wrote in message
ups.com...
I have been reading about it. Is it possible to get into this cheaply?
What is needed?


Amateur Weather
http://www.amateurweather.com/apt.htm

Dave has already pointed you in the proper direction. You can also use the
word "WEFAX" for google searches.
http://www.dxradio.co.uk/wefax/

UK site - Time-Step
http://www.time-step.com/

http://www.satsignal.net/

Remember that many of these images are NOW available to you via the Internet
and various web sites !

2 major types satellite are available:
Polar APT orbiting (VHF around 137 MHz)
APT satellites give about 12 good images a day, wherever you are in the
world. The resolution is 4km per pixel and there are visible and infrared
sensors. This is a simple system where the satellite is in low earth orbit
and very easily received at 137MHz (bandwidth of 30 - 50 kHz required by
receiver). The two frequencies in main use are 136.50 for NOAA 12 and 15 and
137.62MHz for NOAA 14. A simple crossed dipole antenna can be used or a
Quadrifilar helix antenna (stainless steel for marine usage).
http://www.w8bya.com/Wefax-main.htm

and Geostationary Meteosat or GOES (S-Band - 1691MHz)
These are the photos you usually see on The Weather Channel or your local
news.
WEFAX satellites give anything up to 400 images a day and can provide relay
images of the other side of the world. The resolution varies between 2.5 and
10km. There are 3 sensors, visible, infrared and upper atmosphere water
vapor. The main frequency is 1691MHz and we provide a special receiver for
this purpose. This signal from a 90cm (3 foot) dish and is amplified by a
low noise preamplifier mounted directly on the dish.

Princeton 2002 Satellite class (Intro to Physics)
http://www.hep.princeton.edu/~marlow/satlab/index.html