Awfully Stupid Question re SSB Reciever/WeatherFax

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by Ozbullwinkle

Further to my post above I meant to post the link so here it is:-

Home - Iridium Extreme

Once the Iridium satphone has been purchased what are the monthly costs associated with using it and who provides the service?

[janicew13]

We are currently in Europe and are looking for the best place to check for weather on the SSB. I do get my GRIB files regularly,but wondered if there is an other weather source that we could tap into.

thanks
Janice
sv Tsamayaa

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Win link 2000 is a virtually free hf email setup that works very well for the ham world. When I say virtually free, they do ask for a $10 donation which is nothing for what you get.

I've been doing a major refurb. on the boat and haven't turned on the radio in more than a year. Seems there have been some new developments to get inexpensive email at sea. Pactor modem was the only proven system when I did my solo transpac 2 1/2 years ago. Pactor modems are expensive, paid $700 for a used Pactor 2 with the 3 upgrade. Reading through the Winlink website, it looks like using cheap sound cards may be an alternative. There are two programs for under $50 on the site. Don't know how well they work or how easy they are to set up but they weren't even available back in the old days of '10.

Yes this thread creep.

yes but have you looked at the throughput of the ham systems !!

dave

[conachair]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

yes but have you looked at the throughput of the ham systems !!

dave

You certainly won't be sending any full size pics but it works fine for txt and receiving gribs. And free with no modem to buy.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by janicew13

We are currently in Europe and are looking for the best place to check for weather on the SSB. I do get my GRIB files regularly,but wondered if there is an other weather source that we could tap into.

Do you have the worldwide weather fax schedule. Available from http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf

[Gregoryulrich]

I realize this is an old thread but I'm not hearing what I expect to hear on the NOAA frequencies. I just received a brand new Kaito KA1103 and have tuned into the NOAA stations for Boston and New Orleans (I live in the West Palm Beach Florida area). I press the SSB button and use the fine tuning wheel. Nothing but static. I'm tuning 1-3 kHz below the carrier frequency with the external antenna hoisted up my mast, narrow/wide band switch in either position, on DX etc.

Maybe it's a bad unit?

[Dsanduril]

To ask a silly question, are you listening at a time when something is being broadcast?

New Orleans only broadcasts about every 3 out of 6 hours (and even that isn't continuous) . Boston is about the same, although the gaps are at different hours. See post #50 for the link to the schedule.

[Gregoryulrich]

It's not a silly question. It's 18:45 Eastern Standard Time. The schedule is supposed to be Zulu (UTC) time right? I'll check again in an hour and 15 minutes. There's supposed to be a broadcast at 0000 Zulu.

[ka4wja]

Greg,
No worries!
Start from square one....not from square nine, etc....and you'll have this all figured out in no time!


First off they are USCG freqs, not NOAA....but that's not really important...



1) What is important is learning how to use an HF radio....and using one on VOICE reception first is ALWAYS the best thing to do!!


2) Assuming you have verified some local (you're in Stuart, FL...yes???) AM radio station reception, such as 850khz, WFTL (50,000 watts from West Palm), or 1450khz, WSTU (1000 watts from Stuart), or 640khz WMEN (7500 watts from Royal Palm Beach), or 1590khz, WPSL (5000 watts from Port St. Lucie)???

Once you've done that, you can switch on the BFO (turn on the "SSB function"), and try to listen to some single-side-band Voice...


3) Now, once you have done the above, and pressed the "SSB button", you're ready to look for some SSB VOICE broadcasts....BUT...

But, understand that HF radio reception these days is hindered by the plethora of interfering devices that surround us daily, whether on-board or ashore! (this is what everyone refers to as "RFI", or Radio Frequency Interference)
And, this interference is sometimes mistaken for "static" by laypersons....so, they say "I can't hear anything but static"...

Since you have a basic portable radio, there is no way for you (or I) to know what "noises" you hear, and whether or not they are "natural" or man-made!
But, you should never try to receive WeFax signals, until you know how to use the radio, how to tune it, and what you are listening for...
And, all those things are easy to do with regular VOICE broadcasts, but not so with digital signals (like WeFax, etc.)

Originally Posted by Gregoryulrich

I realize this is an old thread but I'm not hearing what I expect to hear on the NOAA frequencies. I just received a brand new Kaito KA1103 and have tuned into the NOAA stations for Boston and New Orleans (I live in the West Palm Beach Florida area). I press the SSB button and use the fine tuning wheel. Nothing but static. I'm tuning 1-3 kHz below the carrier frequency with the external antenna hoisted up my mast, narrow/wide band switch in either position, on DX etc.

Maybe it's a bad unit?

