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NOAA APT weather satellite images recorded by VA3ROM at Thunder Bay, Canada

Coordinates (latitude, longitude): 48.450, -89.200 (Grid: EN58jk)
Receiver: RTL-SDR + SDR# + Calico CAT Kenwood receiver emulator plugin
Antenna: Homemade turnstile + LNA

APT Status     APT Wiki     APT Wrasse     Group for Earth Observation (GEO)

Note: The US NOAA analog APT polar orbiting environmental satellites (POES) or "birds" (NOAA-15, 18 and 19) transmit a 256-level (8-bit grayscale, 4 km/pixel resolution) AM 2400 Hz subcarrier FM modulated onto the 137 MHz band RF carrier (40 kHz bandwidth) using a RHCP helical antenna with 37 dBm ERP. The Orbcomm and SpaceBee satellite constellations and local VHF radio noise sources can interfere with APT signals. Intended for just five year missions, only one (of seven) was predicted to be operational by 2025; NOAA-15 (launched May 1998) has been "resuscitated" several times. Three new Russian METEOR digital LRPT birds were launched (starting September 2009) as replacements, but no one "told" NOAA-15, 18 and 19 because year after year they keep on working 24/7 while all three METEORs have failed (as of January 2023)!

Pristine: The best representation of the original received satellite data. Pristine images are unenhanced and used as the source to create all processed images by combining the various sensor telemetry contained within them with colour lookup tables (CLUTs).

Contrast Enhanced: Sensor values are linearly stretched and remapped into a new grayscale distribution increasing image dynamic range and making subtle variations more obvious.

Map Coloured Infrared (MCIR) with Precip: Uses sensor 4 (thermal infrared) creating a false colour image showing areas of cloud coverage whose layer opacities provide precipitation intensity estimates ranging in colours from green (light), yellow (moderate), red (strong), grey (intense) to black (extreme). Available for local daylight and night passes.

Multi-Spectral Analysis (MSA) with Precip: Uses sensors 1 or 2 (visible light or near infrared) and sensor 4 creating a near true colour, near visible light image showing areas of cloud coverage whose layer opacities provide precipitation estimates ranging in colours from green (light), yellow (moderate), red (strong), grey(intense) to black (extreme). Available for local daylight passes when solar elevation > 15 degrees.

MSA anaglyph (false 3D image): Uses sensors 2 and 4 and determines which regions are most likely cloud, land or water based on an analysis of the two images creating a stereoscopic photograph (anaglyph) producing a false three-dimensional image when viewed through red/blue 3D glasses. Available for local daylight passes when solar elevation > 15 degrees.

Thermal: Uses sensors 3 (mid-thermal infrared) and 4 creating a false colour image. Normally, only cloud tops are imaged but if none are in the way then land and/or water surfaces are imaged. Available for local daylight and night passes.

NOAA colour IR contrast enchancement (NO): Uses sensors 3 and 4 creating a false colour image. Normally, only cloud tops are imaged but if none are in the way then land and/or water surfaces are imaged. This enhancement is temperature normalized, which greatly increases contrast between the warmer land and/or water and colder cloud tops. Available for local daylight and night passes.

Click satellite image for full size view. Local dates and times are for the Canadian Eastern Time Zone

NOAA 15 Pristine
NOAA 15 Pristine
30 Mar 2023 08:59

 NOAA 15 contrast
NOAA 15 contrast
30 Mar 2023 08:59
NOAA 15 MCIR-precip
NOAA 15 MCIR-precip
30 Mar 2023 08:59

 NOAA 15 MSA-precip
NOAA 15 MSA-precip
30 Mar 2023 08:59
NOAA 15 MSA-anaglyph
NOAA 15 MSA-anaglyph
30 Mar 2023 08:59

 NOAA 15 therm
NOAA 15 therm
30 Mar 2023 08:59

Next Scheduled Satellite Passes over Thunder Bay, Canada

Satellite
Name		 Start of Pass End of Pass Direction Maximum Elevation
Degrees (East or West)		 Frequency
MHz
UTC Local Time UTC Local Time
NOAA 19 30 Mar 14:10 30 Mar 10:10 30 Mar 14:24 30 Mar 10:24 137.10
NOAA 15 30 Mar 14:38 30 Mar 10:38 30 Mar 14:52 30 Mar 10:52 137.62
NOAA 19 30 Mar 15:51 30 Mar 11:51 30 Mar 16:05 30 Mar 12:05 137.10
NOAA 18 30 Mar 16:44 30 Mar 12:44 30 Mar 16:59 30 Mar 12:59 137.9125
NOAA 15 31 Mar 00:21 30 Mar 20:21 31 Mar 00:35 30 Mar 20:35 137.62
NOAA 19 31 Mar 01:39 30 Mar 21:39 31 Mar 01:55 30 Mar 21:55 137.10
NOAA 18 31 Mar 02:33 30 Mar 22:33 31 Mar 02:47 30 Mar 22:47 137.9125
NOAA 18 31 Mar 04:13 31 Mar 00:13 31 Mar 04:28 31 Mar 00:28 137.9125