After a brief hiatus in 2024, I’m excited to announce that my home-built ground station for receiving GOES-16 satellite data is back online! This project, which I initially launched in 2021, combines my passions for meteorology, technology, and DIY electronics. In this post, I'll share insights into the technical setup, challenges faced, and the satisfaction of decoding satellite signals directly from space.
View the daily GOES-16 images here
View the daily GOES-16 images here
GOES-16 Background
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16 (GOES-16) provides crucial data used for weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorological research. Capturing this data firsthand requires a sophisticated setup, which I decided to undertake as a personal challenge and a means to contribute valuable data to the weather monitoring community.
The Setup
My GOES-16 reception station is built around a few key components:
- Antenna: I use a custom-built helical antenna, optimized for the 1.7 GHz frequency used by GOES-16. This antenna is crucial for capturing the weak signals transmitted from a geostationary orbit over 35,000 kilometers away.
- Receiver: The heart of the station is an RTL-SDR dongle. This affordable USB device is modified to receive high-frequency signals and connected to my antenna via a low-noise amplifier to boost the signal quality.
- Software: I use goesrecv to decode the signals, configured as per my specific needs. The software runs on a dedicated Raspberry Pi, which processes the data and uploads images to an AWS S3 bucket for storage and easy access.
Configuration Details
Here’s a deeper look at the configuration that makes this all possible:
- Demodulator and Decoder Setup: My goesrecv configuration is tailored to demodulate and decode HRIT data. Settings like sample rate, frequency, and gain are meticulously adjusted to match the signal characteristics of GOES-16.
- Data Handling: After decoding, the data packets are processed to generate full-disk images of Earth. These images show weather patterns evolving in real-time and are automatically uploaded to an S3 bucket.
Challenges and Triumphs
Setting up and maintaining a satellite reception station comes with its set of challenges. Weather conditions, physical obstructions, and technical failures can disrupt signal reception. Overcoming these hurdles through troubleshooting and iterative improvements has been a deeply rewarding part of this journey.
Back Online
After taking a year off in 2024, rebooting the station required some updates and recalibrations. With changes in software versions and slight shifts in satellite transmission protocols, I spent several weeks tuning my setup. Now, fully operational again, the station is back to capturing stunning images of our planet.
Conclusion
This project is a testament to the power of DIY spirit and the accessibility of space technology. It's thrilling to think that with some hardware tweaks, open-source software, and a lot of passion, anyone can reach out and touch the fringes of space. I hope my journey inspires others to explore the wonders of satellite communications and amateur radio.
For those interested in this kind of project, I plan to post detailed tutorials and updates. Stay tuned, and clear skies to all fellow satellite trackers!
For those interested in this kind of project, I plan to post detailed tutorials and updates. Stay tuned, and clear skies to all fellow satellite trackers!