Shortwave Radio On My Sailboat

[CSY Man]

.like most non-tech sailors, that you hadn't provided a concise overview of your situation / equipment / application / needs...again, this isn't a big deal, but just drags the discussion out and prompts some bad advice to be given....

Uh, I thought I provided a detailed overview of my situation.
(Need weather in remote Bahamas, small Short Wave Radio?)
Never heard the phrase non-tech Sailor, yet I have been sailing successfully a few 1000 miles. (Low Tech Sailor perhaps?)

2) Scrap the "splitter"....sorry to be so blunt, but unless there is a critical need for it, remove it and install a simple FM-radio whip for your stereo...
(note that the splitter and it's associated coaxial jumpers might not be introducing much loss, but even if all is as designed, it does introduce some loss....and since the Marine VHF Radio system is such an important part of your vessel's comm system, just doesn't make much sense, just to get your stereo to receive better...)

Splitter, stereo, etc came with the boat, bought it used 18 months ago, learning details every day. (Splitter for FM, not AIS, etc, Low Tech Sailor I guess)

This was a concern of mine earlier, but didn't mention it 'til now, 'cuz you just now mentioned that you couldn't receive KHB34 (NOAA VHF Weather Radio, from Miami) in Bimini??
That is odd, as you should be able to receive that signal....

Exactly, that is why we are having this discussion, but you said I do not understand VHF or how to use it. Blunt..or rude?

6) But, I am confused by your mention of NAVTEX not covering Bahamas??
The Miami NAVTEX does cover the area quite well...

I have been using NAVTEX in the Bahamas for over 10 years, great stuff but read the post above where the poster said the Bahamas coverage have been discontinued.

[CSY Man]

Found it:

Miami NAVTEX is not the most useful weather source in the Bahamas. I have not recorded them this year, but I still have this file from last year's trip back from the Bahamas to North Carolina. Their Florida east coast forecast zone only goes out 200 nm. The Bahamas forecast was removed several years ago.

Guess I could use the Florida forecast up to 200 NM and still be covered, but again, the Furuno NAVTEX, which is an old design and pretty low tech, only goes up in price: Bought the first one around 2005 for $450, now it is $700., Same Machine, not a plotter full of magic, just an old NAVTEX. To make it even more useful you buy a sister machine that looks the same with a GPS, GP32 for $395 and hook ‘em up. (My main GPS/plotter is already tasked with 183/2000 in/out puts to VHF/DSC/AIS and Auto Pilot, but of course I could use a splitter on the NMEA 2000, but not the 183, If I was a High Tech Sailor)
The NAVTEX needs the GPS signal to orient itself and pick up the nearest station, or one could do it manually, but I prefer automatic. (The latest version Furuno should have GPS built in but no, the same old 183 input needed)

On the other hand, this little radio was recommended for being better than the LP880.
https://www.amazon.com/SSB-Shortwave...ag=googhydr-20

[CSY Man]

. OEM is Tecsun.... County Comm and CC Crane seem to modify and rebrand a few of their radios.

Interesting, so which version of Tecsun is this then?

[wsmurdoch]

Originally Posted by ka4wja

6) But, I am confused by your mention of NAVTEX not covering Bahamas??
The Miami NAVTEX does cover the area quite well...
Yes, the format and abbreviations used might take you a few times to get used to....but NAVTEX does cover out about 200nm from US....
Of course you'll get much better weather understanding from WeFax charts, and might find the SSB Voice Weather broadcasts to be easier, but NAVTEX does work in Bahamas...

Here is this evenings broadcast...
[I]FZNT25 KNHC 152038 OFFN04 NAVTEX Marine Forecast NWS National Hurricane Center Miami, FL 438 PM EDT Fri Mar 15 2019 ...Please refer to Coastal Waters Forecasts (CWF) available through NOAA Weather Radio and other means for detailed Coastal Waters Forecasts... .... Within 200 nm east of the coast of Florida .

In years past Miami NAVTEX included the forecast for the Bahamas. Here is part of one from 2010. Notice the difference in coverage area; from "SW N ATLANTIC S OF 31N W OF 65W INCLUDING BAHAMAS" to "Within 200 nm east of the coast of Florida".

