Introducing a new SDR radio bundle specifically designed for tuning into weather satellite signals.
SDR Weather Stations
Using an SDR to receive weather data from NOAA’s GOES satellite constellation is one of the most common applications for software defined radio enthusiast. There are a ton of tutorials and videos on how to setup your SDR rig, antenna, and SDR software to receive and decode weather images.
One thing that can slow folks down on their quest for home-brew meteorology is figuring out just what equipment is needed beyond a great SDR radio. There are antennas, LNAs, filters, etc. It can all become a bit overwhelming at times.
That’s where a new SDR bundle from Nooelec comes in. The folks over at Nooelec have taken all the guess work and hours of sifting through forums out of designing the best SDR weather station. They’ve created a bundle that includes everything you need to receive weather satellite images.
L-Band Antenna 
LNA+SAW filter and RTL-SDR 
Coax cable 
Connection diagram
The connection block diagram above shows what is included in the bundle. Beginning at the left is a high gain L-Band parabolic antenna. following the antenna comes the custom high efficiency LNA with special SAW filter tuned for the GOES signal. It is important that the LNA is mounted as close (electrically) to the antenna as possible… as is true with any RF chain. to the right of the LNA is the RTL-SDR radio and combined Bias-Tee. The bias-tee provides power to the LNA and makes the connections between the radio and the radio front-end simpler. Finally you need a computer connected to your RTL-SDR radio to decode and display the images using SDR software like GNURadio. The computer can be as simple as a Raspberry Pi 4 with the correct SDR Raspberry Pi Image.
Nooelec claims that their bundle can be up and running in less than an hour, and from the looks of it, we’d have to agree. This looks like a great bundle for those looking to jump start their amateur radio and weather projects! If your interested capturing your own weather satellite images, we highly recommend checking out this SDR bundle from Nooelec.
New to SDRs?
If you’re just getting started with Software Defined Radios and really sure where to begin check this beginners guide to SDRs. If you’re ready to start comparing your SDR options, we’ve got you covered there too. Check this post of popular software defined radios. Finally, if you’ve already gotten an SDR and you’re looking for you next project, check this post where we cover 3 aviation related signals of interest you can tune into using your SDR.
