Obtaining Accurate Offshore/Hi-Seas Weather data/forecasts, while at sea

[conachair]

Originally Posted by nolagal

Thanks barnakiel, I'm not in a marina we are in the anchorage at Placencia. Think that's the problem? It seems not to make a difference whether the cable is plugged in or not. Picture is still unreadable actually doesn't look like a picture at all. The frequencies I'm using are 4316, 8502, 12788 (that's after the 1.9 adjustment). We've turned everything off but still no good.
This is sooooo frustrating but nice of you to help.

Have you tried using a YouTube as a source for the sound?

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=8ad7I...%3D8ad7I87vo6E

Might confirm that the software is working OK.

I get surprisingly good results with a nexus 7 not plugged in, just sitting next to a degen 1103, and not too worried about the exact receive signal, just fiddle until the scope looks right and the picture looks OK.

[barnakiel]

I think if you can hear the fax going on (it sounds just like a fax would, unless you are a very young person, born in the post-fax era) then the fax image will be fine. Make sure your settings are rights (lpm, slant, etc.) and make sure you are tuned in right - on our unit we pretune to the give fqcy, then we tune in with a fine-tune knob. (That's why I prefer to hear the signal even if I record the fax via an audio plug).

I am not sure if this applies to all stations, but I can remember some used to transmit a black/white pre-tune signal to allow for exact tuning. They sent a series of maybe ten whites followed by maybe ten blacks.

Inshore, reception seems to be much worse than offshore. Much worse.

Some things that might help you find what your challenge is:

a) You can unplug the audio cable and plug in a small mic, then record anything with it, play it back, this is how you can check if your set up/cabling is fine,
b) Then unplug the mic and plug in the audio cable and record a piece of any radio transmit, play it back, this way you know your audio cable setup also works fine,
c) Then download a fax sound sample, then play it back from any device - and tune your radiofax software/hardware to this transmission.

You want a clear and crispy fax transmission to get a clear and crispy radiofax image. The worse the signal the worse the image. Judge it by the ear.

It is only difficult the first time because most people do not know what to look for. Once you get one image right, you get all future images right, as long as the transmission is clear enough to tune in.

b.

[hefestus]

SSB is archaic device, something like using MS-DOS Version 1.12 (OEM) on new notebook.
For that 1% of time without reception of cellular net. sat phone is more than cost effective, user friendly ...

For other 99% of time on the boat, local sim and good wifi antenna.

[Feral Cement]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Get a furuno Wx receiver and a satphone- sorted!!!!

I'm looking at this set-up:

SatStation IsatPhone Pro with Wi-Fi Dock and Antenna

Any ideas on how it could be done cheaper w/o sacrificing effectiveness or durability?

Thanks!

John

[ka4wja]

John,
A few generic points first...

Originally Posted by Feral Cement

I'm looking at this set-up:
SatStation IsatPhone Pro with Wi-Fi Dock and Antenna
Any ideas on how it could be done cheaper w/o sacrificing effectiveness or durability?

a) Not knowing where, when, and how you are cruising/voyaging, it is very difficult to give any specific recommendations....
So, please advise for a more detailed response...

b) If you read the first post of this thread, you will see how you can obtain weather info/forecasts much cheaper (spend about $100 - $150 for a radio and receive some of the best weather info/forecasts fro FREE)....but, I'm not sure if you've decided on using a sat comm system, and are simply trying to see if there are cheaper options???
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ea-103555.html

c) I usually prefer Iridium satphone over the INMARSAT IsatphonePro....but I can't argue with that low price of the whole system you referenced...I've not seen a lower price for a whole system...

d) The guys at the Satphone Store are good guys and know their stuff...BUT...
But, you must tell them your exact application and your expectations upfront, or they will not be able to accurately / honestly recommend products and services to you (just like us here!!)

e) Also, not knowing what other equipment you have on-board, it is difficult to make further comments/recommendations...


