Navtex broadcasts

[K7MXE]

I am sure many of have radio equipment on our boats that will
pick up other than standard broadcast bands.
A simple way to get nav broadcasts is to tune in 518 khz on a
longwave radio, set the radio to usb and feed the speaker output
into the mike input of the computer. All else that is needed is a
program and its called multipsk and can be found with a google
search. Software is free. Then you have to wait for a Coast Guard
broadcast to come on. Here in the Northwest we can pick up several
stations but has up to date weather and navigation for boaters.
Some tinkering and you got it. Weather fax broadcasts can also
be done with the multipsk software but think its easier to watch the
weatherman on tv. Good luck Bob Heselberg Eatonville Wa

[Sea Wolf]

Bob-

How does the this information from the Navtex system compare with that which one would receive from a standard NOAA weather channel broadcast on the WX bands included on a VHF two-way marine radio?

Thanks!

Joe.

[K7MXE]

Pretty much the same thing. You get all the light list information
on lights and bouys off station. You also get overdue boat reports,
and information on events of interest to folks on the water. The
weather information can cover a rather large area. On the left coast
I can pick up California, Astoria Oregon, Vancouver Island and
sometimes Kodiak Island AK. Some are poor print on the laptop but
Oregon and Canada come in for me like a champ. Its on as I type
this. The Govt printing office has a pub with all the transmit times
and locations all over the world but I let my copy go when my sailboat
went away. Bob Heselberg, Eatonville Wa

[Sea Wolf]

Thanks for the reply, Bob!

I guess for very local and timely information on problems in the immediate area one would monitor channel 16 on the VHF, which is required of all boaters by law anyway.

Nice talking with you!

Joe.

[tpbrady]

Joe,

The CG and NOAA were seeking comments on discontinuing the HF weather/FAX broadcasts out of Alaska. I don't know what the comments were, but aren't there some other fax and weather services available? (Not counting XM and Sirius) I always wondered why NOAA didn't put some broadcast data on VHF similar to the sub carrier data carried on FM radio.

[Sea Wolf]

[journey on]

We used to use weatherfax when we had a SSB radio. This offers weather maps which show highs and lows as well as the wind speed. In addition to a SSB, which will receive and demodulate the fax signal, you need a computer to process the fax, including the software.

We received the Pt. Reyes, Hawaii, and New Zeland stations. Never could get the one in Victoria. The faxes are different from the Navtex broadcasts, but they are the same maps you can get through the internet. Allow you to do your own forecasting, and predict weather patterns.

Boris

[thataway]

The question of the Alaska Weather Fax, is a general HF weather fax issue. The Transmitters are old and need replacement. CG says that there is little money in the budget for maintance and parts apparently are had to find.

The issue is that this information is available via satellite broadcast and internet. On the other side, I suspect that many recreational boats and commercial fishing boats do not have the satellite or internet access.

We had a dedicated weather fax machine (Furuno) which would automatically select the best frequency and record the faxs as scheduled.
That is what we primarly used for our own weather forcasting during our trips to Alaska, as well as Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and Europe--etc. I personally hope that HF fax is continued--but of course I am still a bit old fashioned!

[tpbrady]

Bob,

I suspect the large portion of the Alaska commercial fishing fleet (and the stars of Deadliest Catch probably said to retain the fax broadcasts. When I was on the Tote's cargo ship North Star this summer on the regular trip from Tacoma to Anchorage, they had the HF weather fax running. They also accessed the internet via their INMARSAT terminal. I almost had the mate on duty convinced to make an HF call to their sister ship just to be sure it worked.

I used to work HF stations worldwide for the Air Force when I was on active duty and still like listening in periodically for fun. It's the only long range communications means that doesn't require anything between the transmitter and receiver. While Independence Day was a grade B movie, the way they organized the world defense against the alien invaders was over HF using Morse Code because the aliens didn't jam it.