Bad Elf Launches Kickstarter Campaign for $299 ADS-B Receiver

Bad Elf, a maker of portable GPS receivers for the aviation market, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the introduction of an ADS-B receiver that will sell for just $299 — but only if the startup's $500,000 funding goal is met by the time the campaign ends in mid January.

Capable of receiving ADS-B traffic and subscription free weather data for output to a tablet display, the portable single-band 978 MHz device represents a "breakthrough" in ADS-B technology, utilizing components that are cheaper and less power intensive than competitors' products, Bad Elf claims.

The Kickstarter campaign runs through January 14. Bad Elf is offering the ADS-B receiver for $299 (with a limited number of "early adopter" units available for $249) and a separate product with built-in ADS-B and AHRS receiver for $449 (with special early bird pricing of $399).

If the company reaches its funding goal by the time the Kickstarter campaign ends, it will begin producing and shipping the units to buyers. The $299 price, Bad Elf notes, is about half that of its nearest competitor.

As of this afternoon the campaign had garnered nearly $75,000 in pledged funding.