WxToImg: software to decode APT and WEFAX signals from weather satellites

Upgradable freeware for Windows, Linux, and MacOS X.

WxToImg 2.4.12 (26 April 2003)

Simply connect a 137-138MHz FM communications receiver, scanner, or weather satellite receiver to your soundcard and get stunning colour images directly from weather satellites.

A nearly 20% rise in the New Zealand dollar (vs the US) since December means that upgrade prices will have to increase before the end of May, order your upgrade key today to beat the price increase!

Note that the standard and professional editions contain important enhancements needed for good quality colour images from scanners and communications receivers.

WxToImg is fully automated APT and WEFAX weather satellite recording, decoding, editing, and viewing software for all versions of Windows, Linux, and MacOS X. Supports map overlays, advanced colour enhancements, 3-D images, animations, multi-pass images, projection transformation (e.g. Mercator), text overlays, automated web page creation, temperature display, and control for many weather satellite receivers, communications receivers, and scanners.

Help support this software by purchasing an upgrade key today!

Features

Automates the recording and decoding of APT signals from polar orbiting weather satellites and WEFAX signals from geostationary satellites,
new daytime MSA enhancement produces stunning natural colour images,
new MCIR enhancement produces natural colour images day and night,
creates 3-D (anaglyph) images showing cloud layers (requires special glasses for viewing) **,
supports a wide range of enhancements.
works well with communications receivers and scanners (example scanner images) **,
creates animated movies from geostationary satellites (Meteosat, GOES),
creates animated movies from polar orbiting satellites **,
creates composite images from multiple polar satellite passes covering a wide area **,
complete automation including Kepler downloads **, active satellite configuration, image and animation building **, old file deletion, and web page publishing,
GPS interface (NMEA) for setting latitude and longitude and keeping the PC clock set accurately (NMEA v2.x) **,
completely automated web page production and publishing,
illumination compensation control dramatically improves dark areas in visible images caused by low sun angles,
built-in satellite pass report,
transforms APT images to standard map projections (Mercator**, etc.),
configurable text displayed on images (satellite name, time, etc.) **,
overlay maps with adjustable colours and feature sets (rivers, lakes, cities, country borders, lat/lon, ground station location),
pass based recording (record only the good portion of high elevation passes from selected satellites),
support for control of receivers (AOR, Bearcat, Yaesu FT-847, Kenwood, ICOM, PCR100/PCR1000, R2FX, RX2, SAN 200, WRX-137, user supplied external) including doppler frequency compensation for narrow bandwith receivers **,
temperature under cursor display,
satellite elevation and azimuth under cursor **,
latitude and longitude under cursor display **,
distance and bearing from ground station under cursor display **,
user configurable filtering, despeckling, sharpening, contrast enhancement, gamma correction, and JPEG quality,
auto recording mode allows WxToImg to be used while waiting for next satellite **,
back-to-back recording ensures no missed satellite passes while WxToImg is building images, animations and web pages from the previous pass,
priority based recording ensures the pass you want is chosen when multiple satellites are overhead (requires receiver control),
antialiased map overlays,
doppler correction (no bent images),
reads .NOA files and Quorum BMP files (as raw image input),
command line operation for embedded applications,
NOAA APT and GOES WEFAX thermal IR temperature calibration, and
NOAA APT sea surface temperature calibration.

** features available only in upgraded version.

Documentation

WxToImg comes with complete on-line documentation.

Installation and Quick Start Guide
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Comparison of enhancements
WxToImg reference manual in PDF format (includes GUI Interface manual, FAQ, and Required Calibration) (34 pages, 240k)
Larger type version of the WxToImg reference manual (46 pages, 299k)
WxToImg command line interface manual in PDF format (32 pages, 218k)

Documentación en español (2.4.12): traducida por Paulí Núñez, EA3BLQ.

Los ficheros de ayuda en español acompañan el programa WxToImg. Para utilizarlos, seleccione lo siguiente en la línea de menús: Options -> GUI Options -> Help Language -> ES
Preguntas más frecuentes (FAQ) (HTML)
Manual de referéncia de WxToImg (contiene el Manual de la Interfaz Gráfica de Usuario (GUI), Preguntas más frecuentes (FAQ) y Calibrado. (PDF)

Documentation in Polish (2.4.12): translated by Jakub Gorzynski, SQ2WB.

On-line Polish help files come with WxToImg. To use them, select the following from the menu line: Options -> GUI Options -> Help Language -> PL
Polish Frequently Asked Questions (HTML)
Polish WxToImg reference manual (includes GUI Interface manual, FAQ, and Required Calibration) (HTML)

Documentation in Japanese (2.4.12): translated by Nakato Mikiya.

