I have been using the R139 for several years and it is a good receiver.
Traded it to Skip for use on Flying Pig so I am without right now. Found a
highly recommended version built by a guy in the Czech Republic named
Miroslav Gola. For $100 it looks like an excellent deal so I am going to
try it with my new stainless QFH antenna.

I am on my 4th generation of homebrew antennas now and think it is
outrageous what they charge for "marine" QFHs. I can build one in under 4
hours for about $50 and they want $500+. You just have to be very careful
with the measurements. At 137MHZ a millimeter or two makes a huge
difference in frequency response. Shape has a lot to do with it too. I
have the tuning down very good. Now I am working on the proportions so I
can get horizon to horizon with no dead spots. Right now I can get from
Hudson Bay to the Mona Passage from Macon but I think I can make it all the
way to the Virgins with a little tweeking.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"krj" wrote

I receive the Polar Orbiting satellites. I use a Hamtronics R139 receiver
which outputs the decoded signal to the sound card input on the laptop.
There are several software packages, but the best I have found is WXtoimg.
An circular polarized egg beater antenna works best but I found the my 5/8
wave 2 meter antenna mounted on a stainless plate on my arch works almost
as good. I to get a few fade lines occasionally. Currently NOAA 15,17,and
18 have operational VHF downlinks. See http://www.oso.noaa.gov/poes for
information.
krj