000
FZNT25 KNHC 030312
OFFN04
NAVTEX MARINE FORECAST
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1130 PM EDT FRI JUL 02 2010

...PLEASE REFER TO THE COASTAL WATERS FORECAST AVAILABLE
THROUGH NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER MEANS FOR A MORE DETAILED
FORECAST WITHIN 60 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE COASTLINE...

SYNOPSIS FOR THE SW N ATLC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS
.SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY EXTENDING FROM 31N67W TO NE
FLORIDA DROPS SE REACHING FROM BERMUDA TO WEST PALM BEACH BY
SAT MORNING BEFORE BECOMING STATIONARY INTO TUE.

SW N ATLANTIC S OF 31N W OF 65W INCLUDING BAHAMAS
.TONIGHT THROUGH SAT NIGHT...N OF 27N SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...
EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT NE 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT
BEHIND FRONT 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 27N W OF BAHAMAS SE WINDS 10 KT.
SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 27N E OF BAHAMAS E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15
KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. LOCALLY HIGHER WINDS AND SEAS IN AND NEAR
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR FRONT.

.SUN THROUGH MON...N OF 27N W OF FRONT NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15
KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. N OF 27N E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20
KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. S OF 27N W OF BAHAMAS S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT.
SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 27N E OF BAHAMAS SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15
KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR
FRONT. .
TUE...N OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S
OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT E OF
BAHAMAS...AND 2 TO 3 FT W OF BAHAMAS.
.WED...N OF 27N W OF 70W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5
FT. N OF 27N E OF 70W SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 6 FT. S
OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT E OF BAHAMAS
2 TO 4 FT W OF BAHAMAS.

The old forecast was for the whole of the Bahamas, unlike the current forecast which is for the area within 200 nm of the east Florida coast. There is a lot of water within 200 nm of the Florida east coast that is not in the Bahamas and a lot of the Bahamas that is not within 200 nm of the Florida east coast. The Bahamas forecast was removed to make room for other information that was thought to be more important. In my memory (backed up by a quick visit to the Wayback Machine) the change occured in 2012.

I wished they would have continued the old broadcast and filed a comment when they proposed the change. They did not see it my way.



HF SSB voice does ANZ117 in their offshore forecasts.

Bill

[Brian.D]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Interesting, so which version of Tecsun is this then?

Can't find that radio on the Tecsun site. But a close up of the radio points to...

CC Skywave SSB AM, FM, Shortwave, Weather, VHF, Aviation and SSB Bands Portable Travel Radio

[ka4wja]

Bill,
Thank you for the info / clarification....
Truth told, I don't use NAVTEX much, prefer WeFax and the Voice Weather broadcasts, so I wasn't aware that Miami NAVTEX used to cover the whole area (SW N Atl.)...

In any case, my original recommends still apply:
a) Yes, a small portable SW receiver (w/ "SSB rec capability) will work well for CSY Man's application
b) Check the primary VHF system and verify its performance
c) Be sure to learn / brush-up regarding radiowave propagation, not just rely on memory from years ago

Again Bill, Thanks for the info!!
I do try to learn something new....and you just taught me something new (ah, actually old?...oh well, it's still good to know!)


fair winds my friend!

John

[CSY Man]

Originally Posted by Brian.D

Can't find that radio on the Tecsun site. But a close up of the radio points to...

CC Skywave SSB AM, FM, Shortwave, Weather, VHF, Aviation and SSB Bands Portable Travel Radio

Yes, you are correct, sorry I did not include the above details, but curious which model Tescun this could be as CC rebrand and modify the Tecsun’s as noted above.
(In other words, I am even more confused now, I was just about to hit the “Buy” button on Amazon for the -880, but now this little sweet thing popped up on my radar promising to be even better and more useful for my NOAA wx needs. )

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Interesting, so which version of Tecsun is this then?

As the politicians would say... that's a very good question...

According to this https://swling.com/blog/2014/12/revi...ortable-radio/ ( scroll down..) it's a sibling of the Digitech AR1733 but I am unsure of their parentage...

I would spring for the 880......

https://www.hagensieker.com/wordpres...b-mini-review/

Radio Labs is another US outfit that mods but doesn't rebadge radios....

[CSY Man]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

As the politicians would say... that's a very good question...

