There are two RIDAR sensors. They share a plugin, a workflow, and a detection philosophy — the differences are enclosure, price, and whether crewed aircraft show up on your map.
The difference in one table
| RIDAR-FM | RIDAR-U | |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | Lightweight carbon fibre field module for the MAAK ecosystem | Rugged aluminium, 5.0 × 2.7 × 1.3 in — fits a standard rifle mag pouch |
| Remote ID drone detection | Yes — DJI, Autel, Skydio, Parrot, Flock | Yes — DJI, Autel, Skydio, Parrot, Flock |
| Crewed aircraft (ADS-B) | No | Yes — within a 100-mile radius |
| Bluetooth + Wi-Fi passive DF | Yes | Yes |
| Spoof detection | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $700 stock antenna / $850 upgraded | $1,500 |
If you need crewed aircraft on the same map as your drone picture, you need RIDAR-U, not RIDAR-FM. That is the single decision that should drive your choice.
What Remote ID actually is
Remote ID is a short Bluetooth or Wi-Fi broadcast that most commercial drones must transmit continuously in flight — a digital licence plate. It carries the drone's serial or session ID, the operator's registration number, and the aircraft's live position, altitude, course and speed. Both sensors only listen for it. Neither interrogates the drone, and the drone has no way to know it has been received.
Where the ground position comes from
This is the detail most buyers get wrong. In the United States, a drone with standard Remote ID built in broadcasts the live position of the control station — the operator, moving in real time. A bolt-on broadcast module, used to retrofit older aircraft, transmits the take-off point instead. In the EU, class C2 and C3 drones broadcast the remote pilot's position, and C1 broadcasts the pilot's position where available and otherwise the take-off point.
So you will get a ground location either way — but whether it tracks the operator or simply marks the launch site depends on the aircraft, not on the sensor.
Where the rules leave gaps
- United States — a drone under 250 g flown recreationally does not have to be registered, and so does not have to broadcast at all. That carve-out disappears the moment it is flown commercially: under Part 107 every aircraft is registered regardless of weight, so a sub-250 g commercial drone must broadcast.
- European Union — class C0 (under 250 g) carries no direct Remote ID requirement, and neither does C4, which covers model-style aircraft of up to 25 kg. Weight alone is not a reliable proxy for whether something will appear on your map.
- United States — flying inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA) is exempt from Remote ID entirely.
- Anywhere — FPV and hand-built drones carrying no Remote ID module broadcast nothing. No Remote ID receiver, ours or anyone else's, can see them. If your threat picture is dominated by home-built FPV, a Remote ID sensor is the wrong tool and you should talk to us about what else is appropriate.
These are limits of the standard, not of the sensor — and they are the reason both units also run passive Bluetooth and Wi-Fi direction finding, and why RIDAR-U adds ADS-B. A drone that stays silent on Remote ID can still surface as an RF emitter.
What is coming
The FAA's proposed Part 108 BVLOS rule was published in August 2025; the comment period reopened in January 2026 on detect-and-avoid and electronic conspicuity, and a final rule is targeted for 2026, though slippage is widely expected. It would require Remote ID alongside continuous position tracking and UTM integration for beyond-line-of-sight operations. In the EU, network Remote ID — reported over the internet rather than broadcast locally — is already mandatory inside U-space airspace. Both point the same way: more traffic identifying itself, more of the time.
RIDAR-FM additionally cannot see crewed aircraft. RIDAR-U can, via ADS-B, within roughly a 100-mile radius. The U is for USB — both sensors connect and draw power over a single USB-C cable.
Frequency coverage
Both sensors cover the main band where drones, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi broadcast, and work together with your EUD to extend into the higher band — so between the sensor and the phone you get the full picture with no extra hardware.
That pairing is why the EUD's own scanning setup matters. Getting it wrong costs you the higher band entirely. See Enable on-EUD scanning for RIDAR — the Wi-Fi scan-throttling step in particular is the one most operators miss.
What you need to run it
Both sensors are complete units — no separate receiver, no base station.
- An Android EUD running ATAK 5.2 or newer
- A USB-C connection (Bluetooth is also supported)
- Nothing else. The ATAK plugin is included, there is no subscription, and there is no internal battery — the sensor draws power from the EUD
No other software is required beyond ATAK. The plugin ships with the sensor.
Everything in the box: the sensor, all antennas, and a waterproof USB-C cable.
Does it work offline?
Yes, completely. All processing — including the spoof-detection scoring — runs on the device. Both sensors work with no internet, no signal, and no cloud. Given a connection it adds extra detail where it can, but it never depends on one.
Legality: it only listens
Neither sensor transmits, jams, or interferes with anything. They are passive receive-only devices.
This is the reason RIDAR is usable in places where active counter-drone equipment is not. Passive RF receive is treated very differently from jamming or takeover under most national regimes, and customers regularly deploy RIDAR-FM outside the United States on that basis.
This is not legal advice. RF and counter-UAS rules vary by country and sometimes by locality, and the responsibility for confirming what applies to you sits with you or your legal advisor. What we can tell you definitively is the technical fact the assessment usually turns on: the device only receives, and never transmits.
How the team sees detections
Every detection is shared to your team's maps automatically — over your network, a mesh, or a radio — with no setup on each device. One operator's RIDAR becomes the whole team's picture of the sky.
Spoof detection
Every detection is scored for authenticity, weighing multiple characteristics of the signal and its behaviour into a single confidence level. Likely spoofed, replayed, or fabricated tracks are flagged AUTHENTIC or SPOOFED on the detection card, and the scoring runs entirely on-device.
We do not publish the specific factors the analyser weighs. Keeping them private is what keeps the scoring robust against spoofers who would otherwise game it.
Lead time
Each unit is hand-built in the USA. RIDAR-FM is in stock and ships now. RIDAR-U is currently in pre-order, with the next batch delivering September 2026. Plan RIDAR-U procurement around that date rather than treating it as a stock item — see Shipping, lead times, and order status.
Still need help?
- Civilian and commercial users — the GoTAK Discord is the fastest route to an answer.
- Order, key, or billing questions — sales@getgotak.com or (757) 910-0259, Monday–Friday, 9–5 ET.
- Agency, defence, and procurement — book a call.
