is purely decorational. The default credentials are admin/admin and it does not appear to be possible to change them from the UI.
It has a fun sweeping bar animation to fit the spy movie vibe that is inherent to the whole interface.
The system provides access to lots of different tools and capabilities, the UI can seem complex and a bit overwhelming with panels and controls strewn all over the place.
Along the top right of the page is a row of navigation icons. Amongst them is a Mode Cheat Sheet that has a small document with folded corner icon. This will pop up a dialog with high level information about the current mode. It's good to figure out what each mode does.
The repo contains a docs/ folder with some helpful markdown files. Features.md contains a comprehensive list of the systems capabilities and Usage.md contains brief instructions for using each mode.
To access the ADS-B monitoring dashboard, click Tracking -> Aircraft.
To start monitoring, click the green Start button in the panel labeled ADS-B Tracking below the bottom right corner of the map.
When a transmission is received, the page will play a beep sound and populate data in the transmission into the right side panels. If there is location data, it will plot the aircraft on the map and start showing a historical trail behind it of different way points received so far.
Scan for Bluetooth Trackers
The Bluetooth dashboard can be accessed by clicking Wireless -> Bluetooth.
Click the green Start Scanning button on the left side of the page to initiate the scan. The system will list all nearby BLE devices that are found with their MAC address or other information that they are broadcasting. Trackers like Apple AirTags and Samsung SmartTags get identified and put into a separate panel to the left of the proximity radar. If you see a tracker and want to narrow down its location further, you can add filters to the monitor and move the Pi around to different locations, taking note of the estimated distance from each location to play a game of digital Marco Polo.
Tune in to AM/FM and HAM Radio Frequencies
The SDR tuner page is accessed by clicking Signals -> Waterfall. On this page you can tune to and scan specified frequencies and ranges. The page contains a waterfall visualizer to see a representation of audio recently received.
Type the desired frequency into the box labeled Center on the left side of the main panel and choose the appropriate band to the right of that, then press the green Monitor button on the left side of the screen to hear audio from the tuned frequency.
In the left hand navigation column there are various panels for bookmarking stations, scanning, handoff, identification and more.
Page last edited April 22, 2026
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