Solent coastguard weather broadcast

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KeithH

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Recently, I have found it difficult to receive the Solent Coastguard weather and marine safety broadcast - whilst in the eastern end of the Solent. I would expect to tune to channel 63 to hear the broadcast (There should be one eg at 10:30). Today, I heard the announcement (clearly) on ch 16 that they were going to broadcast on channel 63 (and 62 from other aerials) but could just about pick the broadcast up on Ch63, with the squelch tuned down on the main radio, and then it kept dropping out. It could not be heard at all on my hand held, suggesting the transmission was "weak"

Does anyone else find this a problem when in the Solent? Whch aerial does the the coastguard use for that area? Ventnor?
 
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KeithH said:
Recently, I have found it difficult to receive the Solent Coastguard weather and marine safety broadcast - whilst in the eastern end of the Solent. I would expect to tune to channel 63 to hear the broadcast (There should be one eg at 10:30). Today, I heard the announcement (clearly) on ch 16 that they were going to broadcast on channel 63 (and 62 from other aerials) but could just about pick the broadcast up on Ch63, with the squelch tuned down on the main radio, and then it kept dropping out. It could not be heard at all on my hand held, suggesting the transmission was "weak"

Does anyone else find this a problem when in the Solent? Whch aerial does the the coastguard use for that area? Ventnor?
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How far from the aerial were you? Was there anything in the way? Have you tried Ch62?

EDIT:

This document might help.

https://assets.publishing.service.g..._data/file/738564/MSI_Leaflet_2018_August.pdf

Just need to find the location of the published aerials.
 
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Sandy

I think this might be the problem - this morning we were just off Gilkicker Point at 10:30, and neither the Needles (ch62) or Boniface (Ventnor) (ch63) are line of sight. But that is a popular place to sail, so has anyone else found this problem?

I presume that Solent CG has aeriels near Portsmouth too. Perhaps they dont transmit the weather though.
 
KeithH said:
Recently, I have found it difficult to receive the Solent Coastguard weather and marine safety broadcast - whilst in the eastern end of the Solent. I would expect to tune to channel 63 to hear the broadcast (There should be one eg at 10:30). Today, I heard the announcement (clearly) on ch 16 that they were going to broadcast on channel 63 (and 62 from other aerials) but could just about pick the broadcast up on Ch63, with the squelch tuned down on the main radio, and then it kept dropping out. It could not be heard at all on my hand held, suggesting the transmission was "weak"

Does anyone else find this a problem when in the Solent? Whch aerial does the the coastguard use for that area? Ventnor?
Click to expand...
It does seem to happen occasionally, even at my berth in the Solent. I've never found the reason for the poor reception as the next broadcast is usually received loud and clear.
 
There’s certainly something odd going on with CG transmissions. The weather announcement often overspeaks the coastguard talking to someone these days!
 
I’ve experienced the same problem a few times in the Eastern Solent.
no longer based there though.
More annoying is that they frequently don’t broadcast the most recent available forecast.
 
On the West Coast they seem to broadcast the Ch16 announcement multiple times on different aerials, each time giving the channel which will be used by the current aerial. Then they broadcast the forecast on all aerials simultaneously, using different channels. You use whichever channel was given in the announcement you heard best.

Sounds as if they made the Ch63 announcement from an aerial which didn't use Ch63.
 
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