Receiving APT Weather Satellite Signals
More links can be found from Weather Satellite Links page
The APT Satellite Receiver takes the sound generated from the Satellite, down into your sound card located with in your computer. The sound card then processes this information into a Wav file.
Some APT Weather Satellite Receivers (Demodulators) used for receiving are:
R2FX APT Receiver (Must be a GEO member to buy joining gives you a quarterly magazine and member support).
RX2 sold by R.I.G. (Must be a RIG member to buy joining gives you a quarterly magazine and member support).
R139 from Hamtronics , PROscan receiver from Timestep and the MF-R1 Weather Satellite Receiver.
The Wav files can then be processed further into a picture using programs for decoding APT (Automatic Picture Transmission) Satellite Signals using free software from these sites: Wxsat, SatSignal, JVComm 2, Wxtoimg and APTDecoder.
These programs can be downloaded freely. Wxsat is a free program with, SatSignal and Wxtoimg having there own free versions. Keep in mind that SatSignal and Wxtoimg free versions are limited in features until you upgrade their products. All of these programs are Outstanding, and will often years of excellent service to the user.
Decoding APT pictures will also require an Omni Directional Antenna of some type.
Here are a few manufactures of Weather Satellite antennas are, Woodhouse , Time Step, RIG Shop, GEO Shop.
Different styles of Antennas are, Crossed Dipole, Quadrifilar Helix, and eggbeaters.
David Taylor, who is Widely known in this Hobby for his great software, has many excellent programs.
Kepler Manager, WXtrack and several others David's web site is located here
David Taylor's WxTrack, shows where a Satellite is located at any given date or time. Did I mention that it is free. Do recommend registering his program because of the many added features that would be presented to you.
Another Great tracking Program is Nova for Windows.
The Demodulator is the heart of the image capture system, it converts the signal coming from the Weather Satellite receiver into a digital signal that the PC can convert into a wav file. This wav file can then be decoded with programs mentioned earlier.
Different types of Weather Satellite Signals are shown below but this page is really for APT reception.
1.
APT - The
Automatic Picture Transmission System
2.
NOAA HRPT -
High Rate Picture Transmission
3.
LRIT - The Low
Rate Information Transmission Service
4.
HRIT - High
Rate Information Transmission
5.
WEFAX - The
International Analogue Image Transmission System.
Receiving Meteosat-8, AVHRR and ATOVS data from the EUMETCast DVB Service
