Dartcom is pleased to announce the availability of its next-generation X-Band EOS System. It continues to support all existing services, and adds support for the recently launched JPSS-2 (NOAA-21) and FengYun-3E satellites.

The hardware is also ready for Metop-SG, with only a future software upgrade needed when the new services are operational. Future support for JPSS-3/4 and FengYun-3F/G/H will again need only software upgrades.

The heart of the new X-Band EOS System is a state-of-the-art demodulator supporting up to 100Msps symbol rates, plus a new modular system interface rack with programmable RF module.

All hardware components are software controlled for fully automatic operation. The demodulator has a web interface providing comprehensive monitoring and diagnostics, and firmware upgrades can easily be installed in the field.

The first production system was recently installed on the icebreaker Oden, operated by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, including antenna heating and temperature monitoring systems to handle the harsh conditions in the Arctic Ocean.

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Dartcom is pleased to announce the availability of its new GK-2A UHRIT System to provide reception of UHRIT data from the GEO-KOMPSAT-2A (GK-2A) satellite.

GK-2A is operated by the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) and National Meteorological Space Center (NMSC). It was launched in 2019 to replace the COMS-1 satellite.

The GK-2A UHRIT service uses a 31Mbps DVB-S2 downlink to allow high-resolution data (up to 500m) with a short repeat cycle (10 minutes). 16 spectral bands are available from the AMI sensor, as well as a number of level 2 products.

More information on the Dartcom GK-2A UHRIT System

The Dartcom X-Band EOS System now supports the recently commissioned JPSS-1 (NOAA-20) satellite in addition to Terra, Aqua, Suomi NPP and the FengYun-3 series.

A software update is required for the Polar Orbiter Ingester software to receive data from JPSS-1, but no hardware or firmware changes are required.

To process JPSS-1 data, an update is also required to the NASA DRL IPOPP software.

During test transmissions from GOES-16 (also known as GOES-R) Dartcom completed satisfactory testing of the hardware and software for its new GOES HRIT system.

The full GOES-16 HRIT service is scheduled to begin in November 2017 when it will be moved to replace GOES-13 as the new GOES East satellite.

Full details of the new GOES HRIT System will be available in the Products section of this website in due course.

Dartcom has launched a 1.5m marine antenna option for the X-Band EOS and HRPT/AHRPT Systems.

It uses the X/Y stabilised platform from Dartcom’s proven 1.3m marine antenna, installed on numerous vessels worldwide, including all of the British Antarctic Survey’s research ships. The 1.5m dish, RF components and low-loss composite radome are from Dartcom’s land-based X-Band EOS antenna, the first of which was installed in April 2014 at LATUV, Spain, and has been proven as exceptionally capable and reliable.

The 1.5m marine antenna has been designed to provide an easy and cost-effective future upgrade path to receive the next generation of earth observation satellites as well as the current Terra, Aqua, Suomi-NPP, JPSS-1 and FY-3 A/B/C X-Band direct broadcast downlinks. It means L-Band HRPT/AHRPT systems can be upgraded to receive X-Band EOS data at a later date.

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More information on the Dartcom HRPT/AHRPT System

Dartcom is pleased to announce the availability of its HimawariCast System to provide reception of LRIT and HRIT data from the HimawariCast service. The first system was installed and commissioned at the Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan.

HimawariCast is a C-Band DVB service operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) disseminating data from the Himawari-8/9 satellites. It is a replacement for the L-Band direct broadcast MTSAT LRIT and HRIT services which terminated in November 2015 due to the MTSAT-1R satellite reaching the end of its operational life.

More information on the Dartcom HimawariCast System

Dartcom is pleased to announced the availability of its new X-Band EOS System, a low cost, compact solution for receiving and processing direct broadcast data from X-Band earth observation satellites, including Terra and Aqua (MODIS), Suomi-NPP and FengYun-3 (FY-3).

The system is aimed at universities, research institutions and other organisations with limited budgets and restricted installation sites. However Dartcom has not sacrificed performance and features, as Chief Electronics Engineer Dave Wright explained. “We use a 1.5m radome enclosed antenna with carefully chosen RF components, tight tolerances and our own tracking and ingest software. Extensive testing proves that good data reception is possible from 5 degrees elevation and the antenna operates normally in wind speeds up to 185km/h”.

The Remote Sensing Laboratory at the University of Valladolid, Spain (LATUV) is one of the first customers to benefit from a Dartcom X-Band EOS System. LATUV’s Director and Professor of Applied Physics José-Luis Casanova Roque said that since installation of the system in April 2014, “it has never lost an image or presented any kind of problem even during times of intense rain or strong winds. This is excellent equipment and displays an unexpected level of operation and extraordinary performance for a system of this size.”

More information on the Dartcom X-Band EOS System