Please advise your cruising/voyaging plans, as well as what other equipment you have on-board (especially HF Radio, laptops, etc...)
{If you are just coastal cruising or just a jaunt to the Bahamas, then a sat phone system seems like overkill to me, and I think you'll find it a waste of $$$.....but I heading across the Atlantic and you have chosen not to install an HF Radio, then a sat phone system should serve you well...}


John
s/v Annie Laurie

[Feral Cement]

Originally Posted by ka4wja

Not knowing where, when, and how you are cruising/voyaging, it is very difficult to give any specific recommendations....
So, please advise for a more detailed response...

You are absolutely correct that my cruising plans and itinerary would be helpful in recommending a proper wx system for my boat. Sorry for the omission.

Coastal cruising down the AICW to FL, then jumping to the Bahamas and working south/east thru the T & C's, continuing SE as far as and as long as we're having a good time, possibly as far as South America to lay over thru hurricane season. Panama and Central America may be next, unless we traverse the canal to see the west side of South America.

It occurs to me that the transmission part of an SSB may be the expensive part, and a receiver with the ability to display weather charts and maps on a screen might be a viable source of info. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

All of this has to fit on a Tartan 34C that already has VHF/DSC/AIS and Garmin 441s chartplotter. We carry a Windows 8 laptop, a Mac, an ipad and 2 ipods, plus 2 PLB's. I have a 145W solar panel with 2 group 31 batteries (separate start battery) and power has not been an issue.

Thanks to all of the knowledgeable people who have contributed ideas, options, and experience to help us non-techies find our way through the electronic forest.

John

[ka4wja]

John,
You did not mention your current e-mail / internet access capability, but I'm assuming Wi-Fi and/or 3G/4G connections???

1) If you do have a decent external hi-perf wi-fi system (such as a Ubiquiti Bullet-based system) and/or some sort of decent 3G/4G data connection system, then in general, for your application / cruising plan, a sat phone is way over-kill!!

Originally Posted by Feral Cement

Coastal cruising down the AICW to FL, then jumping to the Bahamas and working south/east thru the T & C's, continuing SE as far as and as long as we're having a good time, possibly as far as South America to lay over thru hurricane season. Panama and Central America may be next, unless we traverse the canal to see the west side of South America.

Assuming all the above, your cheapest route to accessing good weather info/forecasts is to use these systems (Wi-Fi and/or 3G/4G), when coastal cruising, and in Bahamas (BATELCO), T&C, and Caribbean, Columbia, C. Amer., etc...as you'll not have many passages of more than a couple days long, and should have decent access (Wi-Fi and/or cellular) in most of the places you mention...
And, when away from decent Wi-Fi / cellular access, and the few days you're actually at sea, you can supplement those with a simple ($100 - $150) shortwave receiver (w/ BFO allowing SSB Voice reception), connected to decent external antenna (~ a few $ at most), for the quite detailed NWS/NOAA Offshore Voice Weather broadcast by the USCG....

Please note that, over the years, many thousands of cruisers have "survived" just fine, sailing the Bahamas, T & C, Caribbean, C. Amer, etc. with JUST a simple inexpensive ($100 - $150) receiver, listening to the Voice Weather Offshore forecasts from the US NWS/NOAA...with NO internet access at all (remember we did survive just fine before the internet and sat phones!!!)


Here is this info, from post #1 of this thread...

For most of the N. Atlantic, all of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico (including US East Coast, Bermuda, Azores, Bahamas, Caribbean, Central America, etc.), as well as the Eastern and Central Pacific, etc.... you have easy / FREE access, via HF-SSB Radio, to the "gold standard" in offshore marine weather data/forecasts (the US NWS/NOAA Marine Weather, broadcasts in Voice, text, and WeFax, from the USCG and from Shipcom / WLO/KLB Radio....)

