Now WXtoImg Works

It took me awhile to figure it out but now you are able to visit a website and view satellite images recorded from my backyard. Take a look here. First I had to figure out how the satellite decoding software worked. Then I had to figure out how to connect the decoding software to the radio software so the receiving frequency could be adjusted to take in account the Doppler shift associated with the satellite flying overhead. The next challenge was the antenna. Everything I read said I need a clear view of the sky. The roof of my house or garage was the first option. Unfortunately there is a lot of rf interference in my neighborhood. It turns out having the antenna sitting on top of a plastic pole in my backyard is the best option at this point.

I then ran into problems with the radio being overloaded by neighboring FM channels. NOAA satellites broadcast on 137 mhz which is close to the 87 to 107 range of commercial FM channels. Two of the satellites use a frequency that was polluted by signals received from two separate commercial radio stations. I purchased a cheap FM filter to block commercial FM stations out. Then I needed to figure out how to automatically upload the recorded images from a computer to the website. After that I had to troubleshoot why the maps on my images did not align correct. Turns out the clock on the computer needs to be set to automatically update frequently. Then I had to play with the enhancement settings to determine which options worked with the types of images I am able to download. Finally I figured out how to remotely connect to the computer doing the recording so I could control it from inside my house.

So what can you see? Images recorded every six hours or so. Follow this link to view them. I am still playing with various settings to fine tune the images and reduce distortion. Something to do when now surfing or riding my bike.

See below for a sample image: