SatSignal
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SatSignal

  • "Thanks for a fine piece of software!" - Ralph E. Taggart, Professor and Chair, Geological Sciences, MSU.

icon-download.gif (908 bytes) SatSignal download
SatSignal registration - help support continued development!

What is SatSignal?

SatSignal is a program to demodulate NOAA APT, Okean, Meteor 3-5 and Resurs signals.  It can be automatically driven by SatBatch, and has a detailed technical description.  Want to to see some images decoded with SatSignal? - take a look at my sample results, or Craig's, Jim's pages or WTOC-TV (Patrick Prokop).  Dale Hardy has MTSAT-1R images decoded by SatSignal and processed by GeoSatSignal.  SatSignal is intended to work from pre-recorded .WAV files or 2-channel images, and requires a proper full-bandwidth IF receiver signal (38KHz or more).  Signals that sound like alternating tone and noise will not work.  See here for programs that will automatically record wave files.  Les Hamilton has written a Guide to processing APT weather satellite images using SatSignal. Click for a bigger screen-shot
Cloud-top temperature mode using overlays

Classic false-colour mode - note that the colours are accurately related to the brightness temperature and a superb level of land detail is retained - more so than in competing programs.
Click for a full-scale image section

SatSignal is very fast - decoding a typical pass in under 10 seconds on today's 2GHz processors.  This program is not a WXSat replacement, I have great respect for that program!  You can read more about SatSignal, its operation and algorithms if you wish.  There is a group  you can join at https://groups.io/g/SatSignal where other users of the software can be contacted and ideas for updates are discussed. 

SatSignal 6 with EasyOverlay Background Mode released!

Thanks to a great team of beta testers, SatSignal 6 has now been released, combining the ease of image processing and high-quality false-colour image production of SatSignal with a new EasyOverlay Background Mode facility, which allows you to make night-time passes look as good as daylight passes!  Your existing registration code will not work on SatSignal5, as this is a new program with substantially expanded facilities.

Related stuff

I am very grateful to the late Ferran Alegret for providing a Spanish language version of the help file, which may be obtained directly from his Web site.  The cloud-top temperature algorithm and its usage were described at the late Trevor Cousens' Web site.  The NOAA KLM User's Guide is the official NOAA document describing the satellites and their sensors.


EasyOverlay - Background Mode - night into day!

Here is an example of the new Background Overlay mode.  By skilfully blending the temperature information derived from the thermal channel with the recently released Blue Marble Next Generation images of the earth, night-time images can be presented looking as if they were daytime ones, with an attractive blue sea background and naturally coloured land areas.

You have full control of what background images are used, so you are not restricted to the Blue Marble data.  You also have full control over the blending process, so you can show colder clouds as light (as in the example here) or dark for a more dramatic presentation.  Files to get you started are provided.

Channel B - thermal image with conventional display.
Click for larger image
False colour Background Mode with Blue Marble background image.
Click for larger image

Can I register, and what do I get?

Users have asked to support this software by registering, so I have now provided this facility.  There are a number of extras for registered users including map overlays, input from bitmap (.BMP) image files, and the direct display of apparent temperature.   These are available upon registration.  I would also like those who use the program as a regular part of automated signal reception to consider registering, hence the toolbar and batch operation are included in the registered program.  Click here for more information about registering SatSignal. 

  • Registration provides
    • Faster operation through toolbar icons
    • Access to apparent temperature display in ºF or ºC
    • Access to overlay display of countries, states & grid-lines
    • Access to the EasyOverlay facility
    • Access to Background Mode - turning night passes into day
    • Access to image input options
    • Access to command-line parameters for fully automated operation
    • Ability to add your text to the image
    • Technical support

Please note that SatSignal 6 requires a new licence code.

Requirements

If you get error messages about missing DLLs when you try to run SatSignal, please consult the library notes page.  

  • Register SatSignal - help support continued developments.
  • Currently, you need WXtrack to get your location data into SatSignal, and it also is a convenient way to get the Kepler and country boundary data.
  • System requirements
    • Display: 800 x 600 resolution or better, 15-, 16- 24- or 32-bit colour recommended.  Be sure to calibrate your monitor
    • Windows -7 and later supported, earlier Windows may also work but are not supported
    • Memory: 128 MB or better.  256 MB highly recommended
    • Processor: Pentium 500 MHz or better
  • Runtime Library Bundle (if you don't already have it).
  • Got a question?  Check the FAQ!
  • If you collect your own data, be sure your PC is keeping accurate time.
  • Want to ask a question - ask the self help group: https://groups.io/g/SatSignal
  • If installing on Windows Vista, you may need the Microsoft WinHelp update.

