1. Weather Satellite Reception Via RTL-SDR
Adam Leach
July 8, 2013
Abstract
Recent advancements in consumer radio electronics have allowed the
for the reception and processing of weather satellite data to become pos-
sible using low-cost hardware. This document details the construction of
a 137Mhz weather satellite image receiving station while on a shoestring
budget.
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2. Contents
1 SDR Systems 3
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3. 1 SDR Systems
A software-defined radio system, or SDR is a radio communication instrument
where components usually implemented in hardware, such as mixers and filters
are instead implemented by a general purpose processor usually one found within
a PC or in some form of embedded system. SDRs are still considered a niche
product, with several options existing for amateur and academic usage.
USRP by Ettus Research - £475 and up
Sample Rate 16MS/s
ADC Resolution 12 bit
Frequency Range DC - 6GHz
Frequency Accuracy 2.5 ppm
Recieve Noise Figure 5dB
Power Usage 9.6W
The USRP (Universal Software Radio Peripheral) family is a set of SDRs
designed and built by Ettus Research. Ettus research produce three main cat-
egories of SDR, Embedded systems based SDRs, Networkable SDRs and USB-
based SDRs. While performance of these machines is far superior to cheaper
SDRs, the price is somewhat unreasonable for the amateur radio enthusiast.
FUNcube Dongle Pro+ - £125 + p&p
Sample Rate 192kS/s
ADC Resolution 16 bit
Frequency Range 150kHz - 240MHz, 420MHz - 1.9GHz
Frequency Accuracy 1.5 ppm
Recieve Noise Figure 5.5dB
Power Usage 1W
The FUNcube Dongle Pro+ is a wide-range, plug and play USB SDR designed
specifically for hobbyists, containing a low noise amplifier and being frequency
accurate to 1.5 parts per million, offers easier configuration than that of the
USRP.
RTL2832U Chipset Based Digital TV tuners - £15
Sample Rate 256kS/s
ADC Resolution 8 bit
Frequency Range 52MHz - 2.2Ghz
Frequency Accuracy 1.5 ppm
Recieve Noise Figure 5.5dB
Power Usage 1W
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4. The RTL2832U chipset allows the forwarding of raw signal data, this means,
given the right set of drivers, it is possible to use a £15 USB TV tuner to receive
signals across a wide range of frequencies.
Given that
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