Your switch positions sound good, and using an external antenna is good (but many times not needed, if you choose the correct freq, for the time-of-day and distance)

Start with the USCG (and WLO) VOICE weather broadcasts from NMN and NMG (Virginia and New Orleans) and WLO (Mobile, AL)....
You'll find the 8mhz channels to be best in early mornings / late afternoons (and even in evenings), with some 13mhz in midday being good (but 8mhz still being good as well)....later at night, it will be 6mhz and 4mhz that will work well...

Use the HIGHEST freq that allow communications at that time, which will have less noise, and typically stronger signals....although using too high of freq will mean deep fading and loss of signal, and too low will mean low signal levels and way too much noise....
(Think "Goldilocks")

Here are their schedules:

USCG HF Voice

HF SSB Radiotelephone, Telex and Email Frequencies and Channels



4) I have very detailed LIVE, real-world examples of these, using both the USCG and WLO, SSB VOICE broadcasts....please have a look...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-1LgNioO6w

Watch these videos in their playlists, in order....
They will help!!
I promise!!
Please have a look at the entire Marine HF Communications and Offshore Weather youtube playlists, where you'll learn a lot about HF radio (and interference / noise), and receiving offshore weather forecasts / WeFax charts...(I show you LIVE, real-world WeFax reception)

Marine HF Comms
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...ZDo_Jk3NB_Bt1y
(please be sure to watch the 3rd and 4th video in this playlist in their entirety, as they show/discuss natural atmospheric noises and RFI...)


Offshore Weather
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...zdjTJjHlChruyY








5) Once you've done all the above (watched the videos, and gotten good reception from USCG and WLO SSB VOICE broadcasts), then try tuning in some WeFax signals...
In addition to my videos, here is a .wav file that shows you what to listen for...
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/radiofax.wav




And, here are the Boston and New Orleans WeFax schedules...
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfmarsh_links.htm


http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfgulf_links.htm






Of course, there is more to all of this....but, this should get you 90% there....just come back and let us know of your progress..

Fair winds...

John

[Gregoryulrich]

Hi John,

Thank you so much for the detailed response. I may not have mentioned before that I have a Technician's license so this radio and tuning in general isn't very complicated for me. It turns out hitting the tiny little reset button worked. Once I did that the station came in clear enough to receive a transmission using the Black Cat Systems app. It was a little grainy but we were having a severe lightning storm at the time and so I did not hang the external antenna.

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate it.
Greg Ulrich
Khere on Cruisers ForumU

[ka4wja]

Greg,
You're very welcome!

Btw, I've been in HF communications for almost 45 years now (both maritime and ham), and in the electronics business for > 30 years...
And, I learn new things all the time....
SO...

So, it might seem odd, but....
If I could offer a suggestion (from a friend and fellow sailor, NOT from a "radio guy")?
Here goes:

Watch the videos, in the playlists, in order, in their entirety....and you'll end up knowing more than 90% of many of my fellow Extra Class hams and > 95% of our fellow sailors/cruisers...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...zdjTJjHlChruyY


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...ZDo_Jk3NB_Bt1y


And, if you look closely at the display on my M-802 (in the videos), you'll see that I'm only a couple miles away from you!
So, if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know and I could dinghy over, or drive over.....(just know that I've got elderly family that takes priority...)



And, if you wish to see some of my offshore sailing videos, they're on YouTube as well...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...KgTCj15iyl6qoY


And, how about details of HF-DSC...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...ga2zYuPozhUXZX


And, VHF-DSC...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...J6QugtO2epizxF


And, if you ever get an Icom M-802, here are instruction videos...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...rC-8QKVyMb4tVr


Fair winds..

John

[Gregoryulrich]

Thank you for the great advice John. I just got the tech's license in June and have been listening in on the local rag chews but have not yet contributed. I got into ham specifically as an aid to comms for sailing but the electronics geek in me loves knowing about all the technology behind the curtain.

I'll definitely check out your videos. Everything helps. I'm in the middle of my second pass on the Daschew's Mariners Weather Handbook. We plan on approaching the Bahamas very conservatively in terms of season and weather windows and right now I'm trying to sublimate all I can about forecasting.

I plan on getting the M-802 on the next boat. My Endeavor 32 isn't really worth investing a ton of money into because I don't plan on keeping her more than a few years. She's enough to kick around the western Caribbean in but we plan on more serious cruising when the time comes.

Incidentally I did one Youtube video on sheet to tiller steering while I was still out in L.A. Let me know what you think.

http://youtu.be/d5oXymClVDo

[Gregoryulrich]

Oh yeah. You are close to me!

[PommyDave]

Another way to receive weather faxes etc is to use your Android smartphone:

Marine Apps – Wolphi – Mobile Software Development

The author of the software also offers a simple interface.

[ka4wja]

Greg, et al,
Even if the titles indicate something you might not want to waste your time on....they are directly on-point!
Here are links to two other recent discussions, where I laid out the details of weather info/forecasts...
Although, these recent posts dealt primarily with US coastal and near-offshore waters (and Bahamas), you should find them useful.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2185785

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2138351


Fair winds..

John