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A comment on RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 weather satellite.

Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by sandworm101 on Monday November 05, 2018 @02:53PM (#18385369)
I've got and RTL-SDR and love these little tricks. I showed a bunch of friends how it can decode transpoder (ADS-B) transmissions to track aircraft. "I can do that on my phone with flightaware." If I show them this they will say "My phone has a weather app". The magic of a tiny device receiving transmissions from aircraft and satellites is lost on most people. This is Trek-level technology. And it is a Russian satellite! Bond didn't have toys like this.
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by kevin_b_er on Monday November 05, 2018 @05:37PM (#18386641)
Look carefully, especially if you live near an Alpha or Beta level global city NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, DC, Miami in the United States. FlightAware took out the wealthy's private planes from their database at their request. There's lodes of exceptions to tracking if you are monied.

What we need is more people running things like RTL-SDRs to acquire data the rich and powerful want hidden to avoid exposure for shady activities.

https://www.propublica.org/article/off-the-radar-private-pla...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by ce4 on Tuesday November 06, 2018 @01:59AM (#18388966)
Relevant discussion about blocked aircrafts on flightradar24 three years ago:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9730426

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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by dan1234 on Monday November 05, 2018 @04:16PM (#18386055)
You should remind your friends that the data Flightaware shows actually comes from devices like the RTL-SDR in the first place.
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by kilbuz on Monday November 05, 2018 @07:51PM (#18387418)
Came here to say this.
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by glibgil on Monday November 05, 2018 @09:06PM (#18387772)
Go ahead, say it
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by lxe on Monday November 05, 2018 @03:05PM (#18385463)
Yeah, the "you can just download it from the internet" mentality is a fairly valid criticism of the __utility__ of these RTL-SDR projects, but don't let it take away from the excitement of learning, building, and finally receiving these images. These images that you receive are some of the very few photos of the Earth that actually don't come from the Internet!
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by sandworm101 on Monday November 05, 2018 @03:23PM (#18385596)
I'm in the military. The ability to scrape weather data from a satellite or tune a random radio while huddled in a tent, or on the deck of a ship at sea, is VERY appreciated. My SDR dongle is in my strange tools bag, right beside my lockpicks. You don't need them every day, but once in a blue moon they might save a life.
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by toomuchtodo on Monday November 05, 2018 @04:02PM (#18385944)
That's the spirit! If this mindset doesn't exemplify the hacker mindset/ethos, I don't know what does.
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by lifeisstillgood on Monday November 05, 2018 @06:07PM (#18386829)
I love the "strange tools bag". And what else is in there :-)
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by sandworm101 on Monday November 05, 2018 @08:23PM (#18387572)
Nothing too extreme. A powerful wifi dongle with a few antennas. A kick-ass waterproof laser pointer. A 20,000mwh cellphone charger. Spare cellphone. Spare name/rank tags. An small aviation knife. Just problem-solving stuff for long road trips.
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by lifeisstillgood on Thursday November 08, 2018 @02:23AM (#18404830)
Thank you
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Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by tyingq on Monday November 05, 2018 @09:54PM (#18387953)
Similar experience listening to fellow passengers in a metal tube, 5 miles in the air, over the middle of the ocean, going 500+ mph. "This wifi internet is so slow..."

While I'm thrilled it works well enough to read email.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:RTL-SDR compatible decoder application for the Meteor M2 ... by mysterydip on Monday November 05, 2018 @09:32PM (#18387865)
I did the same thing! And got the same reactions from some people. There's just something about viewing data you personally are receiving.
[ Parent | on HN ]