Here is the general Marine Weather page.....with all the links on it...(including links to software and equipment suppliers)http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/home.htm

For detailed Offshore Voice Weather broadcasts from the USCG and Shipcom / WLO/KLB Radio....
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfvoice.htm
HF SSB Radiotelephone, Telex and Email Frequencies and Channels


.....an inexpensive HF/SSB receiver (such as a Sagean 909 or Sony 7600, etc.), using a good antenna, for Voice reception....and for WeFax (and text) reception, connected to a PC/laptop (and again using JVComm, etc)

2) Yes, you can use a simple, inexpensive receiver (w/ a decent external antenna) and connect it to a laptop, etc. to allow you to receive and view weather charts and sat images, for FREE....

Originally Posted by Feral Cement

It occurs to me that the transmission part of an SSB may be the expensive part, and a receiver with the ability to display weather charts and maps on a screen might be a viable source of info.

But, you will most probably not even need to do that, as the NWS/NOAA Offshore VOICE Weather Forecasts for all the areas you mention, are very detailed (and updated 4 times a day) and easy to understand....as well as very easy to receive, with clear, strong signals throughout the entire area you mention....

But, if you do choose to view weather charts and sat images, you can do that pretty easily too...
Here again, is info from post #1 of this thread....

....an inexpensive HF/SSB receiver (such as a Sagean 909 or Sony 7600, etc.), using a good antenna, for voice reception....and for WeFax (and text) reception, connected to a PC/laptop (and again using JVComm, etc)
Typical costs here are from $150 to $500, depending on receiver and antenna set-up....
{this is usually considered a "back-up" system, with the vessel's primary Marine SSB Tranceiver being used as the "primary" HF receiver for WeFax, Voice, etc..}


For most of the N. Atlantic, all of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico (including US East Coast, Bermuda, Azores, Bahamas, Caribbean, Central America, etc.), as well as the Eastern and Central Pacific, etc.... you have easy / FREE access, via HF-SSB Radio, to the "gold standard" in offshore marine weather data/forecasts (the US NWS/NOAA Marine Weather, broadcasts in voice, text, and WeFax, from the USCG...)


a) Here is the general Marine Weather page.....with all the links on it...(including links to software and equipment suppliers)
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/home.htm


b) Here are the pages, showing the WeFax (weather charts / sat images) broadcasts....
Have a look at all these pages to get an idea of what charts are transmitted, etc...
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/radiofax.htm
http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/marine.shtml

c) For the North Atlantic...
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfmarsh_links.htm
http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/marsh.shtml
{I use NMF/Boston...for most of the N. Atl...}

d) For the Tropical Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Tropical East Pacific...
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfgulf_links.htm
http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/gulf.shtml
{I use NMG/New Orleans...all the time....for SW N. Atl. / Carib / Trop N. Atl....}

e) For the North Pacific and Tropical East Pacific....
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfreyes_links.htm
http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/ptreyes.shtml

f) For the Central, Southeast and North Pacific...
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfhi_links.htm
http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/hawaii.shtml

g) For the rest of the Atlantic, Med, Pacific and Indian Oceans....
Here is a page with worldwide WeFax broadcast schedules...
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf
{note that I use GYA, from the UK, for eastern N. Atl. WeFax...}

3) Bottom line:
If you're not going to be on passage for more than a few days at a time....and have a decent external antenna (cheap!) connected to a simple portable receiver (~ $150), in MY opinion (and many others as well) there is no need for a sat phone....




I do hope this helps...

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[paulbennett]

John,

Interesting advice about purchasing an HF receiver for getting voice weather. And, if I understand you correctly, also getting wefax? We're planning a Canal to Marquesas hop, and have an Iridium connected to weather gribs. However, I'd like to listen in on SSB and Ham nets as well. Would one of these cheapo receivers work for that? If so, what would your ideal set up be in terms of unit, antenna, etc.

Thanks in advance,
Paul

[ka4wja]

Paul,
1) First off, both the original Sangean 909 and Sony Sw-7600 have been discontinued and replaced by newer models...

This is my old Sangean 909, that is my emergency SSB receiver (and it works well for voice weather broadcasts, and I could connect it a laptop and use JVComm for wefax reception, but with a dedicated WeFax receiver (Furuno Fax-408), and two Icom M-802's, on-board, I never found the time to do so...




