APT Weather Satellite Reception with RTL-SDR, SDR#, WXtoImg, and Orbitron
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- A while back, I did a video showing reception of APT weather satellite imagery. I thought it would be nice to do a more detailed video explaining the process and showing how to set up various pieces of software.
Here's the original video: • APT Weather Satellite ...
The NooElec NESDR Mini 2 (affiliate link): www.amazon.com/...
Quadrifilar helix antenna: perso.wanadoo.e...
SDR#: www.sdrsharp.co...
VB-Cable: vb-audio.pagesp...
WXtoImg: www.wxtoimg.com...
Orbitron: www.stoff.pl/do...
SatelliteTracker plugin: public-xrp.s3.a...
Probably the best video on the SDR/NOAA/SW interfacing I've seen so far. Thanks for being specific on the WFM and the bandwidth. Everyone leaves that out it seems. Great!
Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad I could help out.
Your explanation of loading and installing software is the best I have seen on the internet. Excellent job.
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it :)
About 15 years ago I built my own WFM WeFax receiver, FET preamp, quadrafilar helix antenna, used the DSP processor in my computer's sound card and a freeware WeFax processsing app for APT. Photo printer print-outs looked too cool. I wanted to build an Az-El rotator twin yagi HRPT tracking antenna, down-convert the signal and try my hand. I even bought a 5' dia dish for the GEOS birds. I don't know why, but it all lost it's romance. Your video shows me what I can do with my cheap DVB rtl dongle can do aside from local FM radio stations. Thanks a ton for being a proud unapologetic geek. You rock.
Thanks Aaron. Your video is quite helpful, easy to follow, nicely edited. I'm just getting back into WEFAX APT after many years QRT. My last experience was 20 years ago with the old Quorum dedicated receivers on PCI bus cards. How things have changed! FYI, I have resurrected my own designed circularly polarized turnstile antenna and mast head pre-amp for WEFAX APT. (Hitherto been stashed with the aluminium scrap at the back of the shed). It is now back in use with replacement feed line and I'm having a lot of fun with an RTL2832 equipped TV Tuner and DAB radio dongle, aided by your excellent guide. Cheers from Nev 73's es TNX de VK5XD in Adelaide, South Australia.
Neville Thomas That's great! Glad I could help.
I followed your instruction, built a copper tubing qfh using the jcoppens calculator. I am acquiring amazing crystal clear horizon to horizon images. Thanks for the lesson.
Quake Bot Awesome! Thanks!
Hi...I am planning to build this project Quake....need some help from you if you don't mind please!!!
I believe you meant 23,200 miles-- maybe!?
Excellent video!! It took me hours to setup SDR#, so I'm blown away at all the steps you took
to make this ALL work together! Thanks. Definitely; Thumbs-Up!
Depends on where you measure from. I think geosynchronous orbit has a radius of about 26,200 miles and Earth has a mean radius of about 3,960 miles. Simple subtraction gives 22,240 miles above the ground. But of course the Earth is a little bigger around the middle (aren't we all after the holidays...), so it's actually less than that since we put geosynchronous satellites above the equator.
Have been looking for good instructions on getting things connected, and had some trouble understanding the settings for WXto IMG... now I think I will be able to get it running... only have a discone antenna so will need to work on a fitting antenna some day
+Jos Zandstra Glad I could help! Good luck!
Thanks Aaron for this video. Your instructions were easy to understand and helped me to get all the software installed and playing together nicely. Now I've just got to build that antenna to get better reception. I'll probably go with the double cross dipole antenna since this is my first attempt at building an antenna and it looks a bit easier than the qfh.
+Michael Burke Glad I could help! Good luck with the antenna build.
Yes i did got images for this one i had setup 40k inside text file and sh file i was hitting almost 832miles between 900miles away on six dollar umbrella antenna between south dakota and NE it didn't show any clouds it did weather maps i can see Mexico all to way to Alaska noaa 15 is oldest as 1998 it was recording automatic in background i found on blog site this guy out florida use large antenna i took some ideas it did work.
Excellent piece - very informative and easy to follow. Thank you for your time and effort
Great TH-cam video on setting up software for APT.
Aaron awesome work!
Great video but it needs an update. I had to find your version of SDRSharp as the latest didn't seem to have the Satellite Tracking feature, or at least i couldn't find it. Took a few hours to set up, and don't have an antenna, but it did record noise at the proper time. Well done indeed.
Thank you for the kind words. I'll try to keep a possible update in mind when I'm thinking of video topics.
