Re: grabbing weather faxes inexpensively on passage
Wayne . B 19 May 2006 05:07:39
On 15 May 2006 13:56:19 -0700, "warrenj@gmail.com" <warrenj@gmail.com> wrote:>A few people have emailed asking how, on our budget, we can afford to>pull down weather faxes while on passage.>The system is detailed in this little article:>
That's all true but if you are cruising offshore you should really have 2 way SSB capability, and with the addition of a PACTOR modem you get EMAIL, GRIB files, and error free transmissions of the fax data via EMAIL attachments. There are really significant quality benefits, and for far less cost than satellite internet.
purple_stars wrote:> anyone getting weather information directly from satellite ? i've seen> a number of stationary satellite antennas for sailboats so someone must> be using them. how do you do that, are you using your laptop to> receive and convert the data into weather maps or do you have some kind> of a dedicated satellite weather device for doing it ?>
by the way, great article warrenj, thanks for sharing.>
agree wayne, pactor modem and radio look like a terrific solution for> email. i don't like that the code for the mail program is so closed,> that is, that there's only a windows version of it and the protocol> doesn't seem to be published, but otherwise it great stuff.>
Wayne.B wrote:>
On 15 May 2006 13:56:19 -0700, "warrenj@gmail.com" <warrenj@gmail.com>>>wrote:>>
A few people have emailed asking how, on our budget, we can afford to>>>pull down weather faxes while on passage.>>>The system is detailed in this little article:>>>
That's all true but if you are cruising offshore you should really>>have 2 way SSB capability, and with the addition of a PACTOR modem you>>get EMAIL, GRIB files, and error free transmissions of the fax data>>via EMAIL attachments. There are really significant quality benefits,>>and for far less cost than satellite internet.>
I receive the Polar Orbiting satellites. I use a Hamtronics R139 receiver which outputs the decoded signal to the sound card input on the laptop. There are several software packages, but the best I have found is WXtoimg. An circular polarized egg beater antenna works best but I found the my 5/8 wave 2 meter antenna mounted on a stainless plate on my arch works almost as good. I to get a few fade lines occasionally. Currently NOAA 15,17,and 18 have operational VHF downlinks. See http://www.oso.noaa.gov/poes for information. krj
On 15 May 2006 20:24:32 -0700, "purple_stars" <webnews1@hotmail.com> wrote:
pactor modem and radio look like a terrific solution for>email. i don't like that the code for the mail program is so closed,>that is, that there's only a windows version of it and the protocol>doesn't seem to be published, but otherwise it great stuff.
I'm very happy with mine. I've even figured out how to retrieve stock quotes, news headlines, and buoy reports via EMAIL
I have been using the R139 for several years and it is a good receiver. Traded it to Skip for use on Flying Pig so I am without right now. Found a highly recommended version built by a guy in the Czech Republic named Miroslav Gola. For $100 it looks like an excellent deal so I am going to try it with my new stainless QFH antenna.
I am on my 4th generation of homebrew antennas now and think it is outrageous what they charge for "marine" QFHs. I can build one in under 4 hours for about $50 and they want $500+. You just have to be very careful with the measurements. At 137MHZ a millimeter or two makes a huge difference in frequency response. Shape has a lot to do with it too. I have the tuning down very good. Now I am working on the proportions so I can get horizon to horizon with no dead spots. Right now I can get from Hudson Bay to the Mona Passage from Macon but I think I can make it all the way to the Virgins with a little tweeking.
I receive the Polar Orbiting satellites. I use a Hamtronics R139 receiver > which outputs the decoded signal to the sound card input on the laptop. > There are several software packages, but the best I have found is WXtoimg. > An circular polarized egg beater antenna works best but I found the my 5/8 > wave 2 meter antenna mounted on a stainless plate on my arch works almost > as good. I to get a few fade lines occasionally. Currently NOAA 15,17,and > 18 have operational VHF downlinks. See http://www.oso.noaa.gov/poes for > information.> krj
The way I see it there are two kinds of long distance sailors that don't need SSB. If you don't care to talk to anyone for a month or more and nobody cares where you are or if you are alive you don't need SSB. At the other end if you are the type that has to stay connected all the time you don't need SSB because you have a satellite phone.
<warrenj@gmail.com> wrote in message news:1147812904.859849.191370@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...> Hmm, why exactly must I have an SSB? I've just made 10,000 miles from> Seattle to Fiji and haven't needed one yet. Am I missing something?>
Maynard G . Krebbs 18 May 2006 04:51:11 [ permanent link ]
On Wed, 17 May 2006 00:05:16 -0400, "Glenn Ashmore" <gashmore@cox.net> wrote:
The way I see it there are two kinds of long distance sailors that don't >need SSB. If you don't care to talk to anyone for a month or more and >nobody cares where you are or if you are alive you don't need SSB. At the >other end if you are the type that has to stay connected all the time you >don't need SSB because you have a satellite phone.
How about all the long distance sailors who carry a SSB receiver for weather and news? On reflection, they would go into your first category. :o) Mark E. Williams
In article <_hxag.44121$iF3.4901@dukeread01>, Glenn Ashmore <gashmore@cox.net> wrote:
The way I see it there are two kinds of long distance sailors that don't > need SSB. If you don't care to talk to anyone for a month or more
That's me.....
and > nobody cares where you are or if you are alive you don't need SSB.
but not my family & friends.
At the > other end if you are the type that has to stay connected all the time you > don't need SSB because you have a satellite phone.
I liked it a lot better when I used to say that I was off to sea for a month, don't expect to hear from me until I hit port. These days if people don't get an email back in 24 hours, they start worrying. Far as I'm concerned, one day is the same as the next when I'm gonna be gone for 8-10 weeks, so who cares.
When I stop doing this for a living, I am NOT having either SSB or sat phone aboard.
