Last Info

 Updated Dec-17-2005

 A new version of the "Worldwide Marine Radiofacsimile Facsimile Schedules" dated Oct., 18, 2005
The latest version  of the Worldwide Marine Radiofacsimile   Broadcast Schedules is now available (Oct., 18, 2005) in PDF format at:http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf A great thanks to Tim Rulon, NOAA

Meteosat-7 direct disseminatation services will terminate on 1 Febuary 2006


Plan for NOAA 18 APT Freqency swap to (137.10 mHz) on 4 Jan 06
APT  STATUS  REPORT 17 Dec. 2005 (from my own observations)

Satellite

Freqeuncy

Status

Image Quality

NOAA-12

137.500 MHz

ON AM Standby

GOOD

NOAA-14

137.620 MHz

OFF AM Standby

 

NOAA-15

137.500 MHz

ON AM Backup

GOOD

NOAA-16

137.620 MHz

OFF PM Primary

 

NOAA-17

137.620 MHz

ON AM Primary

GOOD

NOAA-18

137.9125 MHz

ON

GOOD Freqency swap to (137.10 mHz) on 4 Jan 06

METEOR 3-5

137.300 MHz

OFF

 

RESURS

137.850 MHz

OFF

 

SICH1-M

137.400 MHz

ON *see Note

Clearly there are problems with the APT image

 

 

 

 

 

*





Note Sich1-M:
It has been reported that Sich1-M has been launched at 24 Dec. 2004 sucsesfully from Plesetsk, and has reached its target in orbit.
However there was an anomaly with the rocket's final stage resulting in the satellite having a highly elliptical and unstable orbit (approx. 280 - 640 km altitude).
The first APT signal was heard about 08.10 UTC Saturday 29th January.
Clearly there are problems with the APT image.
Note: It will only transmit in range of Russian/Ukrainian receiving stations.Source: Douglas S Deans

NB. There are no Russian Meteor Resurs or Okean satellites transmitting or able to transmit APT.


The NOAA-12 and NOAA-15 spacecraft have similar orbits, and both transmit  their APT imagery at a radio frequency of 137.5 MHz. If the satellites should come within  ~6000km of each other, ground receiving stations could potentially receive  transmissions from both satellites simultaneously, which would result in a garbled image. So if the satellites should approach within 6000km of each other  (i.e. the satellites are said to be 'in conflict'), usually the 137.5 MHz transmitter aboard the older NOAA-12 spacecraft is switched off. However  occasionally NOAA-15 is switched off instead.

NOAA-12 orbits slightly  faster than NOAA-15, completing 14.25071335 earth orbits per day, compared with 14.24238665 orbits of NOAA-15. These numbers look very similar, but the  difference between them (0.0083269) means that every 120.1 days NOAA-12 will complete one more orbit than NOAA-15. So roughly speaking, every day NOAA-12 'gains' on NOAA-15 by ~375 km. At this rate, NOAA-12 and 15 will remain within ~6000 km of each other for ~30 days. With NOAA-12 lapping NOAA-15 once every  120.1 days, and with the spacecraft too close to each other for ~30 days, either NOAA-12 or NOAA-15 APT transmissions are switched off for about one month in four.

During the times that NOAA-12/15 is switched off, you may wish to  monitor the current  whereabouts of NOAA-12 and NOAA-15 as they play  tag with each other around the globe.


RN Northwood is testing a new frequency for their fax transmissions on 12390 KHz..
They ask for reports from any person receiving it and promise a QSL  in response.
Source: Ignacio Cembreros
Plan NOAA15 VTX-1 (APT data) TURNOFF on 13 Nov at 19:00z through 15 Dec 05.
Mauro Giroletti, Italy reported that Northwood (charts for the Gulf region) has a new frequeny in use, 12.390 KHz, logged at 13;00 UTC
Mauro Giroletti, Italy reported that Rome Meteo is again active on 8146 KHz alternate 4777 KHz, with bad signal with multipath.
All HF radiofacsimile, HF voice and NAVTEX weather broadcasts from United  States Coast Guard station NMG in New Orleans, LA have been restored.

As a permanant change, the Boston radiofacsimile broadcast has been expanded to include Hurricane Danger/High Wind Warning Charts transmitted at 0452, 1028,  1824 and 2228 UTC. See the complete schedule at http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/hfmarsh.txt


NOAA will change NOAA-18  APT frequency from 137.9125 MHz to 137.100 MHz


 Allen Woodruff (Moderator) has setup a HF-Fax group, if you ever wanted to receive HF marine fax charts on your computer from coast  guard stations and see the charts being processed on your computer. you will be able to see satellite IR images wind and wave, sea and surface temp charts and  many more. if this interest you and you would like to process these charts on  your computer using your soundcard in your computer. all you need is a shortwave  radio that has the abilty recieve upper & lower sidebad and a outside  antenna. if you are interested in this feel free to join my group.

