HF radio reception

[Hunter34]

I am trying to set up a HF receiver to receive weatherfax but I am struggling to receive anything more than AM radio stations.
I have sat for hours searching on USB and LSB but have found nothing.
I have the set earthed and am using a 10m long wire antenna.
I am in the Med and have tried Northwood,Bracknell and the German station (cant remember the name) and receive nothing on any of the frequencies.
I have downloaded many other frequencies which are apparently frequented by Ham radio operators but again silence.
I guess the antenna is OK as if I pull it out when tuned into an AM station it disappears.
I am beginning to suspect there is a fault with the radio but before I take it back I wonder if there is anything else I can try ie are there any frequencies that transmit constantly I can try or anyfrequencies that I really should here something (Ham radio or marine radio or anything!)

Any help most welcome.

Andrew


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[Robin]

Are you tuning to the correct frequencies and at the right times? You need to subtract 1.9 from the published frequency and tune to this as USB. I've copied a shortlist of Fax/Navtex/RTTY frqs below for you to check, if you need times PM me with an e-mail address and I'll send you what I have on file.


Station Frequency USB Freq Mode
(J3E)

518 Navtex 518 516.3 Navtex
490 Navtex 490 488.3 Navtex
4.2 Navtex 4209.5 4,207.8 Navtex

Pinneberg A 4583 4,581.3 RTTY English
Pinneberg A 7646 7,644.3 RTTY English
Pinneberg A 10100.8 10,099.1 RTTY English
Pinneberg B 147.3 145.6 RTTY
Pinneberg B 11039 11,037.3 RTTY
Pinneberg B 14467.3 14,465.6 RTTY

Northwood 2618.5 2,616.6 Fax
Northwood 4610 4,608.1 Fax
Northwood 8040 8,038.1 Fax
Northwood 11086.5 11,084.6 Fax
Northwood 18261 18,259.1 Fax

Hamburg 3855 3,853.1 Fax
Hamburg 7880 7,878.1 Fax
Hamburg 13882.5 13,880.6 Fax


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[ParaHandy]

Frank Singleton has trundled in his boat all round Europe especially for blokes like you and me in trouble with HF transmissions and lots more ....
http://www.franksingleton.clara.net/

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[Hunter34]

Thanks for info

Many thanks for the info.
I will give it a go again this evening.

Andrew

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[Robin]

Re: Thanks for info

This is Northwood's transmission times for the evening in case you don't have it, times are UTC:-

2000Z SURFACE PROGNOSIS T+48 1200Z
2012Z SURFACE PROGNOSIS T+72 1200Z
2024Z SURFACE PROGNOSIS T+96 1200Z
2036Z SURFACE PROGNOSIS T+120 1200Z
2100Z SURFACE ANALYSIS 1800Z


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[ParaHandy]

Re: Thanks for info

not forgetting T+24 at 1735 for 1200Z (I think!)

have you been finding that the Northwwod transmissions were made on the lower frequencies during the day with gradually increasing frequency during the night? I'm sure this was t'other way around before we sent 'our boys' off to the gulf.

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[Robin]

Re: Thanks for info

Yes I just copied a group of times off my cribsheet on the laptop to paste in for Hunter to try because unless he has the exact frequency and time he could try forever and not find one actually transmitting. I haven't really noticed any real routine with Northwood, just that there seems to be always one out of the options that doesn't get used and not the same one each time. I tried playing with ours once and managed to receive a fax from California!

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[Sailorbuoy]

Andrew, try clipping your antenna wire to the backstay (or any other convenient).
have a look at >http://www.walterreed.co.uk[ for some help and a full sked.

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[Birdseye]

It may be the radio, but the fact that you can receive broadcast stations suggests that the aerial is a more likely culprit. the broadcast stations put out an altogether stronger signal - you can easily have a broadcast station 1000times stronger than a strong amateur station.

first thing to do is to put yourself in the situation where reception chance is best ie some relatively isolated anchorage with everything in the boat switched off. the point being that weak signals can easily be swamped by electronic noise from your fridge , or a nearby generator etc.

if you still receive nothing, then try an alternative aerial. a simple multistrand insulated copped wire hoisted up on a halliard, and attached to the radio will do.

if there is still nothing on the radio, then best to have it checked out. more likely you will get a signal that way, which will suggest that work is needed on the normal aerial.

common probs are water in the coax sheath, and an odd stray barely visible bit of sheathing bridging the coax and shorting it out.

in reception terms, the earth is not wildly important. ok its better if you have a good one, but try without anearth at all to see if spurious noise is getting in that way

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[Hunter34]

Thanks

Many thanks for all the suggestions.I have tried every combination all published frequencies but there is only silence so I am taking the set to a Ham shop to have it checked out.
My fault I guess as I bought it on ebay.

Andrew

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