Solent Coastguard

[Guest]

Anyone know why Solent Coastguard are using all the staff, taking turns in reading out seperate paragraphs of the weather forcast/safety information?

It makes it rather discontinuous to say the least.

 

[bedouin]

I'm guessing that parts of it are a 'canned' voice - automatically generated reports (e.g. no gale warnings, no strong wind warnings).

Can't think why - unless it is the first stage towards using the computer to recite the entire forecast

 

[pandroid]

Aye. They are recorded as separate bits (they just update the bits as they come in) and played back by a computer.

 

[alex_rogers]

In the states, there is a dedicated weather channel on the VHF where a computer voice ( called Perfect Paul ) reads out local weather reports every few minutes. Seems a great system as if you are close enough to pick up the VHF, you are close enough to get the weather they are describing.

It would be good if it happened here.

 

[HMCG]

Correct.

Our new communications system ICCS (Integrated Coastguard Communications System) allow us to record the weather information in the morning and just press a button and it will transmit the information on selected channels when ever we want and at the scheduled broadcast times. As you have noticed though if the information is updated it will sound disjointed when someone else reads out the new part. Some stations use the system and others are still reading it out manually. I am one of those that advocates the manual version as it allows our "customers" to contact us at the end of the broadcast if they have a question or in many cases a problem. In theory it is a good system but as you have noticed it has its problems.




Remember a VHF can save your life.

 

[Twister_Ken]

While you\'re here CG

Can I have a radio check please?

Seriously, hello, good morning and welcome. DO drop in regularly.

 

[steve_cronin]

One European Model is a nightmare

The automated weather information broadcast by the Italian weather service is just a jumble (in two languages) that tries to cover too big an area.

I hope that we don't get anything like that.

The US "weather channels" on the other hand give clear, up to date and in my experience, very accurate forecasts on the dedicated W1 & W2 channels.

Personally, I'm a Navtex fan. Its just there when you want to read it at YOUR speed.

Steve Cronin

 

[ParaHandy]

Although it has been a couple of weeks since last needed 518khz S transmissions, assume you are still running the weather element at the start rather than the end of your 0700 & 1900 transmissions which stops Oostende's T broadcasts at 0710 & 1910 trampling over yours (if you over-run or they are early). Well done to you. It was actually quite serious as modern Navtex receivers would reject the whole weather bulletin (from the last identifier) if enough errors were received which would happen if Oostende "butted in".

The patience your man showed last saturday morning when reminding a woman who, whilst on Ch16, asked her caller to "wait a moment while I get a pen and paper to write your mobile phone number down" was comendable. The temptation to be rather less agreeable must be overwhelming at times.

Some disagreeable person trampled over your Ch10 weather transmission last Monday at 0840 and I missed the Lulworth range info - had to ring the range officer - would you be willing to repeat such info on request?

 

[HMCG]

As far as I am aware the navtex problem is being looked at. It is not uncommon for european stations to break the rules. They often use higher power transmitters for vhf and MF broadcasts which casue us all problems. The co-ordinator for navtex in europe is the UK hydrographer who will be investigating the problem of overrunning and starting early.

I am actually based at a scottish station so I do not have to deal with all of the problems associated with yachting as often although it has to be said that if we have one incident with a yacht you can guarantee that we will have a few more that day.

Regarding the broadcast. If you ever have any problems with the broadcast (overspoken, unclear, completely different to what you are actually experiencing) then please do call. It is not uncommon for us to receive letters of complaint about broadcasts weeks after the problem. In most cases it is due to a fault on the radio equipment but if no-one tells us there is a problem we will never know. This is especially true now that we are using duplex frequencies for broadcasts. Due to the nature of duplexing we are unable to listen to our own transmission which means that we rely on the listener to let us know of any problems.



Remember a VHF can save your life.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by HMCG on Thu Jun 27 12:50:22 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Twister_Ken]

One of my favourite bits of Solent Coastguardese

Is when they read out the 0500 metcast later in the day, which is forecasting something like a f2-3 SE'ly. And then at the end of it all they report the weather at Lee-on-Solent, SW'ly F5. The tone-of-voice used says it all.

 

[HMCG]

Re: One European Model is a nightmare

If I understand correctly (and I may be wrong) we will cease to broadcast the MSI in 2005 and instead will only use Navtex including 490. It will mean lots of people buying navtex receivers that don't have them but at the end of the day as you point out it is easier to read at your own pace and you will also have a copy and will not need to write it down.

In some contries this is the only way to get weather information. I know that this is the case in Australia where they cannot afford to set up vhf sites around the coast (at one every 40nm that would be a lot of sites). Weather info is also now available on the web from the met office, it is exactly the same forecast that we transmit but if you have internet access on your boat it is always available.
the link is

http://www.meto.gov.uk/datafiles/inshore.html

You can also find gale warnings and the shipping forecast from here.


Remember a VHF can save your life.

 

[halcyon]

Re: While you\'re here CG

Thought you were going to ask about passage plans.



Brian

 

[ParaHandy]

Re: One European Model is a nightmare

The Navtex transmission power is, as you know, quite low and there are times when either through atmospheric conditions or physical position a transmission might be lost. With only two weather broadcasts on each frequency per day, you could miss one or both. However, the VHF MSI broadcasts occur every 4 hours and the probability of missing one is unlikely. Do you think you could repeat the weather broadcasts on Navtex more frequently?

 

[HMCG]

Re: One European Model is a nightmare

Unfortunately the transmission times for navtex are controlled by the Navarea 1 co-ordinator (the hydrog) It is very difficult to change the broadcast times or add any. It is difficult getting urgency traffic out sometimes. I don't know about 490 though. They may itend to transmit more often on that freq. All uk CG stations are to be fitted with 490 receivers in the near future (at the moment we can only monitor 518).

Navtex is an old medium and is now becoming swamped thus the reason for 490. It is maybe about time that a new medium is found. The problem with that of course would be the need for everyone to purchase new equipment to receive such transmissions.


Remember a VHF can save your life.

 

[ParaHandy]

Re: One European Model is a nightmare

Appreciate that you can neither change times nor add to but you do have six 10 minute time slots on each frequency of which 2 (3 on 580khz) have a weather forecast. It's utilising the other slots to repeat the forecast to which I am referring. It would be helpful if that could be done.

One thing that might help the swamping is for stations transmitting to be meticulous about the initial length of the sync signal and the number of "mark" characters (eg multiple spaces between successive lines and words). It's only a small thing but might help.

 

[HMCG]

Re: One European Model is a nightmare

I agree with you on the mark characters. The Uk is fairly good about them. We are very limited in what we can broadcast - for distress we have a very strict limit whereas in some countires around navarea1 do not appear to have any rules. In some countries they will broadcast 10-15 lines in a distress alert which is more akin to inmarsat alerts which can be as long as you like.

As we know many other countries are badly regulated and it doesn't matter how much we shout about it nothing gets done....thats the EU for you.


Remember a VHF can save your life.

 

[Guest]

Re: One European Model is a nightmare

Having worked under the airwaves of the US CG .... I would be reluctant to claim its being good !! Yes it has done a very good job in many cases - same as most CG's, but 22Alpha, 26Alpha, W1, W2 .... etc. etc. and also their decision to put green buoys to port etc. and NOT follow international Buoyage system etc........ Yep, it sure is a swell day in Florida .... home of the unbuttoned fly - man overboard statistics !!