Weatherfax - Make Your Own

[coopec]

I came across this article while researching something else. I haven't read it at this stage but I thought some of you geeks may be interested in it.

http://yachtpals.com/how-to/weatherfax

Weatherfax - Make Your Own
Boating and Sailing News 03 Jan 2008
Boat Dog

First off, there is no tin can involved. I started calling it “tin-can” because it was so simple it reminded me of two tin-cans on a string, but you will need neither the cans nor the string. What you will need are a computer, a piece of software (free to try), a shortwave radio with SSB, and a cable to connect the radio to the computer.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I wrote quite a detailed post about this a few years ago:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?227868-Weather-fax-on-netbook-portable-sony-radio

 

[srm]

Quite straight forward, I first used this set up about 10 years ago and it was 'old hat' then. Better now with an insulated back stay as antenna.

 

[nigelmercier]

Wasn't there also an article about using SDR and a USB TV tuner dongle?

[Later] Found it:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?320792-Cheap-usb-digital-TV-dongles-as-a-radio
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?321528-Fast-cheap-AIS-using-20-rtl-sdr-DVB-T-SDR-dongles

And here is a supported RTL2832U dongle: http://amzn.to/OnlYLK
Or possibly this one: http://amzn.to/NmrMEm

 

[GHA]

Wasn't there also an article about using SDR and a USB TV tuner dongle?

[Later] Found it:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?320792-Cheap-usb-digital-TV-dongles-as-a-radio
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?321528-Fast-cheap-AIS-using-20-rtl-sdr-DVB-T-SDR-dongles

And here is a supported RTL2832U dongle: http://amzn.to/OnlYLK
Or possibly this one: http://amzn.to/NmrMEm

Bear in mind you'll need an upconverter as well as the dongle only tunes down to something like 50Mhz.
You might get images from weather satellites though.

 

[agurney]

Bear in mind you'll need an upconverter as well as the dongle only tunes down to something like 50Mhz.
You might get images from weather satellites though.

Agreed - I've had plenty of success using SDR & dongle for satellite APT. The great advantage is that you can tweak the bandwidth so that the full signal can be captured including the doppler shift.

Wefax on HF is also pretty good, but it does need an upconverter.

 

[nigelmercier]

Bear in mind you'll need an upconverter as well as the dongle only tunes down to something like 50Mhz...

Fair enough, I didn't know what frequencies were involved. Upconverter here: http://amzn.to/OvjlYh

Just read the article in full, it seems that most of it is making a jack to jack lead!

 

[GHA]

Fair enough, I didn't know what frequencies were involved. Upconverter here: http://amzn.to/OvjlYh

Just read the article in full, it seems that most of it is making a jack to jack lead!

An upconverter would be another nice toy to have onboard but for the cost of one plus a dongle you're near enough the same as a degen 1103, a great shortwave reciever and fine for recieving wfax. A bit hard to justify really. But given enough red wine..........

Agurney, what antenna did you use for satellite reception?

I've had an icom ic7000 recieving just readable images on a good day with wxtoimg controlling the doppler shift, but bandwidth a bit too narrow to be an real use.

A working dongle might be a handy addition offshore.

 

[agurney]

An upconverter would be another nice toy to have onboard but for the cost of one plus a dongle you're near enough the same as a degen 1103, a great shortwave reciever and fine for recieving wfax. A bit hard to justify really. But given enough red wine..........

I only use dongle & upconverter at home for tinkering, I've enough gubbins and wires on the boat already.
Upconverter can be had for under £20 on eBay if you're patient.

laptop/raspi + hf-150 is used for wefax afloat.

 

[KellysEye]

>What you will need are a computer, a piece of software (free to try), a shortwave radio with SSB, and a cable to connect the radio to the computer.

You need an antenna too. If you are only buying a receiver then stringing a long wire up is fine. An SSB transceiver needs an insulated back stay and an Automatic Tuning Unit.

 

[concentrik]

And here is a supported RTL2832U dongle: http://amzn.to/OnlYLK
Or possibly this one: http://amzn.to/NmrMEm

Slight thread drift - any chance of using this (or similar) to receive Radio 4 (or World Service) in Spain?

 

[GHA]

Slight thread drift - any chance of using this (or similar) to receive Radio 4 (or World Service) in Spain?

'fraid not, it doesn't tune low enough without spending more on another box.

One of these might though.. Might be a bit far for radio 4 and world service is pretty much gone in the Atlantic, but a great radio for the money...

 

[concentrik]

'fraid not, it doesn't tune low enough without spending more on another box.

Happy to spend a bit more... what box is that?

Or would it tune to Eutelsat Hotbird 6 which seems to offer World Service:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/schedules/010116_weurope.shtml

 

[GHA]

Happy to spend a bit more... what box is that?

Or would it tune to Eutelsat Hotbird 6 which seems to offer World Service:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/schedules/010116_weurope.shtml

One of these..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_998v0ga7pa_b


I've never looked into TV satellites but seems doubtful you'll get anything without some kind of sat disc and decription box.

 

[nigelmercier]

One of these...

I note that Degen have a new model out. Similar to the well respected DE1103 (actually slightly better specification) but with the addition of a removable MP3 recorder, that will record broadcasts (ideal for the Shipping Forecast).

At £47 it is also marginally cheaper!

Latest Version! DEGEN DE1121 FM SW MW LW SSB Dual Conversion MP3 Digital Radio Receiver: http://amzn.to/NpejeY

It also looks more modern, and much better styled. I might have to buy one ...

 

[ffiill]

I came across this article while researching something else. I haven't read it at this stage but I thought some of you geeks may be interested in it.

http://yachtpals.com/how-to/weatherfax

Weatherfax - Make Your Own
Boating and Sailing News 03 Jan 2008
Boat Dog

First off, there is no tin can involved. I started calling it “tin-can” because it was so simple it reminded me of two tin-cans on a string, but you will need neither the cans nor the string. What you will need are a computer, a piece of software (free to try), a shortwave radio with SSB, and a cable to connect the radio to the computer.

My software is free and my Roberts world ssb radio cost me about £40 on e bay
I can pick up Boston in good conditions on a random wire antenna

 

[greenalien]

If anyone is interested, I'm selling a Target HF3 comms receiver on Ebay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131143904066 - ideal for weatherfax and Navtex.