SW HF and SSB Radio

[Ship'sCat]

During this lockdown away from my boat I have bought a secondhand Roberts FM MW LW SW radio with SSB. This was just to fiddle around and ponder whether this - or something like it - might be a useful thing to have in a boat. Perhaps for obtaining weather faxes using black cat software on a mobile adjacent perhaps, or just for listening in while in distant places. I find the radio works but rarely can I pick up anything at all on any of the SW options. At the same time I notice that threads on this subject are a few years old and I wonder if SW is going extinct as I understand stations have been closing? Does anyone have any frequency for a weather fax station I can try to pick up through SSB from here in the north of England, just out of curiosity?

 

[scruff]

Following - we got caught out in arsceid mor this summer. No phone reception nor vhf weather info in anchorage. "Supposed" to round Rubna Hunish heading sound down the minch in 15kts. Got 40kts.

Was wondering if weather fax to laptop would provide better overview and prevent being caught out again. In fact I recently missed a cheap nasa SSB receiver on ebay

 

[GHA]

Have listen on 10.1Mhz for DWD text, it's rtty so you'll need something to decode it, but usually a good strong signal.
What antenna are you using & where? Big long wire strung up should get something in but built up areas and boatyards/marinas with lots of masts you might struggle receiving. Have alisten on here >
websdr.org
Try the top link, university of twente.
Then try 8038.15Khz USB for northwood wfax and 7878.15Khz for DWD wfax, both of which are transmitting this morning though northwood can disappear sometimes.

and I wonder if SW is going extinct as I understand stations have been closing?

The ham bands are still very active, lots going on this morning on 20m. Though not much SSB or marine ham in Europe, globally it's still alive and well.

 

[pandos]

Following - we got caught out in arsceid mor this summer. No phone reception nor vhf weather info in anchorage. "Supposed" to round Rubna Hunish heading sound down the minch in 15kts. Got 40kts.

Was wondering if weather fax to laptop would provide better overview and prevent being caught out again. In fact I recently missed a cheap nasa SSB receiver on ebay

You can get weather fax from a portable sw receiver connected via a cable (I rig) to atablet...

Receiving weather fax at sea (without SSB transceiver)

 

[Plymsea]

I was going to post something similar, but I am interested in the MF transceiver options as well.

SailMail and other data sources too for that matter!

 

[pandos]

HF Weather Fax decoder for Android phones & tablets – Wolphi – Mobile Software Development

Might be even easier ...navtex and weatherfax...

 

[scruff]

You can get weather fax from a portable sw receiver connected via a cable (I rig) to atablet...

Receiving weather fax at sea (without SSB transceiver)

Something like this?
XHDATA D-808 Portable Digital Radio FM stereo/SW/MW/LW SSB RDS Air Band Multi Band Radio Speaker with LCD Display Alarm Clock External Antenna and Rechargeable Battery(Grey): Amazon.co.uk: TV

If so any benefit in spending £100 more for the NASA SSB, other than being able to build it in neatly at the chart table

Nasa Target HF3/P Receiver (010.028)

 

[GHA]

Something like this?
XHDATA D-808 Portable Digital Radio FM stereo/SW/MW/LW SSB RDS Air Band Multi Band Radio Speaker with LCD Display Alarm Clock External Antenna and Rechargeable Battery(Grey): Amazon.co.uk: TV

If so any benefit in spending £100 more for the NASA SSB, other than being able to build it in neatly at the chart table

Nasa Target HF3/P Receiver (010.028)

Reviews for the xhdata seem a bit patchy - A detailed review of the XHDATA D-808 and comparison with the Tecsun PL-660
Try a search on cruisersforum, a few favourites get a mention there, Tecsun PL-660 from memory and one or 2 from sony. Before Ham I used a degen 1103 which worked great transat wfax but not sure they are available any more.

Much as I like Nasa cheap and cheerful kit their ssb receiver is not their finest hour, think I gave mine away to a fellow cruiser for couple beers.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

7 years ago i had some success using black cat and a similar radio on a trip to the Azores. I haven't bothered since as it took a long time and was only readable every other go.

 

[Bilgediver]

I get Weather Fax and Navtex using a Sony ICF 55 portable radio that not only has SSB but also fine tuning which I picked up in Japan many moons ago. There were other Sony Models such as the ICF 7600 which is excellent and pops up on E bay from time to time and in fact there are several there at present.. The best software I have used is Seatty which can be downloaded on the web. This not only displays weather fax but you can leave it running and it will receive file and date stamp faxes received when unattended. This software also decodes Navtex

Northwood is sending faxes as well as a German station and they are all listed on the Noaa web as below. Navtex can be received here in Edinburgh from various sources. The Sony radios will also receive this which is an SSB signal at the bottom of the medium wave band around 489 and 518 Kcs using the radio whip antenna.

https://www.weather.gov/media/marine/rfax.pdf



SeaTTY 2.50 Free Download

 

[GHA]

Anyone fancy trying for a chat on HF one night?

 

[michael_w]

Sure, only just recommissioned , but boat's in a marina with all the splatter problems.

 

[GHA]

I need to re run the feeder to backstay but hopefully should fire up straight away, in boatyard with plenty masts though propagation might be a bigger factor, seems not too bad at the moment.

 

[tudorsailor]

Lots of advice on this thread. I could download weather from Hamburg via the internet radio but not using the radio at home
Where's northwood weatherfax gone?

TS

 

[pandos]

Some of the portable radios I have seen do not have 518khz ...so perhaps care is needed when reading the small print...

That nasa radio looks attractive I like hard wired... (Or really cheap so if leave it in the rain or stand in it I do not cry)

 

[Skylark]

Anyone fancy trying for a chat on HF one night?

I haven’t used HF in a long time but, now facing another 4 weeks of house arrest, I’d be happy to go searching in my loft for a transceiver.

I assume you mean an amateur band?

 

[GHA]

I assume you mean an amateur band?

Ham frequencies.
Though last time I couldn't get the tuner to work on 20m so 14Mhz might be out.
What about PSK32? Will sometimes get through when the propagation isn't so great.

 

[michael_w]

I don't have the ticket for Ham, just the Long Range Certificate.

 

[GHA]

I don't have the ticket for Ham, just the Long Range Certificate.

My IC7000 is opened up to transmit on all frequencies so marine SSB should be an option. I don't have the LRC but not having a callsign for ssb doesn't seem to be a hanging offence, like on ham where you'll get ignored in seconds
Yanks don't even have to do more than click a mouse to get a call sign.
Though bit naughty not having a type approved radio, so care needed to not make a mess and have a clean signal, same as ham really.

 

[Skylark]

Ham frequencies.
Though last time I couldn't get the tuner to work on 20m so 14Mhz might be out.
What about PSK32? Will sometimes get through when the propagation isn't so great.

Are you Spain/Portugal area?

Not looked at a frequency/propagation chart for a very long time but I'll do some searching.

We could always use CW (by hand, not machine generated )

I have a Jaybeam 3-element triband but it hasn't been assembled since I boxed it in 1986 as I was leaving Rome to return to the UK. I should have a G5RV somewhere, that should be straightforward to set-up.

Sounds like fun