Marine Weather Buoy Frequencies

[spongella]

Is there a way to receive and decode US weather buoy transmissions? I've looked around for info but no luck. I assume they transmit weather information via radio, possibly in the VHF or UHF band since most are offshore but am not sure. I have seen weather buoy data reports on certain OTA TV stations with a sub-channel devoted to weather but receiving them directly from the buoy would be interesting. Thanks.

 

[mmckenna]

Most of them use satellite. They upload data to NOAA, NOAA provides the data via the website.

 

[spongella]

I wonder if the buoys use geostationary or LEO's.

 

[mmckenna]

I wonder if the buoys use geostationary or LEO's.

It's been a long time, but GOES used to be common. I know there are some other satellites up there that handle this stuff.

 

[KG4LBJ]

GOES is a great data collection system for stationary directional antennas at about 402 Mhz but probably not so good for bouncing sea buoys. Been a few years for me also but there was use of the polar orbiting weather satellites (TIROS-N series) where you can get away with using omni-directional antennas since they have an altitude of only approximately 500 miles vs approximately 22, 000 miles for GOES. I would imagine that private industry (Iridium, etc.) now also offers such data collection systems...

 

[wx2watch]

How Argos system works and how the Argos data is collected?

GOES DCS

 

[spongella]

How Argos system works and how the Argos data is collected?

GOES DCS

Thanks, interesting.