Short wave radios, SSB and weather forecasts!

[longjohnsilver]

Friends of mine currently living on board in the Med are looking for a radio to receive UK stations and one which can also be linked to a laptop for weather charts. They've been recommended a Grundig Yacht boy, but we've also seen reports on a Hitachi Worldspace(?). Various Sony models available, but now we're plain confused!

Anyone got any experience of these and do they work in the way they want to use them?

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[Roberto]

most if not all receivers are tested <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/rx_index.html>here</A>

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[Deep_6]

I have a Roberts RC 818 which is very good and I can download weather charts from Braknell etc to a PC, it also allows you to pre-set it to record items when doing other things -like sleeping. Ideal for shipping forecasts. FM,AM, SW, Price about £200.
I do not know if weather charts are broadcast on Worldspace radio's which are digital satellite recievers.

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[AndrewB]

Mine's a Lowe HF-150 that has given totally reliable service aboard for 10 years now. Excellent for NAVTEX and Weatherfax, BBC World Service, also Radio 4 LW in Portugal (I've not used it in the Med) with a back-stay ariel. Discontinued but still available new as well as s/hand and always reviews well (e.g. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/647>HERE</A>).

 

[steve_cronin]

Errr....

I think you'll find that they come from Northwood or Offenbach (Germany)

Steve Cronin

<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[steve_cronin]

NASA HF/3M

Comes with all the connectors and info to hook it up to any old cheap laptop. (we use a 486 which I bought in the USA ten years ago and needed an application finding for it)

The included software runs easily and comes in DOS. There is an active stub antenna available at extra cost which I've found picks up offenbach and Northwood perfectly lying on the floor of our conservatory in the midlands so picking up Athens from our boat in greece shouldn't be a problem!

The "TARFAX" software supplied has a few drawbacks like no user configuration and an annoying tendancy if you've run other software previously without re-booting, to show side by side double images. However there are many freeware programs available and one of them is even recommended by NASA which are configurable and don't have any display drawbacks!

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[Deep_6]

Re: Errr....ERRRR

Weather-fax frequencies are: Bracknell 2618.5, 4610, 8040, 14436, 18261 kHz; Northwood 3652, 4307, 6452.5, 8331.5 kHz; and Offenbach 3855, 7880, 13882.5 kHz.

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[steve_cronin]

Re: Errr....ERRRR....EEERRRRRRR

Bracknell stopped broadcasting last year!


Steve Cronin

<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[ParaHandy]

Re: Errr....ERRRR

there's a frequency missing from Northwood's list - between 8 and 14mhz, thinks aroiund 10mhz. i've never, ever picked northwood up at either 14436 or 18261. has anybody else? in fact, i don't recall seeing either frequency in admiralty ALR .. but you're the 2nd person, recently, to give that info

agree with steve. hf3 is decent kit .. won elec eng prize from IEEE. can get it with either modulator which plugs directly into RS232 vport of laptop or sound output which plugs into sound card which is better with modern usb-type laptops. i've got the former and its good kit ...
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[Deep_6]

Re: Errr....ERRRR....EEERRRRRRR GGrrr

Ok Ok you win!

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[catmandoo]

Re: NASA HF/3M

I got NASA HF /3M but dont like all wires to connect to laptop plus having to monitor laptop and fiddle with programmes ,, wires , tuning knob,printer logging on etc . So I got NASA Weather man which is a fixed unit , no external wiring apart from power cable and aerial and It works perfectly . Programme it ,leave it on all the time over night etc and in morning I have 5 day forecast stored on it plus other data and all I have to do to refresh my human memory is to scroll any time I want . No Hassle.Can even do it with cup of tea in hand and SWMBO talking in back ground


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[steve_cronin]

That only gives RTTY though....

If you want synoptic charts then a weatherfax as opposed to a radio teleprinter is required.

Steve Cronin

<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[catmandoo]

Re: That only gives RTTY though....

synoptic charts on weather fax too small to read and too much of a fiddle to get out . Do not see why one can't create synoptic charts from weather man information anyway if one wants a picture to look at -

Different adjacent geographical locations
wind direction and speed average and peak
location and direction of lows /fronts
barometric pressure
sea temperature
wave height
5 day forecast
rain , sleet , snow
Anyway with synoptic chart will end up you have to do the work to get the above info . eg wind veering or backing ,wind speed , speed and direction of low etc
so why bother to waste time printing such out and analysing when this has been done for you ie all info at hand over 5 days from the same source ?

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