I’m having considerable trouble linking my SDR# with WXtoImg via Virtual Audio Cable. Can anyone help me please? I’m running a Windows 10 laptop (64-bit with an RTL-SDR v3).
[UPDATE]: I got an operational install of SDR#, Orbitron and WXtoImg with VB-Cable. The SDR# version is 1.0.0.1361.
Thank you for the update! I haven't tried to get this going on Windows 10 yet. I'm sure this information will be helpful to a lot of folks.
Alex I,m the same had to go with the earlier version as you did. However my Cable input (VB -audio Virtual C ) will not work it shows failure message in Wxtoimg yet works on Spectrum Labs so is working?
Love the attention to detail in setting everything up. Great video. Just getting startedin the RTL-SDR stuff, looking forward to more content!
Excellent information presented in a straightforward manner.
THANK YOU! I was having so much trouble, this helped a lot. (also, I found I had to set the Uplink mode to FM-W for SDRSharp to select the correct mode. It was using USB.)
Great! Glad you found it helpful.
Hi, thank you for explaining it step by step in detail. Learned a lot and got everything running smoothly on the first try.. except I never got a signal. Turns out the only antenna i have at the moment is a cheap tiny dipole. So looking online found out I need an antenna tuned for 137. My thing now is I don't like the shape of most antennas and would like to build one my self.
Would love to make satcom alike looking with black pvc and measuring tape cross dipole antenna. Anny advice? Should I give it a go?
I'll appreciate your input 🙏
Thank you for the kind words! I say go for it on the turnstile antenna. I made one back in the late 90's and had good results with it. If I recall correctly, I used a big reflector behind it made of hardware screen. Might have got the design out of the ARRL Antenna Book. Good luck! 😀
Aaron it's due to the version of SDR sharp you use. I had to download an earlier version of SDR sharp. Now got it showing the Satellite Tracker button.
All OK until you load Wxtoimg then when you've set it up when trying the test it comes up with Error in wave in open failed(check sound card in options Recording options) this seems OK as I've got Virtual VB cable selected , however it says the failure message?
Yep if you could see if you can start from scratch with the 2020 set up then you may find it difficult to set up now.
Appreciate your help.
Many thanks for posting such a detailed video, it so informative and I now want to buy an SDR dongle and lean to software.
Excellent detail, Keep it up. Thank you for sharing
+samsomiller Thank you!
At the 20min mark, how did you know which NOAA satellites to select and to update the downlink frequencies?
I only have the little (whip?) antenna that came with my RTL-SDR, will that work? What about a 5ft telescopic indoor antenna?
Also, there is a program called WxTrack is that similar to WxtoImg?
I believe that NOAA 15, 18, and 19 are the only ones currently in service.
I don't think that an indoor whip antenna will work well in this application. The inefficiency of the antenna combined with attenuation from being indoors and loss from polarization mismatch is likely to lead to disappointment. Keep in mind that the signal you're trying to receive is coming from a solar-powered transmitter in space. It's worth building an efficient antenna with the correct polarization.
WxTrack and WxtoImg are different. WxTrack serves a similar function to Orbitron.
Great tutorial, thanks for going through it in real time
How did you get satellite tracker to show up in SDRsharp?
The sateliteTracker2 Plugin for SDRSharp no longer works with SDRsharp 1400 or newer, any chance anyone has found a updated version of the plugin or a way to hack the plugin to work?
Same question. The only way what i found is to find older version of sdrsharp...
@@AndrzejSQ9PKW www.satsignal.eu/software/DDETracker.html
Made by David Taylor; works great with his free WXTrack program.
@@MilesCallisto Sir, thank you.
John E. Amdor IV me
Outstanding presentation. A+
Great walk-through, THANK YOU
Make sure reboot your rasberry pi before check Gqrx see it's working that how know it's going record automatic
Some of you links are either dead or moved! WXtoImg gives a 404 error !! SatelliteTracker plugin Give "access denied" !!
Or will you supply these?
Thanks for your help but I think everyone getting trouble with satellite tracker in new version of SDR# . Could you help us in this problem?
Man for me it didnt work... the Satellite Tracker window didnt show up at the SDR sharp options... help please!!
I know this is old, but same issue. Everything went without a hitch, but I hit a brick wall with SDR Sharp not seeing the plugin. I wondering if it's because of a different version or something
Great video
***** Thanks!
this is good! I was part of a cadre of teachers years ago (1990ish) who was pioneerin the use of Apt in the classroom and now trying to teach it again. systems came from gti electronics in PA very good turn key systems. anyway I am glad to have found a more economical system. question.
Can this system download Wefax and GVAR?
thanks and good job on the video.
