Receiving weather satellites
Receive your own satellite images of your region — from pass calculation through the V-dipole to the decoded image with SDR#, WXtoImg/noaa-apt and SatDump. With videos.
Receive your own satellite images — for under 50 euros. NOAA and Meteor weather satellites transmit their images to Earth unencrypted on 137 MHz. With an RTL-SDR, a simple antenna and free software you capture a live image of your region as the satellite passes over.
Status of the NOAA fleet in 2026
The classic NOAA APT satellites (15, 18, 19) were officially decommissioned in 2025. Some still transmit sporadically. The future-proof option is the Russian Meteor-M2-3/M2-4 (LRPT, digital colour image) — this guide covers both.
Two satellite types — two methods
| Feature | NOAA (APT) | Meteor-M2 (LRPT) |
|---|---|---|
| Signal type | Analogue (APT) | Digital (LRPT, QPSK) |
| Frequency | 137.1 / 137.9125 MHz | 137.1 / 137.9 MHz |
| Image quality | 4 km/pixel, B/W + false colour | 1 km/pixel, colour |
| Decoder | WXtoImg / noaa-apt | SatDump / MeteorGIS + LRPT |
| Bandwidth | 34–40 kHz (WFM) | 120–150 kHz |
| Status 2026 | Phasing out | Active |
Step 1 — calculate the pass
Polar-orbiting satellites are only visible for a few minutes per pass. You need to know when and where in the sky:
1
Gpredict (Win/Linux/Mac, free) or heavens-above.com open
2
Enter your location (coordinates or city)
3
Update the Kepler data (TLE) — usually automatically from celestrak.com
4
A pass with high elevation (>30°) choose — the higher, the better the image
5
Note the time — a pass lasts only 10–15 minutes
Step 2 — antenna (the decisive factor)
The antenna accounts for 80% of your success. The simplest effective build: the V-dipole.
📺 V-dipole build guide for 137 MHz (Adam 9A4QV, original designer)
Quick V-dipole build plan: 2× rod, each 53.4 cm · at a 120° angle · horizontal · north-south aligned · 50 Ω coax. In detail, with more antenna types: antenna building guide.
Step 3 — receive NOAA & decode (Windows)
📺 Decode NOAA images with SDR# + WXtoImg — complete Windows guide
1
SDR# start · frequency e.g.
137.100.000 Hz (NOAA-19) · mode: WFM · bandwidth: 40,000 Hz2
Gain high (40–49 dB), AGC off · goal: a clean signal in the waterfall, no clipping
3
VB-Cable select as the audio output in SDR# (routes audio to the decoder)
4
WXtoImg or noaa-apt open · in WXtoImg: set location + Kepler data · input = VB-Cable
5
Start recording just before the satellite rises · the characteristic "tick-tick" APT signal appears in the waterfall
6
After the pass: WXtoImg/noaa-apt decodes the WAV file → a satellite image of your region
noaa-apt instead of WXtoImg: WXtoImg is no longer developed. The modern, open alternative noaa-apt (noaa-apt.mbernardi.com.ar) decodes the same WAV files, runs natively on Windows and Linux and is easier to set up. Same B/W image quality, with map overlay.
Step 4 — Meteor-M2 (digital, colour)
For future-proof, high-resolution colour images: the Russian Meteor-M2. A digital LRPT signal, a bit more demanding.
SatDump is the recommended all-in-one tool for 2026: it receives, demodulates and decodes Meteor-M2 LRPT (and many other satellites) in one interface — no VB-Cable, no separate demodulator needed. Frequency:
137.100 MHz or 137.900 MHz, bandwidth 150 kHz, mode baseband/IQ recording → SatDump pipeline "Meteor M2-x LRPT".
Common mistakes & solutions
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| No signal despite a pass | Antenna misaligned | V-dipole exactly north-south, horizontal, clear view |
| Image noisy / streaky | Low elevation or interference | Pass >choose 30°, away from PC/Wi-Fi |
| Signal drifts away | Doppler effect | increase bandwidth to 40 kHz (catches the drift) |
| Image skewed/distorted | PC clock inaccurate | synchronise the time (NTP) |
| Image upside down | South-north pass | Normal — the decoder rotates automatically (Kepler data needed) |
| FM radio interferes | Overload from FM | the horizontal V-dipole attenuates FM by 20 dB, add an FM notch filter if needed |
Complete weather-satellite setup
RTL-SDR v4 (~€40) → V-dipole 53.4 cm N-S (build guide) → Gpredict for passes → SDR# + VB-Cable + noaa-apt (NOAA) or SatDump (Meteor) → clear sky → your own satellite image