Weatherfax/SSB Help Please

[Robin]

I've failed miserably trying to link my new laptop (winXP) to the Icom M600 transceiver that came with our new boat. Previous owner used PC Weatherfax via a supplied demodulator (which I still have) but I was trying to save money and use cheaper Internet software via the laptop soundcard. Software tried is JVComm32 Beta version for Win XP. I can tune in Northwood for Fax and receive the tones and Fax noises, the software starts on the tones but the received fax is like a TV screen with the horizontal hold gone! I've tried all combinations of record level settings and SSB volume but with the same results, though the audio level meter in the software seems OK and the Spectrum window seems to show a good signal being received. I Also tried connecting via the demodulator (called XAXER) but the software doesn't seem to recognise it and no signal reached the software.

Please can one of you Ham/computer experts come up with any ideas what I'm doing wrong. I'm now very reluctant to buy 'marine' software in case that doesn't work either and I've wasted the money.

 

[philip_stevens]

You could try one of the experts on one of the following newsgroups.
uk.radio.amateur,
uk.rec.radio.cb,
alt.radio.scanner.uk,
alt.radio.family



regards,
Philip

 

[Guest]

Having just wasted several hours trying to get my laptop to do basic things that it used to do with no problem, I realised that installing WindowsXP has been one of the more stupid mistakes I have made this year.

Without direct knowledge of the problem which you are experiencing, I would still hazard a guess that getting rid of XP and using an older operating system might help.

 

[byron]

Unfortunately as with most of Billy Gates products they are released and everyone else has to catch up. What I suggest is partition your hard drive, install Windows 95 or 98 on the other partition and run from there. In future when buying any software check it is XP compatible.
Incidentally, I will not be using XP for at least another 2 years or so to (A) the bugs are sorted (B) Software has caught up.

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[ean_p]

I've been using xp for about a year now and never had any probs'...few teethers at the begining but now its very very stable and knocks w98 well away .....cannot in truth remember when it last crashed or locked up and tend to spend two to three hours a day on it.....keeping them fingers crossed though.....

ps....looking for a good very cheap touch screen about 12-15 inch in size....any idea's anyone????

 

[byron]

As I said XP is good, <font color=red>it's the fact that some other software hasn't caught up with it yet that stops me installing it.</font color=red> Also it is very memory hungry and needs loads of RAM so is best only used on a later PC.
If you want advice on Touch Screen Email:-
andy@classicsales.co.uk[/url] he will advise you, what he doesn't know about PCs and so forth ain't worth knowing.

[url="http://www.freeware.mcmail.com/435.htm>http://www.freeware.mcmail.com/435.htm</A>

<A"]http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk[/url]

 

[colin_jones]

Robin
You have run into the classic compatibility problem, which we all experience with such things as PCs, email, air time networks, ISPs etc and even with ssb and accessories.

The Xaxero demodulator is a sealed unit ( I understand why) so you cannot get at it to copy it, or to tweak the components. I suspect that it will only work with WxFax for Windows95/98 and Xaxero's own software, distributed by PC Maritime, who might be able to help with a Windows XP up-grade.

Like you, I had operator induced teething problems when my new boat notebook PC came with XP and even more when I partitioned the disk to give a dual boot, dual operating system, but have now come to like XP well enough to have my office machine converted in order to access the many good things which it does. OK I have had to swallow a small pill of some software not being compatible, but accept this in order to get at the good and also want to position myself ready for when everything is XP orientated.

We might not like everything which profit hungry Mr G does, but Ihe is in business and I am glad to have escaped the early days when there were even more compatibility problems than now.

I used Xaxero for several years, but have given up its cables draped around the boat, corruptions when surrounded by masts or the engine is running, general touchiness and the long time it takes to download a chart, in up in favour of NASA Weatherman' 5 day forecasts for all sea areas in UK, mainland Europe and Med.

If I can be of further assistance, PM me

 

[alex_rogers]

Try mscan from combiTech - www.mscan.com - it works with most common interfaces including the sound card, is very easy to set up and use and has given me no problem running under WindowsXP.

You can download a trial version which has all the features but prints a 'register me' message on the fax. It is commercial software but isn't too expensive and there is a version which receives RTTY and Navtex. I've tried most of the shareware stuff and Mscan in my opinion is by far the best software.

Having said all that, don't give up with your current software yet. The slanting image is down to the timing of computer. The lines of the fax come in one long stream and it is up to the computer get the timing right so that it starts a new line at the correct time. Most receiving software will have a calibration tool that lets you adjust this timing. Sometimes you have to tweak a control whilst receiving until you get a straight fax, other software will look at the finished fax and decide on the setting for you.

Some of the old software was written to run under DOS and thus the timings get completely confused when they are run under Windows ( the software with the NASA HF3M is like this ). Most of the software that uses a soundcard is designed to run under Windows though and this shouldn't really be a problem.

Alex Rogers
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.YachtsAtSea.com> www.YachtsAtSea.com </A><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by alex_rogers on 02/12/2002 11:22 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Trevethan]

All this sounds very interesting.

I have a little Sony world receiver that has a little SSB wheel on it. Never really used it except to eavesdrop on ham radio conversations - and after three of those, I was almost comatose. I know boatowners can get dull.. but these guys were in another league! (sorry to any ham operators!)

Anyway What do I need to do? Download some software, make up a lead twixt headphone or line out to line in on sound card and watch weather maps appear as if by magic. I suspect it won't be this easy!

rgds,

Nick

 

[alex_rogers]

You'd be surprised. Mine works if you just turn the volume up and stand it near to the laptop.

