Polar-orbiting weather satellites — NOAA (APT) and Meteor-M (LRPT) — broadcast imagery on 137 MHz as they pass overhead. With an SDR and a 137 MHz antenna you can receive your own live weather pictures.
The pipeline
predict pass (orbital library) → record 137 MHz during the pass (SDR)
→ decode + process (satdump) → image- A small scheduler (e.g. Python + a TLE/orbital library such as Skyfield) computes when a satellite rises above the horizon and triggers a capture.
- satdump handles demodulation and image processing for both NOAA APT and Meteor LRPT.
satdump live meteor_m2-x_lrpt baseband.cf32 ./out --source rtlsdr --frequency 137.1e6Requirements
| Need | Why |
|---|---|
| 137 MHz antenna | A turnstile or QFH tuned for the band — the biggest factor |
| Clear horizon view | Passes ride low across the sky |
| Right-hand circular pol | Satellites transmit RHCP |
If one dongle is busy with ADS-B, you'll want a second for 137 MHz captures.
Related: ADS-B Aircraft Tracking with readsb · Home Lab Fleet Architecture