According to this https://swling.com/blog/2014/12/revi...ortable-radio/ ( scroll down..) it's a sibling of the Digitech AR1733 but I am unsure of their parentage...

I would spring for the 880......

https://www.hagensieker.com/wordpres...b-mini-review/

Radio Labs is another US outfit that mods but doesn't rebadge radios....

Thx, even more confused now. (You guys are like my wife)

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Thx, even more confused now. (You guys are like my wife)

Listen to the voices......... they are saying 880...880...880...

From here https://www.universal-radio.com/cata...able/0088.html there is only a $10 premium between that and the C Crane skywave.

Don't ask me about Navtex... I bought a NASA (UK) unit.... in Chile all I get is obscure hydrographic notices... 200 metre depth reported in position xxx etc... no weather...

[CSY Man]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Listen to the voices......... they are saying 880...880...880...

From here https://www.universal-radio.com/cata...able/0088.html there is only a $10 premium between that and the C Crane skywave.

Don't ask me about Navtex... I bought a NASA (UK) unit.... in Chile all I get is obscure hydrographic notices... 200 metre depth reported in position xxx etc... no weather...

Roger on the 880, loud and clear Sir.
(Finger is hovering over the buy button on Amazon.)
Guess the 880 has an external antenna jack?
Guess the 880 will pick up NOAA short wave?

Now reading the reviews on the CC Sky radio and they say:

But when traveling in North America or by air, I really appreciate the Skywave’s excellent NOAA weather radio and access to aviation frequencies on the AIR band. Very handy features for the traveler who likes to stay informed.

This guy is talking VHF right?
Totally useless for my needs in the Bahamas, already have a VHF with antenna, also have a little 6 watt handheld VHF, no need for another little VHF.
looking for HF NOAA weather. The 880 got that right? (Why do they talk about VHF now?)

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Roger on the 880, loud and clear Sir.
(Finger is hovering over the buy button on Amazon.)
Guess the 880 has an external antenna jack?
Guess the 880 will pick up NOAA short wave?

Now reading the reviews on the CC Sky radio and they say:


This guy is talking VHF right?
Totally useless for my needs in the Bahamas, already have a VHF with antenna, also have a little 6 watt handheld VHF, no need for another little VHF.
looking for HF NOAA weather. The 880 got that right? (Why do they talk about VHF now?)

Correcto on all highlighted points...

Put your hand back in your pocket for a moment..back soon with some pics.

[CSY Man]

. Put your hand back in your pocket for a moment..back soon with some pics.

Roger, hand in pocket but still itching..

[El Pinguino]

Fax received .. Photos sorted....

Using 880 with a longwire... Electrically noisy household environment... one noise source removed by unplugging charger from Macbook. Transmitter (Charleville VMC ) is in central Queensland under the 1008 Low... I am presently in NE Victoria... bottom right hand corner of the continent.

First photo.... radio tuned to required frequency... note that you can see exactly what frequency you are tuned to ... tune knob gives whole kH... fine tune gives ... well... finer tuning...

2nd.... I use a free program called CocoaModem2 on the Mac.... has a nice simple display.... you can see in waterfall where I have used fine tune knob to turn radio 'off frequency'

3rd... receiver is on 13918.27.... should be on 13918.10... time to fine tune....

4th.. receiver seems to be a smidgeon ( Tech terminology ) out.... .05 puts the 'marker' right over 2300 on the program's waterfall display.

5th You can see the 'intelligence' in the signal above the 1500 marker.
That bit of lateral shift in the image is due or so I believe to a technical problem with the transmitter

6th Job done... you can see the 'stop' signal in the waterfall..

Newer Macbook Pros require the signal to be fed in through a USB port ...

Voice weather is simpler....

Why give more money to Bezos when you can get from somewhere like Universal Radio?

[CSY Man]

Very good Mr. El Pinguino, WX fax over the 880.
Does the program work on an iPad?
Don’t have no MacBook so I would have to get one @ $1,000, cutting into my beer budget now.
Don’t really need the weather charts, don’t do long distance cruising but plan on staying in the Bahamas, just need a 24 and 48 hour forecast and NOAA in the hurricane season.
Maybe I just get a dedicated FM antenna and wire the primary antenna straight to the VHF as suggested above.
Thx