The RTL-SDR approach is exactly like attaching a standalone VHF receiver's audio output into a PC's _line in_, so yes, any software that could decode Wefax by reading signals from a VHF setup will work with such a system. In fact, you can even install a virtual (software) "audio cable" in the PC that is running the decoding program so that the audio from the RTL-SDR receiver is re-routed into the audio input where the Wefax program is expecting to hear the signals. This way, a single PC can run all the software that is needed: one (such as Orbitron) for tracking the satellites so you will know the satellite passage times, the SDR software (such as SDRSharp) that actually receives the signals from the satellites via the RTL-SDR dongle attached to the USB port and the Wefax software (WXtoImg) to download the images. I do think that GVAR comes from geostationary satellites only (I might be wrong here), in which case you'd still need a parabolic dish, downconverter, etc, to receive GVAR specifically.
Looks like you might want to brace your shelf. Good video
I'm not getting the Satellite Tracker bar on the SDR sharp screen. I followed your video carefully and everything worked except no Satellite Tracker bar. Any ideas?
its not showing up on mine either :(
Hi again!!
Do you use a macintosh? Any clues? I already installed WXtoimg on mac. But the satellite tracker and SDR softwares I am still trying to find ones that work as easy onthe PC...
I have a dedicated receiver for the LEO NOAA birds I bought back in 2003, shame it no longer works because it is crystal controlled and the channels in it are not active anymore.
Hello I did all you say but l can't get nothing works and RTL SDR is no audio at all but l can see picks espretro gram can you please tell me what I have to do thanks
I have made v-pole antenna. Using nooelec product LNA. Using RTL-SDR. Using SDRSharp software. To recive FM radio broadcasts to function properly, it's must use the LNA above. But after several weeks of trying to receive pictures of NOAA15, NOAA18, NOAA19, MetopB, MetopC, never got a good signal at the working frequency of the satellite. The reception location is in the middle of a field, an open area without obstructions (houses, trees). I have adjusted all parameter settings (frequency, bandwidth, etc.). Where do you think my mistake is?
Hey, Supri! During a satellite pass, do you see a signal in the RTL-SDR waterfall (but can't decode it well) or do you see no signal at all in the waterfall display?
can people do updated videos because someof the sources arent available or find me a recode software to code the imagine
Hello sir, Will I still be able to recieve pictures without using orbitron?
I think you'll have trouble with doppler-shift for overhead passes, less with near-the-horizon passes. You might still be able to decode a portion of the image.
@@StuntProgrammer when I install the sdr# program my computer says virus detected then can not install? What can I do Aaron?
@@DjJerryofficialChannel1 Sorry, no idea. I haven't used it since I made this video. Maybe the SDR# folks can help.
I will try the setup myself
Hello Aaron. Thank you for this step-by-step tutorial. I also have a new version of SDRSharp and the same problem - I'm not able to add Sattelite Tracker. Could you upload your vesion of SDRSharp somewhere that we can download it, please?
+Piotr Samek I have this same problem. I can't add Sattelite Tracker... :/
Hello Ruciak Spotter. I found actually working version of SDRSharp with most of the addons already implemented inside. Check this out:
www.dropbox.com/s/o3pqj5ndusy6mbd/sdrsharp_r820t2.rar?dl=0
Piotr Samek Thank you Mr. Piotr ;) Have a nice SATCaching! :)
+Piotr Samek Thanks! I think this will be very helpful for a lot of folks watching this video.
Do u still have this?
I followed the steps and got everything working but the plugin on SDRSharp, I put the line of text in the plugins file, I put the files in the folder, I tried rebooting. Nothing would work. Great Video though.
Hi Aaron. Does this work with the Funcube dongle pro plus. Im having problems connecting it with Windows 10. Any advice? Another video would be helpful..
I am in Florida and would like to get from the new weather satellite setting off the east coast. Can I use a Direct TV type dish and point it at the satellite and what change will I need to do to the LNA? I would like to see the storm before they get here.
the TV LNA on a dish won't work, it's for a different signal frequency and polarization. It also needs power.
Thanks and yes I got download. Put line into SDSharp to put Sat tracker box/icon into SdDR icon list. Then put the 3 files dll etc into Sharpcap.
Unfortunatly the Star tracker doesn't show up on the left hand side it just stops at Signal diagnostics?
Any suggestions?
Sorry, no idea. 😟 It's quite a number of years now since I did this. I should probably give it another go with the current versions of everything.
Spot on info.
dare you to do a 2022 version of this! i double dare ya!
hi need help ive got not tracking menu in sdrsharp?
