This is fun. Even works with cheap sdr and a simple homebrew v-pole antenna. A QFH antenna will allow reception of the satellite from horizon to horizon. Things like this and the gift of an SDR are what got me back into radio. This month I have started receiving and decoding transmissions from L band Inmarsat and Iridium satellites using a patch antenna. May want to check that out as well. Thanks so much for posting and stay curious!
Thanks for posting.. Optionally, for those ops that want to use their HTs and mobile radios to receive the NOAA 15,17, and 19 APT sats directly, they can feed the audio in to their home pc's and use the program "WXtoIMG (Wx to Image). A note on "updating the sat tracking math".. aka Two Line Keplerian Elements or "Keps".. 73, n6spp-cm98
I will plead the 5th on some of it. Here are 2 links. The first is the kit I use with an sdrplay RSPdx. The second is also LONG but interesting. A bit dated, but the concepts are the same. Mostly in regard to iridium satellites. Search around, lots of interesting things.
Great article THANKS. Here is a story on why the satellite fell off the test stand. Oops! https://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0410/04noaanreport/