05 June NOAA 18 is scheduled to turn on the IR sensors and the satellite should transmit normal images like the other NOAA satellites at that time
NOAA-N successfully launched from Vandenberg AFB, California, will gather information for weather  prediction and climate research across the globe. Launched 20 May 05 at 10:22:02. All deployments (solar array, VTX, SRA, UDA antennas) completed nominally by 11:48Z. Boost phase nominally completed, orbit  handover achieved 11:50Z


Try to decode the first days when NOAA N is operational the enchangements Vegetation.
After launch, NOAA-N will be renamed NOAA-18. NOAA N or NOAA-18 will transmit APT on either 137.9125 MHz or 137.10 MHz. NOT on 137.62 MHz or 137.50 MHz!
NOAA 18 is now sending APT images from its orbit on 137.9125 MHz. Since the IR equipment is not yet operational, 2 VIS channels are being sent for the next few  weeks.
Operational Date:  June-10-2005.
Added new Facsimile schedule for Tokyo Meteo (JMH) click here.
I have added the new schedules from USCG Kodiak. Pt. Reys. and Honolulu. Effective June 15 2005
USCG Kodiak, Alsaka effective June 15. 2005 Apr-17-2005
Or go direct for the latest schedule to
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/hfak.txt
 USCG Pt. Reyes  (NMC) effective June 15. 2005 Apr.-17-2005
Or go direct for the latest schedule to
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/hfreyes.txt
 Honolulu Meteo (KVM) effective June 15. 2005 Apr.-17.-2005
Or go direct for the latest schedule to
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/hfhi.txt


Look at the first images from NOAA 18 passes over Europe Image 1 and Image 2


J-Track from NASA.
 The tracking system calculates an approximate location for a list of satellites.
I have added this Link to NASA to my pages
Mauro Girolettu, Italy has reported, that Rome Meteo is on air at 4777,7 and 8146,8 KHz

Northwood (GYA) now also on 16.155 KHz, source: Mauro Giroletti.
Frequencies Northwood:
GYA 2618.5 kHz
GYA 4610 kHz
GYA 8040 kHz
GYA 11086.5 kHz
GYA 16155 kHz (New)

During recent testing of the NOAA-N spacecraft at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, NOAA encountered a technical problem with one of the mission data transmitters.  With NASA and the spacecraft contractor, Lockheed Martin, NOAA have investigated the problem, assessed the need for replacing the transmitter and analyzed the mission impact, if NOAA use the transmitter "as is."  NOAA have determined that the problem is not generic in nature and that the best course of action is to replace the one transmitter with an existing spare.  This will move the launch date for NOAA-N from March 19 to May 11 (TBC).  The launch time remains at 2:22 a.m. PST (3:22 a.m. PDT) with a ten minute launch window.

After launch, NOAA-N will be renamed NOAA-18 (APT 137.100) and will provide measurements of the Earth's surface and atmosphere that will be entered into NOAA's weather forecasting models and used for other environmental studies.  Each day, the satellite will send data to NOAA's Command and Data Acquisition station computers, adding vital information to forecasting models, especially over the oceans, where conventional data is lacking
FLEET WEATHER AND OCEANOGRAPHIC  CENTRE NORTHWOOD

(New schedule  11 June 2004)
Area: Gulf

 3289.5 kHz

As required

6834 kHz

HH+24

 14436 kHz

As required

18261 kHz

HH+24


Broadcast time*

Chart

Data time* on which product is based

0230/1430

Schedule

 

0306/1506

Surface analysis

00/12

0406/1806

Surface analysis

00/12

0506

Surface analysis

00

0630/1830

Surface prognosis T+24

00/12

0642/1842

Surface prognosis T+48

00/12

0654/1854

Surface prognosis T+72

00/12

0706/1906

Surface prognosis T+96

00/12

0718/1918

Surface prognosis T+120

00/12

0754

Surface prognosis T+24

00

0806/2006

Ambient Noise prognosis T+24

00

0818/2018

Mixed layer depth prognosis T+24

00

- /2030

Sea surface temperature T+24

00

0830/2042

Sea and swell prognosis T+24

00

0842

Sea surface temperature T+24

00

- /2206

Surface prognosis T+24

12


*Note: All times are  GMT/UTC

Eddy Waters found a UNID on 11.502 KHz who transmitt at 12:10 UTC a forecast chart from NWS TPC/National Hurricane Center Miami, Florida. This frequency is not a official frequency from USCG New Orleans (NMG), who transmitt normally these charts.
Ary Boender, Netherlands (WUN Member) found a UNID fax station from Russia at 7727.5 KHz.
This UNID station sends aeronautical charts from the Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia in 120/576 mode
Take a look of some charts which has ary Boender received:
Chart 1
Chart 2
Chart 3
Chart 4
Chart 5

A bibliography of references, articles, publications and Books, refer to the history of facsimile.
To see the page
click here
Change in Pt Reyes frequency  from 12730 to 12590.5 khz Source: Tim Rulon NOAA
The meteo FAX service of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service is  testing daily at about 0850 UTC using old charts dated 31 March 2004.