Good tutorial, I have an issue though, when I launch SDRsharp it is not showing the satellite tab, any ideas, thanks
How to get orbitron to connect with SDR# Rev 1500? or is there a place I can get an older version of SDR#?
Very well presented.
I have noticed that the software seems to have a problem maintaining a nice straight picture edge. I mean the horizontal sync is often not detected at exactly the same time resulting in skew picture edge. Is this due to the WXtoIMG software or the RTL device?
I have an ancient digital scan converter that I built 30+ years ago but it syncs very well. Not nearly as versatile and small as the modern gear though.
I think that WxtoImg lets the pixel clock run free during reception, then tries to de-skew in a post-processing step. I agree, the edge looks a bit wobbly even with a good signal from the receiver. I think this is down to the algorithm. It may be optimizing for something other than a perfectly crisp edge. Good question for the developer.
I can't imagine why you would want to optimise for anything other than a straight sync edge. If you don't have a straight sync edge you may as well not have a picture because everything becomes distorted.
I had a version of this running in my Ham shack about 5 years ago (coincidentally around the time you put this video up). I wonder if the software will work with W10?
Installed it and it seems to work.
Do you have a link on how to build the Antenna, or what it's called?
Yep. There's a link in the description, but it looks like the site is not presently active. Here's a link to the same page in the Wayback Machine: web.archive.org/web/20190629211229/perso.wanadoo.es/dimoni/ant_qha.htm
@@StuntProgrammer - Unfortunately the download for building, and the email are both dead.
@@tubeDude48 Yeah... I don't think the download link worked even when I used it. I think there was enough on the page to get it going more or less.
Can you decode data from the Suomi NPP Satellite with this?
jonrk2 I don't think so. I believe the Suomi NPP real-time downlink is in the X band (8-12 GHz) and has a very high bandwidth.
Aaron Parks Okay, thank you! I just got a reciver and this tutorial was helpful. In Orbitron it doesn't look like any of the satellites fly close to my area, I only have the stock antenna that came with it.
Hi I carried out the installation as instructed but at the end there was no satellite tracking selection button in SDR sharp - anyone have any idea what i may have done wrong ? 😊 thanks
I'm getting a lot of slant in wxtoimg when receiving. Also the slant is not stable, its moving around a little. In another video they told me to put MSPS on 0.9 is that the solution ?
Far out. I haven't seen that before... guess it's worth a try.
Hi ,i dont see information like it in my country ... your the best ! I want To start with rtl sdr , your vidéo is update for today ? I mean i would like buy the sdr and follow your vidéo. And if i understand i dont need antenna ? Sorry i have poor english that hard To follow
Edit; in many comment the sat tracker seem not working ,any way To fixe it?
hello friend, do you use some type of signal amplifier ?? what would it be?
I don't think I used an amplifier, just straight from the QFH antenna into the RTLSDR I believe.
@@StuntProgrammer I'm having a lot of noise when capturing the signal, I can only have good images once the satellite is at the top. Is there an amplifier that you could recommend to improve images? thank you very much
@@lucasdossantosbull1398 If you're getting a better image when the satellite is directly overhead, it may be that there is some obstruction (trees, buildings, hills or mountains) or that the antenna design you're using favors direct overhead reception at the expense of lower angles. Image quality will depend on not just signal strength, but the ratio of signal strength to noise strength. An amplifier will amplify both the signal and the received noise, so its use in improving the signal to noise ratio is limited (though there are specific cases where it can help, like putting one at the antenna-end of a long cable run to compensate for cable losses). I suspect if you can get your antenna clear of obstructions or perhaps try a design with a good balance between high- and low-angle performance you'll get the best results. I think the very best weather satellite images come from antenna systems that are highly-directional and have a computer steering them to follow the satellite on its path through the sky. Without something like that, it might be necessary to be satisfied with less perfect results -- especially if the local terrain is difficult.
@@StuntProgrammer Thanks a lot for the help.
Hi great video , however cannot find StarTracker 2 programme. Can you post a link.
If it's the one under the video Satellite plugin public crap this doesn't go anywhere ?
Can you assist please.
-Sorry about the spell checker It should say public -Xrp .s3 etc
The SatelliteTracker plugin? The link in the description goes directly to the download. I just gave it a try from here and it downloaded the file (it's a direct link to download the file itself, not to a web page).
what is that signal just by the side of atp signal?
Nice video. Are you using an lna? What antenna are you using?
Thanks! No LNA. The antenna is a shop-built quadrifilar helix.
