APT WX satellite rigs: anyone besides hobbyists use those images?

[w0aew]

Although I doubt I'll ever get around to putting together a rig to receive and process those low-earth-orbiting wx satellites that broadcast around 137 mhz, I have wondered about a few things:

1. Does NWS use those images in addition to the GOES images? Where do they hide them? I'd like to just look at them if they're posted someplace.

2. I can't find a yahoo group or hobbyist website that's been updated in months. Are those birds still broadcasting?

3. Is funding for those birds drying up?

Expiring minds want to know!

[KG4NEL]

According to the Wikipedias, the last planned APT satellite was launched in '09. Looks like most of the fleet went QRT in the late '00s.

[NQ6U]

I did a little research and it seems that the satellites in question are mostly Russian Meteor-series birds launched in the early to mid-Nineties. A bit of info is available on the NOAA site.

[KG4NEL]

Someone dun goof'd!

[N7YA]

Someone dun goof'd!

Thats just....i mean...someone is definately.....you cant.....wha...........yeah.

[N8YX]

Thats just....i mean...someone is definately.....you cant.....wha...........yeah.

Mehhh...it'll buff right out.

[W7XF]

Someone dun goof'd!

Yeah....someone forgot to install the clutch disc and throwout bearing!!

[N7YA]

Yeah....someone forgot to install the clutch disc and throwout bearing!!

Yot, yot...welp...shore looks like ya got a broken whizbanger thingamajiggy. Theres yer problem right thurr...metal shavings....gowna cost ya but i kin fix 'er right up!

z.jpg

[w0aew]

About the only info I've been able to scare up is from the Group for Earth Observation in the UK. This is the info they have but don't know how old it is:

Current NOAA series – APT (analogue) 137 MHz band, HRPT (digital) 1.69 GHz band.

• NOAA 15 AM Secondary - APT on 137.620 MHz (good) ; HRPT 1702.5 MHz (weak)
• NOAA 16 PM Secondary - HRPT 1698 MHz (good)
• NOAA 17 AM Backup - No Images
• NOAA 18 PM Secondary. Launched 20th May 2005 and is using 137.9125 MHz for APT downlink. HRPT 1707 MHz (good).
• NOAA 19 PM Primary. Launched 6th February 2009 and is using 137.100 MHz for APT downlink. HRPT 1698 MHz (good).

That's from: http://www.geo-web.org.uk/sat_future.php

And that's why I thought that perhaps the birds were still flying and operational.

[KG4NEL]

Are the high-resolution geostationary ones just as free to decode?

With how cheap microwave-capable SDRs are getting, I wonder if all you'd need is a small helix and a receive preamp to keep the feedline losses down. I remember putting together an S-band downlink for AO-40 was pretty simple. Automated Az/El tracking, however, isn't...