Replacing the old models are:
The Sangean 909X, and the newly discontinued Sony SW-7600GR....(and while I assume the new models work as well as the old ones, I have no first hand experience with them, as I do the originals...)

The Sangean 909X is a bit pricey, at about $215...compared to the Sony 7600GR at about $130....
So, you may wish to compare size, button placement, ext. ant. jack location, etc. on both units, before deciding on which one to purchase...

But, from just reading the Amazon ad, the 909X seems like a great little radio...
Amazon.com: Sangean ATS-909X AM/FM/LW/SW World Band Receiver: Electronics

Sangean ATS-909X Portable Shortwave Radio ATS909X


And, here is the Sony SW-7600GR...
Amazon.com: Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver with Single Side Band Reception, plus External Plug-in Antenna: Electronics



Perhaps there are some here that have used these new units???
Ask around, and you may find someone....or spend the $$$ and you'll probably be happy!!!




2) As for your specific application.....

Originally Posted by paulbennett

Interesting advice about purchasing an HF receiver for getting voice weather. And, if I understand you correctly, also getting wefax? We're planning a Canal to Marquesas hop, and have an Iridium connected to weather gribs. However, I'd like to listen in on SSB and Ham nets as well. Would one of these cheapo receivers work for that? If so, what would your ideal set up be in terms of unit, antenna, etc.

a) Yes, one of these should work well for you....BUT...
But, you must do everything that others do to minimize / eliminate all (or most) on-board RFI ("radio noise")....
AND...
And, you will probably need to hoist a small wire antenna, such as a 25' - 30' piece of copper wire (any insulated copper will do), strung up a flag halyard, etc.

b) And, you should also learn some things about HF radio and radiowave propagation, in order for you to understand what band/freq to tune to (at what time of day) for the distance you are from the stations you wish to listen to....

c) Those that do these two things ("a" and "b") will have very good results....those that don't sometimes have complaints....
{Just an FYI....15-20 years ago, I sent an older version of the Sangean receiver down to my brother in Bonaire, as he needed some way to get offshore and high seas weather when sailing the Caribbean and doing deliveries to/from the US and Caribbean.....I wrote down specific instructions for him, and he didn't have an inverter or much of anything else on-board, and he simply sat in the cockpit, extended the built-in 3' long antenna and listened to the USCG NMN from Virginia, with no problems....so even those who just do it "on-the-fly" can get good results!!!}




I hope this helps...

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[conachair]

Originally Posted by paulbennett

However, I'd like to listen in on SSB and Ham nets as well. Would one of these cheapo receivers work for that?

Degen 1103 works very well.

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4288


If you have a grp boat a shroud can work well as an antenna,

[ka4wja]

Paul,
I wrote about the radio and antenna, but forgot info about weather broadcasts and net info.... sorry about that!!

Specifically for a passage from Panama thru to the Marquesas...remember, you're going to be receiving weather forecasts from stations (USCG and WLO, etc.) that are 2000 - 3500 miles away from you and assuming you're leaving in the spring, so using higher freqs will be applicable (see details below)....

Originally Posted by paulbennett

We're planning a Canal to Marquesas hop, and have an Iridium connected to weather gribs. However, I'd like to listen in on SSB and Ham nets as well. Would one of these cheapo receivers work for that? If so, what would your ideal set up be in terms of unit, antenna, etc.

a) You can get NWS/NOAA High Seas Voice weather forecasts from USCG Pt. Reyes, CA; Honolulu; Guam....
USCG HF Voice
Depending on when you're planning on this passage, you'll probably find the 16/17mhz freqs to be good daytime...and 8mhz (and possibly 12/13mhz) at night...with 12/13mhz usable at other times and during transitions...