Quadrifilar helix antenna: metsat.gogan.org/ant_qha.htm
i am doing everything step by step and in orbitron doesnt show me the sdrsharp option on the box in the "Rotor/Radio" any ideas?
malakesable You could double-check the steps for installing the plugin. If that doesn't work, it might be that they've changed something.
I had to run Orbitron as administrator to see SDRSharp option in the Rotor/Radio box.
I set the sdrsharp as you said but didnt get the satellite tracker in sdrsharp but will try again
+Darren Morris Did you get any response offline on this. I am having the same problem as the satellite tracker won't appear in sdr# despite adding the line in the plugins.xml file.
I'm also having issues with Orbitron not showing SDR# as a driver. Despite adding the two lines at the end of setup.config file.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
+Darren Morris I think the plugin does not work anymore version 1400+ (www.rtl-sdr.com/sdrsharp-plugins/). Try this link for some help: www.satsignal.eu/software/DDETracker.html.
+Paul Lewis If you open the Orbitron as admnistrator the SDR driver option will be available.
are you going to make more videos?
Yeah, I hope to be making more soon. I think I'll have more time coming up and perhaps a good space for some projects (and videos) I wouldn't have been able to do before.
It does not look as if I can run these programs on a Mac, is that true?
Correct; these are programs for Microsoft Windows. I'm a Mac guy myself, but also have a PC for stuff like this.
How did u find the correct frequency of the satellite?
NOAA's website will have the frequencies. Wikipedia might be a good secondary source.
Hi. Could this be also work with Himawari-8 satellite?
I believe Himawari 8 uses a digital downlink in the Ka band, so probably not.
Would an arrow or discone antenna work?
try a rabbit-ear in horizontal plane. hackaday.com/2017/07/10/old-rabbit-ears-optimized-for-weather-satellite-downlink/
How to get upto 6 GHz using just from 1 MHz to 3.2 GHz sdr usb.
Someone might make a downconverter that would work for you. I think that frequency is a little high to use an off-the-shelf C-band LNB, unfortunately.
@@StuntProgrammer thanx. I'll look into it.
@@StuntProgrammer I want to get wideband upto 6ghz, which converter you suggest?
@@chetnapatel9700 Sorry, I'm not familiar with what's on the market to be able to make a recommendation. You might check in with the SDR folks; I think there are some sub-reddits where they hang out? Maybe other forums too.
The globe on your desk is turning the wrong way around.
First thing I noticed, alternate universe maybe?
It's Venus, perhaps.
He's only winding us up...
You are looking at the wrong side of your screen
@Chip Butty Pfft... you believe in the earth? That's just what they want you to think, man. 🙄
SOFIAs ?
where can i buy the spinning globe?
Gary Mitchell I'm sorry, but I really don't know! I received it as a gift. Pretty cool, isn't it?
+Aaron Parks ha ha! after all that thought going into this, all that set-up tech help hints tips and pointers...the GLOBE seems to be the star of this video! Phhhffft!
yes looks great. wonder if they sell different planets? will try ebay and amazon. many thanks gary
Gary Mitchell That would be cool. Good luck!
step 7 i learn from this person that wrote in a online blog it says set it to 40k or you can go into settings for like goto receive_and_process_satellite.sh change 60k to 40k make sure save in nano editor then everything would be set those cheap sdr dangles you goto into k settings like 60k needs be 40k. .
www.instructables.com/id/NOAA-Satellite-Signals-with-a-PVC-QFH-Antenna-and-/
Good information, thanks for posting. Your globe model, however, is turning the wrong way... ;-)
You could have explained what you were doing a little better other than that very informative video
Hi Aaron,After a long time not being active, i started again with receiving weather satelliet pictures from noaa and meteor.Thanks for this very helpful video, with a lot of new technics and features. It's still amazing when the first picture is comming in. First thing on my bucket list is building a new rqha antenna with ampl.WIm www.kunstmanen.net
+HAM PA3GTL You're welcome! Good luck with the antenna.
i feel dizzy seeing that globe going the wrong way
Currently above mention site for WXtoImg is down so yo can use following link.. web.archive.org/web/20171209052450/www.wxtoimg.com:80/downloads/
Wrong OS. Lead in information good. I must clicked a wrong link. Your earth model, BTW, is rotating in the wrong direction.
The world turns west to east. That's why the sun rises in the east.
Maybe in your shop ;)
Aaron Parks I live in Tasmania. maybe that explains it! I'm currently setting up for meteor m2, and having problems getting the Russian sdrsharp plugins to talk to Orbitron. your video is very helpful. Thanks!
Your globe is spinning in the wrong direction.
Troubling, isn't it?