SWA16 4481.4 kHz
SWA28 8105.4 kHz

Source: Costas Krallis, Greece



NOAA-12 experienced a power system anomaly and went into a Power Survival Safe State around 2300Z on July 25. This mode places the satellite in a power safe state by shutting off the instruments (AVHRR, HIRS, SEM, MSU).
Engineers are investigating the anomaly. Initial investigation is showing a solar array or battery cell problem
Note: Recovery operations underway. AVHRR return to service expected NET 27 Jul. SEM and AVHRR status declared Yellow until recovery.
Updated several HF-fax schedules, see schedules
Ted, JA2GZZ is living in Japan. he is aa SLOW SCANNER . He inform me, that they having in Japan the SSTV convention every year. They are going to manage THE 15TH SSTV CONVENTION in SHIZUOKA JAPAN next year. So he want to inform it to DX stations, visit this Website
JMH ceased two frequencies. looks like JMH is no longer using 9970 khz, and 23522.9 khz
JMH  3622.5 khz
JMH1 7505 khz
JMH4 13597 khz
JMH5 18220 khz
Source: Raymond Prestridge Weatherford, Texas, USA
Raymond Prestridge Weatherford, Texas, USA wrote: JMH (Tokyo Meteo) has ceased operations on 9970 khz. This would be JMH3, I believe. I have not received them broadcasting on 9970 khz for maybe a month now, and I notice their test charts and MANAM no longer indicate using this frequency.  That's too bad, since 9970 khz was where I typically got the best results from them. Here in the southwestern US, JMH2 on 7305 many times has some heterodyne type  interference that ruins the reception.JMH's other frequencies do well at  times, but 9970 and 7305 are (were) presently the most  dependable. Note from me: the latest schedule from 25th Mar 2004 did not mention this.

 STATUS OF HF RADIO BROADCAST (JMH) AT RTH TOKYO

  (Submitted by Hiroyuki Ichijo (Japan) )
This document includes the report on the status of the HF radio broadcast named JMH  at RTH Tokyo, and the summary of replies to a questionnaire about services for maritime meteorological information from ship users. 
 ACTION PROPOSED
The meeting is invited to provide information and advice on HF broadcasts for ship users and the possibility of the discontinuation.
1.  An outline of JMH
 JMH is the HF facsimile broadcast providing weather charts for mainly ship users on the Pacific Ocean and WMO Members in Region II.  It has been operated by JMA since 1958.  About 50 charts are broadcasted daily according to the precise schedule.  Most of the charts are produced automatically by JMA’s NWP system. JMA uses radio transmission facilities and broadcasting services provided by NTT-East (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation).   The radio transmission conditions are shown in Table1.  Figure 1 shows the configuration of JMH.
Table 1   Radio transmission conditions of JMH

Call sign

Frequency

Power

Type of emission

JMH

3622.5 kHz

5 kW

F3C

JMH2

7305 kHz

5 kW

F3C

JMH3

9970 kHz

5 kW

F3C

JMH4

13597 kHz

5 kW

F3C

JMH5

18220 kHz

5 kW

F3C

JMH6

23522.9 kHz

5 kW

F3C



2.  Current status of JMH 

With deterioration in budgetary conditions, enormous rental cost for NTT-East radio facilities and broadcasting services is a burden on other telecom plans.  Furthermore nowadays it is more difficult and more expensive to maintain the current superannuated JMH system.
Therefore JMA has been considering the possibility of discontinuation of JMH broadcast, and seeking the more cost-effective and modern alternative since 1997.
For users over the land, there are alternatives such as providing charts via Internet, satellite multicast, GTS and so on.  However for ship users, any reasonable solution has not been found so far. That is a problem.
3.  Questionnaire about services for maritime meteorological information
JMA surveyed ship user requirements through a questionnaire in 2000 in order to improve the maritime meteorological services.    The questionnaire includes 18 questions categorised into five. 243 received replies are summarised as graphs in Figures 2 to 6.  The results of questions about JMH are shown in Figure 5.  In addition, Table 2 shows a summary of various comments about JMH and related issues. 
According to the survey, most of ship users think that JMH broadcast is useful for marine navigation.  On the other hand, there are requirements of other improved and modern means such as Internet access to web servers and e-mail services (refer to NOAA marine product dissemination information “http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/home.htm“, especially NOAA FTPMAIL service “http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/ftpmail.txt” ).