Convert your SatSignal images to standard map projections with the GroundMap program

Downloads

V5.1.0 Allow choice of mouse scroll direction, French language update.
2008-Feb-29 Russian language update.
V5.1.2 Add gamma 0.6 and 0.8 options for improved cloud structure detail, refine WXtrack needed message, French language update.
2008-Dec-07 Russian language update
V5.1.4 Update NOAA-19 support, improved telemetry decoding, add check against bad Sensor Model value.
V5.2.2 Default satellites updated, improved channel switch reporting, built with Delphi 2009.
V6.0.0 Updated licence.

icon-download.gif (908 bytes) Download SatSignal V6.0.0  
(1,638,741 bytes; 2015-Apr-07;  MD5 signature: 2FF629D29757DEDFB7086D14AAE7D71B)

Beta version: Check here for the latest update.

Windows-7 and later information please read this is you have problems with the program's Help function.

If you like this software, you can rate it at the DXZone web site that lists related programs.  Rate this Software @ The DXZone.  Be sure to register SatSignal and support continued development.

A self-help group is available for this software here:

LUTmaker

 Download Download LUTmaker 1.0.6 (31,424 bytes;  2001 Dec 12)

V1.0.4 Is a companion program for building your own colour look-up tables to use with SatSignal.
V1.0.6 Adds a Save As option.  Includes source code.

Sample Images and related goodies

The sample images give an idea of the program's capabilities, but the large images are only one quarter of full size and do not give a fair impression of the quality of the program's output.  Typically, each full-size Meteor or Resurs picture would decode to either 1 MB JPEG or 3 MB BMP files.   The two pictures of Iceland are full scale, and were taken within an hour of each other on 1999 April 1.  The NOAA image showing better contrast on the mountains, either  because of the lower sun angle of the earlier picture or the stronger gamma correction of SatSignal, but with the higher resolution is achieved by Meteor with SatSignal, the higher elevation of Meteor also producing a lower noise signal.

  • WXReceiver program by George Ioannu - a utility to automatically record the APT signal of passing weather satellites with RS232 controlled receivers.
  • SatTune program by Tim Seed to control a PCR-1000 radio
  • Julian Moss has an automatic recorder called SatMon in the Software section of his Web site.
  • Want to check signal levels?  Check out my SatLevel utility!
  • Want to upload to your Web site automatically?  Check out Brian Hamilton's Autosat Pic FTP utility.
  • Want a sample NOAA wave file to check SatSignal?  Download a recent 16 MB sample including the wave file and processed results - my signals and interference are not so good these days!

SatBatch

Program to drive the SatSignal and WXtrack programs for automated decoding of a folder full of mixed satellite wave files.  

Requirements

The registered version of SatSignal is required to run this program.  No new libraries are required.  A Pentium 200MMX processor or better is recommended, with at least 32MB of memory.

Current release

V1.8.0 Add support for NOAA-18 and NOAA-19, honour Windows XP themes. 
V1.8.2 Allow user control of minimum pass duration to be processed, pass NOAA-18 as model name when appropriate, add NOAA-6 to deselection options.
V1.8.4 Add NOAA-APT only option.
V1.8.5 Improved clarity of pass-list display.
More choices with pass duration required .. be sure to check your "Require xx secs" setting.
V1.9.0 Version for Delphi 2009.

  icon-download.gif (908 bytes) Download SatBatch V1.9.0 (532,807 bytes;  2009 Jun 30)


NOAAplot

The program reads pass details from both WXtrack and SatSignal and plots the signal quality as a function of the range and bearing from your location.  By building up such data over a sequence of satellite passes, you can build up a picture of the antenna polar diagram, and detect any nulls in the polar diagram.  It is also possible to compare antennas, and an example of such a comparison may be found here.

This is a free, unsupported utility.  Please ask questions in the SatSignal self-help group.

Current release

V1.2.0 Provide "good signals only" scale range option, add smoothing option for Azimuth plot, add visual scale for polar plots.
V1.3.0 Add save of estimated horizon data derived from least elevation seen in polar plot.

    Download NOAAplot V1.3.0 (62,113 bytes;  2006 Jun 25)

 

 
Copyright © David Taylor, Edinburgh   Last modified: 2019 Apr 18 at 11:54