On-line Japanese help files come with WxToImg. To use them, select the following from the menu line: Options -> GUI Options -> Help Language -> JA
Japanese Frequently Asked Questions (HTML)
Japanese WxToImg reference manual (includes GUI Interface manual, FAQ, and Required Calibration) (HTML)

Images

Gallery of archived images:

WxToImg Gallery

Web sites updated continuously using WxToImg:

Siding Spring Observatory Coonabarabran, Australia
Bob Cash Fountain Hills, Arizona, USA
HFFAX.COM Hannover, Germany
Thomas Williams Eureka, California, USA
New Zealand WeatherNet Auckland, New Zealand

Email us to have your image or site included.

Purchase

Purchase this software to support development and obtain even more features and a pair of 3-D glasses. Upgrade keys last indefinitely and there is no additional charge for future updates. Prices subject to change without notice.

Standard Edition (US$44.95, EUR 44.95)
Provides the following features:
- Anaglyph 3-D enhancements. These can provide a stunning way of viewing the cloud layers. They must be viewed with special red/blue glasses (cardboard 3-D glasses will mailed to those who upgrade).
- Adds enhancements with (estimated) precipitation overlays.
- Greatly improved image quality for narrow bandwidth receivers (e.g. scanners, communication receivers).
- Enables many other projections (geographic transformations) including the Mercator Projection along with enabling options (such as the centre or reference longitude, scale and boundaries) for controlling the transformation of images from APT satellites.
- Allows for the creation of animated movies of the images from multiple polar satellites (moving cloud, stationary land).
- Composite images can be created from multiple polar satellite passes so as to cover a large area.
- The latitude and longitude under the cursor are shown along with the distance from the ground station in APT images.
- Improved recording mode allows WxToImg to be used while waiting for next satellite.
- Information text can be optionally displayed on the images. This can be automated and can include the name of the satellite, time and location of the pass along with many other details related to the satellite and image.
- Time can be displayed in either UTC or local time.
- Tear-off menus are supported (but not on MacOS X). This allows easier selection of enhancements and options through windows which are always on screen.
- Provides support for the control of the FT-847, PCR100/PCR1000, R2FX, SAN 200, WRX-137, AOR, Kenwood, ICOM and Uniden Bearcat receivers and support for a user-supplied radio control program.
- Allows the program to be configured to automatically enter record/decode mode on start up for completely automated decoding.
- In addition, future work will focus on features only for users who have purchased the standard edition.
- Neither the standard edition nor the freeware edition can be used for commercial purposes.
- For use only on a single computer.
- Click here to purchase a standard edition upgrade key. [Español ]
Professional Edition (US$74.95, EUR 74.95)
All the features of the Standard Edition, plus
- Supplied with durable 3-D red/blue glasses with hard lenses (mailed to those who purchase a professional edition upgrade key),
- Additional noise filter options,
- Additional contrast options,
- Selectable re-sampling algorithms, and
- Can be used for commercial purposes.
- For use only on a single computer.
- Click here to purchase a professional edition upgrade key. [Español ]

Downloads

Important Restrictions, Disclaimers and Exclusions of Liability You Should Read Before Downloading this Software:

The WxToImg programs (which include wxtoimg, xwxtoimg, wxrec, wxmap, wxproj, and wxbatch) and documentation are not warranted to be free of bugs. You should backup your system before installing this software. Avoid running this software as root or with root, admin, or system privileges. Because of the nature of the analog signals and complex processing performed do not expect results of this program to be correct in any or every instance.

The WxToImg programs and documentation are supplied "AS IS". Abstract Technologies New Zealand Limited disclaim all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. Abstract Technologies New Zealand Limited assume no liability for direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages, which may result from the use of the WxToImg programs, even if advised of the possibility of such damage.

The WxToImg programs and documentation are not intended to be used where life, health, safety, or property may be at risk.

The freeware edition of the WxToImg software may be used for personal, non-commercial purposes free of charge. Additional features are available only to those who upgrade their copies of the software.

Use by any commercial organisation, or any individual for commercial purposes requires the purchase of a professional edition upgrade key. An upgrade key may be obtained from http://www.weather.net.nz/wxtoimg/#upgrade.

The WxToImg programs and documentation may only be redistributed for personal use, on a non-commercial basis, and in their original, unmodified packages. No other redistribution is permitted. Abstract Technologies New Zealand Limited reserves the right to stop redistribution. Upgrade keys may be used only on a single computer and may not be produced, distributed or disclosed to other parties.

WxToImg version 2.4.12 (freeware, standard, and professional editions)

for Windows 95/98/ME/XP/2000/NT on Intel and compatible processors (6.75MB) (read above disclaimers before clicking).
for MacOS X (10.1 and above) on Macintosh G3 and G4 processors (7.55MB) (read above disclaimers before clicking).
RPM for RedHat 6.2 and later and other RPM compatible Linux on Intel and compatible processors (5.95MB) (read above disclaimers before clicking).
tar.gz for Slackware, RedHat 6.1 and earlier, and other Linux and FreeBSD with Linux compatibility on Intel and compatible processors (5.98MB) (read above disclaimers before clicking).
Email a request for other OS support.