Alex Rogers
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.YachtsAtSea.com> www.YachtsAtSea.com </A>

 

[Bergman]

Most obvious answer to your question is that you are not tuning a weatherfax station.

The symptoms you describe sound as if you are tuned to a RTTY signal.

You should see a single "spike" on the spectrum when the fax is being sent, tune the receiver to place this spike on the right side of spectrum over the "white" label on the spectrum box. If you see 2 spikes its RTTY.

Dunno about compatibility, easiest check is to see if JVcom will decode RTTY. Try tuning around 3.795 or 3.781 with JVcom set to RTTY 75 baud 875 spacing. If you get something intelligible then I would say working OK. If tuning at random for RTTY take care lots of signals encrypted and will not give any intelligible result.

I'd give the demodulator a miss direct to sound card is easiest and best.

Take your point on amateur radio - it can give anoraks a bad name at times.

Best of luck

 

[Robin]

Thanks

I tuned to RN Northwood and did get a good clear spike over the white label,with an occasional flicker on the black one, presumably when it recd something to 'print'. I haven't been able to check the RTTY part of the program since I didn't get a signal on the Hamburg Met frequencies at the times I expected it to transmit. The Baud rate is currently set to 50 with 450 shift which is the default, but as I didn't get an audible transmission that is so far academic. I was tuned to 3855 or 7880 or 13882.5 for Hamburg, less 1.9 in each case which I think I'm supposed to do. What are the frequencies you quoted and do you happen to know the transmission times, I'd like to try those next time I'm on board.

I used the soundcard interface via a stereo lead with the 2 channels joined one end as advised for mono. The PC speaker sounds OK, same as the SSB one.

The JVComm software is very new, Beta test version designed for Win XP so should be OK apart from the odd unfound bug.

 

[Robin]

Thanks

There is a 'slant' adjustment in the tools menu and I tried this as per help menu but I think this is to correct a slightly sloping picture - mine is a series of dotted/patchy black stripes with white ones alternating, they slope down slightly left to right across the page. Doing the slant adjustment didn't make any difference. The JVComm program is supposed to be for Win XP so that bit should be OK. I might try mscan and see what happens on that one.

I get the feeling I'm doing something stupid, if only I knew what it was!

 

[Bergman]

Well

Sounds as if you're doing everything right. I would try the RTTY to confirm s/w working ok.

Dunno what the stations were that I suggested, just 2 I found whilst I was trying to simulate your problem on my kit.

You could try:-

http:/www.marineweather.com/FaxFreq.html for weatherfax frequencies

http:/www.dwd.de/services/gfsf/e_telexpln.html for Hamburg RTTY schedule & freqencies.

http:/www.sierrapapa.it/e_mertty.htm list of RTTY meteo stations.

Also perhaps if your set goes down to 518kc/s you could try receiving Navtex.

struggling after that.

I normally use Mscan Meteo which I find a simpler programme to use. Its downloaded free from the net and you can register (and pay for) it if you use seriously. Might be easiest solution.

I'll have another tinker with mine, see if I can reproduce problem.

 

[Bergman]

Re: PS

Make sure that control box is setto "HF-FAX"
LPM is set to 120

IOC seems to make little difference but on mine sets to 576

Worth a check.

 

[Robin]

Re: PS

Thanks again. I've just downloaded Mscan Pro Lite for trial, it seems much more is automated with this program so it may remove the idiot operator factor (me). Also looked at marinecomputer.com site, lots of weather info, plus got a worldwide freq & times list from the US weather service. Nobody said this would be easy!

 

[chriscallender]

I had exactly this problem, and I eventually found that it needed some tuning of "fc correction" or some name like that. I found that it needed to be 1.0625 or something (I can check on the PC at home and get back to you) or else the received fax is complete rubbish just a load of black and white squares etc. The automatic setting of it didn't work at all, I just had to play around with it. I was using mscan and also wxsat

I think the software assumes that the PC is sampling the audio at 11.025kHz but some PCs implement this as 11kHz or something. Anyway I can find more details on how I fixed it when I get home.

Does RTTY reception work fine?

Chris

 

[chriscallender]

I checked this and the parameters I have needed for my PC were

mscan - Clock Calibration on the Calibration setup page
needs to be made to -0.6720% (The calibrate using last image option didn't find this for me)

Or for wxsat software Parameters -> Common -> fs correction needs to be 1.006770

In the end I chose to use wxsat because it is free and does all that I need. (and I also use seatty to receive NAVTEX/RTTY but I have registered/paid for that one).

There should be some similar parameter and your symptoms sound exactly like what I had before I tweaked this.

Chris

 

[Robin]

Thanks Chris

I now have mscan pro lite to try so your settings may well help if that one doesn't work either. I also have SeaTTY trial so have 3 choices now for RTTY/Navtex. so far I only tried RTTY once but I used a freq for Hamburg fax and time for Hamburg RTTY, not surprisingly there was no signal. Trouble is you only have a limited time to try changes before the station goes off air. I'm glad I didn't buy a program without trying it first, at least it hasn't cost anything so far.

 

[alex_rogers]

Good luck with the experiments.

I downloaded Mscan a couple of weeks ago for my new laptop and both Northwood faxes and Hamburg RTTY should work straight off without having to changes any of the settings ( baud rate, IOC etc. ). For adjusting the fax slant, you should just be able to play with the slider whilst recieving and see whether the slant changes from slanting left to slanting right.


Alex Rogers
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.YachtsAtSea.com> www.YachtsAtSea.com </A>