x-no-archive:yes (Stan Sroga) wrote:

Can weather faxes be obtained reliably from a laptop computer/short
wave radio connection or is buying a dedicated weather fax the only
good way to go?

I have gotten weather fax to the computer via SSB - don't know how
reliable it is because I haven't done it much

What's the best fax software/radio combination?
What's the best (solid but no frills) dedicated weather fax?

Stan

grandma Rosalie

Conor Crowley wrote:
And what is wrong with using a good portable as long as it has an SSB
mode? If one is only intersted in Weather Fax, I see no reason to
not recommend a Yachtboy as a cheap alternative to an M802

It depends on where you are. The fine tune and sinsitivity of the YB400
is a bit poor for WEFAX reception. I have gotten a usable fax from NWS
New Orleans as far away as Georgetown, Bahamas but it takes a lot of
patience and the "touch" to do it. If you are inland in a noisy area it
doesn't stand a chance.

If you can find one, a Radio Shack DX-394 works great on 12VDC. RS
discontinued them a few years ago but you can still find them on ebay
for about $100.00. I got good copy out of NMN Portsmouth all the way
down 65W to Tortola on a 23' wire strung out a hatch and up the flag
halyard. NWS was perfect copy all the way to Trinidad.

--
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

That would be fine unless, of course, you were near WEATHER. The
portables have VERY wide IF bandwidths, made for AM or "narrow AM".
The static in a 6 or more Khz bandpass is LOTS worse than in a
properly crystal filtered 2.7Khz SSB receiver, especially in noisy
conditions when you need that WEFAX the worst!

Congratulations on your General upgrade. You'll find out about the
differences in the receivers real soon on HF....(c;

73, Larry W4CharlestonSC
since 1957

Put your email and picture up on your record on qrz.com. Great way
for other hams to find you....



On 18 Aug 2003 17:51:43 -0700, (Conor Crowley)
wrote:

And what is wrong with using a good portable as long as it has an SSB
mode? If one is only intersted in Weather Fax, I see no reason to not
recommend a Yachtboy as a cheap alternative to an M802

..Conor
KG6RRY

(Larry W4CSC) wrote in message ...
There's lots of WEFAX and NAVTEX decoder programs out that just use
your sound card plugged into your HF SSB receiver. (Notice that's
SSB, not some Yachtboy portable...it has to be stable and SSB)

Stan Sroga wrote:
Can weather faxes be obtained reliably from a laptop computer/short
wave radio connection

***Yes, a good HF radio receiver, coupled with a *good antenna system*
(probably THE most important), WeFAX software ... will get you all you
need. On a boat for WEFAX reception (and without a SSB antenna system) I
prefer a simple wire dipole antenna ... just a pair of wires and lead-in
'balun' wire that I affix to the stem and stern and then raise to the
top of the mast.

***If you have a Macintosh there is shareware ($49 or $89) available
that requires just a simple connection between the HF receiver sound
output and the sound input jack on the mac ... do websearch for
"multimode" - will also be able to decode CW, Sitor-B (Navtex), TTY
Telemetry Weather broadcasts (ie. Weather station output in eastern
Canada, etc.) ... plus slow scan TV, Hellschreiber, and other 'ham' stuff.

***For older PCs you need a sound card demodulator, the newer PCs now
just require a similar software package as the macs, but are relatively
expensive.

***The ultimate BEST website for getting started in WeFAX is
http://www.hffax.de/

Can weather faxes be obtained reliably from a laptop computer/short
wave radio connection

Yes, it's very easy. We have an old Icom M700 SSB, linked to an old
Toshiba running Bonito's Board Terminal. BT is not cheap but it decodes
weatherfax, RTTY and Morse, with a SYNOP function. No modem needed, just
plug SSB to sound card.

Mike

For more than you ever wanted to know about radiofacsimile see

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

Which inludes a link to a publication containing broadcast schedules
worldwide.




"Mike Cobbe" wrote in message
.. .
Can weather faxes be obtained reliably from a laptop computer/short
wave radio connection

Yes, it's very easy. We have an old Icom M700 SSB, linked to an old
Toshiba running Bonito's Board Terminal. BT is not cheap but it decodes
weatherfax, RTTY and Morse, with a SYNOP function. No modem needed, just
plug SSB to sound card.

Mike