Upgrade only from 2.4.11 to 2.4.12 (install full package above over existing version to upgrade from older versions):

Upgrade from 2.4.11 to 2.4.12 for Windows 95/98/ME/XP/2000/NT (3.07MB) (read above disclaimers before clicking).

Support

You are encouraged to ask questions, report problems, and request additional features by emailing us at wxtoimg@abstract.co.nz.

If you are having problems, the following covers 90% of all reported problems:

Set the "Direction" menu to "Autodetect",
set the "Satellite" menu to "Autodetect",
check the "Latitude" and "Longitude" under "Options" -> "Ground Station Location" have been set correctly,
under "Options" -> "Recording Options", ensure "Record only when selected active APT satellites are overhead" is selected,
under "Options -> "File Names and Locations", ensure "Interpret Audio File Names as" is set to "MMDDHHMM UTC time",
select "Options" -> "Save Options",
update the keplers by connecting to the Internet and selecting "File" -> "Update Keplers",
check that the timezone (Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Date/Time) is correct for your location, and
check that your computer's date and time are accurate (to within 1 second).

Also make sure to check the FAQ before contacting us.

Other Software

Other software you may need to install to view AVI animations:

Direct X version 9.x for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP (not required for XP).
Direct X version 8.0 for Windows 95.
Quicktime player alternative movie viewer for Windows.
xanim for Linux, FreeBSD, Unix.

Software for keeping your computer's clock synchronized to an Internet time source (helps ensure that maps overlays are correctly aligned). Note that Windows XP has software built-in (double-click the time on your task bar, click the Internet Time tab, and select Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server).

Dimension 4 time sync freeware for Windows 95/98/ME/2000/NT.
EZTimeSync time sync software free for non-commercial use for Windows 95/98/ME/2000/NT.
DatumTime time sync and clock freeware for Windows 95/98/ME/2000/NT.
Atomachron time sync freeware for Windows 95/98/ME/2000/NT.

Free web hosting with FTP access for automating the publication of your images:

FortuneCity: choose Select FTP ACCESS

Contributed Software

The following are links to software which has been provided by third parties and has not been tested by Abstract Technologies New Zealand Limited.

Windows command line programs for reading/writing JPEG comments (Independent JPEG Group)
HVC Palette for producing land with green->brown colour. (Bob Green)
Similar to above but with greener land and whiter clouds. (Bob Green)

Hardware

A small sample of some of the receivers and antennas best suited to weather satellite reception. WxToImg will work with just about any receiver capable of reception in the 137-138MHz FM band (but for good results requires a 30kHz - 50kHz bandwidth). It is not advisable to purchase just any scanner (most of which only support 15kHz or 230kHz bandwidths) if you intend to use it for weather satellite reception. However if you already have one available it is certainly worth trying. A good, special purpose antenna is needed no matter what receiver you choose.

You do not need a tone decoder, hardware demodulator, or PC interface to use WxToImg. These items are generally expensive, unnecessary, and produce inferior results.

You need only a receiver, an antenna (and cable), and a cable to connect the receiver line/audio out to your computer's soundcard. A pre-amplifier is generally unnecessary but may help when used with general purpose communication receivers and scanners.

Receivers
- Dedicated weather satellite receivers:
  - Hamtronics R139 (a dedicated weather satellite receiver available in kit form or fully assembled),
  - Timestep PROscan (dedicated weather satellite receiver),
  - RIG RX2 (a dedicated weather satellite receiver available only in kit form to members only), and
  - Emgo (kit and assembled weather satellite receivers).
- Scanners with a bandwidth setting (30-50kHz) for weather satellites:
  - ICOM PCR1000 (general purpose PC based scanners suitable for satellite reception where interference is not a problem, has built-in PC control, a pre-amp is generally required for good results),
  - AOR AR3000A+ (PLUS) (general purpose communications receiver suitable for satellite reception, has built-in PC control), and
  - AOR AR5000 (general purpose communications receiver suitable for satellite reception, has built-in PC control).
Antennas
- Quadrafilar Helix (QFH, QFHA, QHA): the best performing antenna:
  - RQHA (maybe the best performing antenna design -- instructions for building yourself),
  - PHQFH (popular, excellent performing, home-built antenna with outstanding instructions, may be able to be purchased completed),
  - The Bill Sykes and Bob Cobey QFH (Taming the Quadrifilar Helical Antenna: detailed instructions for building a QFH antenna from G2HCG and G0HPO), and
  - Chris van Lind portable QFH (portable, easy to build QFH from coax and PVC conduit).
- Turnstile: good performing antennas which are generally less expensive:
  - Woodhouse APT-2CP pre-built,
  - Moonraker Turnstile 137 pre-built, and
  - APT-2CP from Hamtronics pre-built.

Contact

You can contact us at:

    Abstract Technologies New Zealand Limited
    P.O. Box 113-126
    Auckland
    New Zealand
    Fax: +64-9-309-6047
    Email: wxtoimg@abstract.co.nz

Abstract Technologies New Zealand Limited wxtoimg@abstract.co.nz