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Advanced Meteor M2 Decoding Guide

The Advanced Meteor-M2 Satellite Weather Decoding Guide provides instructions for capturing and decoding high-resolution weather images from the Meteor-M2 satellite using an RTL-SDR dongle and specific software on a Linux PC. It details the required equipment, software setup, tracking and receiving passes, demodulation, and building a DIY QFH antenna. The guide also offers tips for optimizing signal reception and image quality.

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95 views3 pages

Advanced Meteor M2 Decoding Guide

The Advanced Meteor-M2 Satellite Weather Decoding Guide provides instructions for capturing and decoding high-resolution weather images from the Meteor-M2 satellite using an RTL-SDR dongle and specific software on a Linux PC. It details the required equipment, software setup, tracking and receiving passes, demodulation, and building a DIY QFH antenna. The guide also offers tips for optimizing signal reception and image quality.

Uploaded by

subuprof
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Advanced Meteor-M2 Satellite Weather Decoding Guide

1. Introduction and Required Equipment

Meteor-M2 is a Russian polar-orbiting weather satellite transmitting high-resolution digital images using the

LRPT format around 137.1 MHz. With a modest setup, you can capture real-time images of cloud cover and

thermal maps.

You will need:

- RTL-SDR V3 dongle

- QFH or Turnstile antenna tuned for 137 MHz

- Optional LNA for better SNR

- Linux PC (Ubuntu/Debian recommended)

2. Linux Software Setup

Install dependencies:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install git build-essential cmake sox gnuradio gqrx

Clone and build meteor_demod:

git clone https://github.com/dbdexter-dev/meteor_demod.git

cd meteor_demod

mkdir build && cd build

cmake .. && make

Clone and build meteor_ldpc:

git clone https://github.com/dbdexter-dev/meteor_ldpc.git

cd meteor_ldpc && make


Advanced Meteor-M2 Satellite Weather Decoding Guide

Install SatDump (for final image building):

wget https://github.com/SatDump/SatDump/releases/latest/download/SatDump-linux-x64.AppImage

chmod +x SatDump-linux-x64.AppImage

3. Tracking and Receiving a Pass

Use Gpredict to track passes:

sudo apt install gpredict

Tune to ~137.100 MHz in GQRX or SDR# and start recording IQ data as a WAV file during the satellite pass

(~10-15 mins).

Ensure bandwidth is wide (~140 kHz) and mode is USB or RAW IQ.

4. Demodulation and Image Building

Run demodulator on your WAV file:

./meteor_demod input.wav output.raw

Run LDPC decoder:

./meteor_ldpc output.raw corrected.bin

Build the image using SatDump:

./SatDump-linux-x64.AppImage

Load corrected.bin and navigate to the Meteor-M2 LRPT decoder. Process into visual, IR, or RGB
Advanced Meteor-M2 Satellite Weather Decoding Guide

composites.

5. Building a DIY QFH Antenna

A Quadrifilar Helix Antenna (QFH) offers excellent circular polarization and sky coverage.

Materials:

- 10 mm copper or aluminum tubing

- PVC pipe for frame

- Coaxial cable (RG-58 or RG-6)

Steps:

1. Cut two loops (1.25 turns, 0.5 turns) per design

2. Mount on vertical PVC pipe

3. Use impedance matching (balun or ferrite)

4. Feed point: connect inner conductor to one loop, shield to the other

Many calculators are online for exact dimensions for 137 MHz.

6. Output Example and Tips

Final images can include multispectral bands showing Earth surface, clouds, and sea surface temperature.

Tips:

- Keep antenna outdoors and above roof level

- Avoid buildings and EMI sources

- Schedule passes > 30 degrees elevation for best results

- Use LNA for boosting weak signals

You can receive 3-5 good passes daily depending on location.

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