Skywave Linux: VOLMET Tuner via Internet SDRs

VOLMETs are fixed stations in the aeronautical radio service, tasked with broadcasting weather for aircraft on long distance flights, out of range of typical VHF aero weather sources. They often operate on an hourly schedule, sharing their frequencies with other VOLMET stations. Items broadcast by VOLMETs are typically lists of routine airport weather observations (METARs), forecasts (TAFs), significant weather warnings (SIGMETS), and sometimes pilot reports (PIREPS). To learn more about these aviation weather reports and forecasts, visit the Aviation Weather Center. There is a lot of very careful and specific language in aviation weather data. For example, "Runway visual range" and "visibility" are two different measurements, as "mist" is different from "fog" and "probability" is not quite the same as "chance of..."

Use the list below to quickly tune in the VOLMET stations you wish to monitor. Simply click on the station and frequency, then wait for the SDR to render in a new browser tab. If signals are weak or noisy, try another frequency or switch to a different SDR server. Visit the Skywavelinux SDR Map to find other receiving stations in your geographic area of interest. See the HF Aero Radio SDR List to monitor happenings on the oceanic air routes.

How to use:

1. Select a frequency by clicking a numbered button.
2. Click on a receiver location to open an SDR tab in your browser.
3. Each click on any receiver opens a new tab, so you can listen from more than one location.
4. This list of KiwiSDR receivers updates every three hours.
5. Click to download this SDRs for VOLMETS List [PDF].

Since propagation conditions vary between different receiver sites and frequencies, try different combinations to find which ones work best for your desired stations. Most KiwiSDRs have rather high default gain settings, producing plenty of noise, which can cause listener fatigue. Consider reducing the AGC threshold to a setting between -80 and -90 dB. The KiwiSDR default USB filter bandpass is good for VOLMET traffic, though the URLs given here set a wider bandpass for better fidelity. Get VOLMET frequency and schedule updates from DX Info Centre, which does a fine job of finding data deep in several aero references.

Please be a fair listener on these radio servers. Avoid excessive time or opening multiple SDR tabs from the same site at once, as site operators detect and block users or frequencies who draw excessive bandwidth.

If you find interesting action on the VOLMET frequencies, give some thought to making an audio recording or screen capture video to share on sites such as YouTube or Soundcloud