Raymond Prestridge Weatherford, Texas, USA wrote also: Second, the Fukiushima Prefecture Fisheries chart you mention  on "Last Info" I have received here.  I would give the frequency as 8658 Khz,  with a start time of 1004 UTC for the transmission. 90/576 is correct  parameters. It seems to be broadcast everyday. Signal is good here, unfortunately there is some very near channel interference from a maritime  utility station, which I believe is WLO. Earlier this morning
22.559.0 JFC: Misaki Fisheries Yokosuka 0030 FAX 120/576  prob ship disress notice in Japanese, chart headed JFC FAX (12 Apr 04)  (ML2)
Off air between xmissions, other charts copied this freq: 0140 120/576 - 6 pane chart, product unknown, poor  copy
0310  90/576 - sea temp chart for NW Pacific 1030  90/576 -  table, 130E-110W 12N-8S, barometer  readings in inches Regards  Murray  Perth  W  AUS. Source WUN
Add a new Discussion Forum to the Site
Murray Lehmann, Australia received a UNID Fax station on 8657.5 KHz, using 90/576 at 10:00 UTC with a surface pressure chart (JMH) centred of Japan. This station is a fishery chart, and is from a fishery service in Fukiushima Prefecture.
Revised the Radiofax Schedules with some links direct to the Fax Stations

Add the Radio fax schedule from USCG Kodiak
W6ELProp predicts ionospheric (sky-wave) propagation between any two locations on the earth on frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz. There is no charge for W6ELProp when used for non-commercial purposes
Pete Stein, Liverpool have collected facsimile machines for some years and have specialised in  Muirhead products because of their (comparative) ease of converting to the reception of weather satellite imagery. He has a couple of Muirhead photo fax  machines one of which he keeping a K300 and one a K560 that will be skipped if no home is found for it soon.
The unit was manufactured around 1970 and cost the MOD some £17000. It was bought to receive images from warships during the Icelandic Cod Wars and was thankfully correctly de-commisioned after a few months until Pete Stein bought it .It has a complete selection of  spares including a mechanism unit and manuals it would be a real shame to scrap it but no one in the UK wants it, ok it is a little big,  but is unused and has been kept warm and dry for many years.
You are a 'long shot' but if you know anyone who would like it is  free.

If you have interrest feel free to send me a mail mrensen@hffax.de

Look for some pictures of the Muirhead K300

K300 picture 1 (K300 Circuits 332Kb)
K300 picture 2 (K300 Front 163Kb)
K300 picture 3 (K300 Mechanic 349Kb)
K300 picture 4 (K300 Mechanic 295Kb)
K300 picture 5 (K300 Mechanic 338Kb)

Look for some pictures of the Muirhead K560

K560 picture 1 (K560 Cicuits 353Kb)
K560 picture 2 (K560 Electric 325Kb)
K560 picture 3 (K560 Front 211Kb)
K560 picture 4 (K560 Mechanic 296Kb)
K560 picture 5 (K560 Photopro 321Kb)
K560 picture 6 (K560 Psu 364Kb)


Add the latest Fax Schedule from Nairobi Meteo (5YE)

The mystery fax around 14690 kHz is a Basque organisation called AZTI
(www.azti.es). This organisation receives HRPT images, study these images, and inform  fisher boats where they can get better captures
Source: Angel Aparicio, Spain via Peter Thomson, UK.
The last version of the open source NOAA wheather satellite  decoder software from Thierry Leconte called atpdec now available.
Lot of small changes (bug fix, new AM demodulator front  end, new false color generation code).
There is a windows binary  version available too now ...
The home page is :
http://atpdec.sourceforge.net
The  download page is :
http://sourceforge.net/projects/atpdec
atpdec don't have any fancy graphical interface. So after dezipping the atpdec13win.zip file, you will need to open a command line windows, change working dir to the atpdec dir, and then type something like :
atpdec -i ac -d . c:\yourfile.wav and after a few seconds you will get your image in  current working dir.
Kristian K, Germany found a UNID Fax around 14.424.0 KHz tx daily at 08:20 UTC
Download a sample from this UNID station
Details of the new Meteosat schedule (PDF and TXT formats) effective 28th November 2000 now available from the
EUMETSAT website.
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