As well as from Shipcom's WLO / KLB Radio....Voice Weather Broadcasts...
HF SSB Radiotelephone, Telex and Email Frequencies and Channels
Depending on when you're planning on this passage, you'll probably find the 22mhz and 16/17mhz freqs to be good daytime...and 8mhz at night...with 12/13mhz usable at other times and during transitions...



Here are some examples of the wide area coverage High Seas Forecasts....

HIGH SEAS FORECAST
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
2230 UTC THU OCT 24 2013
SUPERSEDED BY NEXT ISSUANCE IN 6 HOURS
SEAS GIVEN AS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT...WHICH IS THE AVERAGE
HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVES. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY BE
MORE THAN TWICE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT.
SECURITE
E PACIFIC FROM THE EQUATOR TO 30N E OF 140W.
SYNOPSIS VALID 1800 UTC THU OCT 24.
24 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1800 UTC FRI OCT 25.
48 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1800 UTC SAT OCT 26.
.WARNINGS.

TROPICAL STORM WARNING
.TROPICAL STORM RAYMOND NEAR 14.8N 106.8W 1002 MB AT 2100 UTC
OCT 24 MOVING W OR 270 DEG AT 9 KT. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 40
KT GUSTS 50 KT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITHIN 60 NM ONLY
OVER N SEMICIRCLE. SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER WITHIN 90 NM N AND
WITHIN 30 NM S SEMICIRCLES WITH SEAS TO 17 FT. ELSEWHERE WITHIN
180 NM NW AND WITHIN 120 NM SE SEMICIRCLES OF CENTER WINDS 20 TO
33 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST TROPICAL STORM RAYMOND NEAR 14.2N 110.4W.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 45 KT GUSTS 55 KT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS WITHIN 60 NM N SEMICIRCLE...40 NM SE AND 20 NM SW
QUADRANTS. SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER WITHIN 120 NM N AND WITHIN 45
NM S SEMICIRCLES WITH SEAS TO 18 FT. ELSEWHERE WITHIN 240 NM NW
AND WITHIN 150 NM SE SEMICIRCLES OF CENTER WINDS 20 TO 33 KT.
SEAS 8 TO 12 FT.
.48 HOUR FORECAST TROPICAL STORM RAYMOND NEAR 13.4N 114.9W.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 50 KT GUSTS 60 KT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS WITHIN 70 NM NE...40 NM SE...20 NM SW...AND 60 NM NW
QUADRANTS. SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER WITHIN 150 NM N AND WITHIN 60
NM S SEMICIRCLES WITH SEAS TO 20 FT. ELSEWHERE WITHIN 180 NM
NW AND WITHIN 150 NM SE SEMICIRCLES OF CENTER WINDS 20 TO 33 KT.
SEAS 8 TO 12 FT.
.72 HOUR FORECAST TROPICAL STORM RAYMOND NEAR 13.5N 118.7W.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 55 KT GUSTS 65 KT. EXTENDED
OUTLOOK...USE FOR GUIDANCE ONLY...ERRORS MAY BE LARGE.
.96 HOUR FORECAST TROPICAL STORM RAYMOND NEAR 15.0N 120.5W.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 55 KT GUSTS 65 KT.
.120 HOUR FORECAST TROPICAL STORM RAYMOND NEAR 16.5N 120.5W.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 45 KT GUSTS 55 KT.
FORECAST WINDS IN AND NEAR ACTIVE TROPICAL CYCLONES SHOULD BE
USED WITH CAUTION DUE TO UNCERTAINTY IN FORECAST TRACK...SIZE
AND INTENSITY.

GALE WARNING
.WITHIN 30 NM OF A LINE FROM 16N94.5W TO 14N95.5W...INCLUDING
THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC...N TO NE WINDS 30 TO 35 KT. SEAS 11 TO
14 FT. ELSEWHERE WITHIN 60 NM OF LINE FROM 16N94.5W TO 12N97W
N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST WITHIN 60 NM OF A LINE FROM 16N94.5W TO
13N96W...INCLUDING THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC...N TO NE WINDS 20
TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 13 FT. ELSEWHERE FROM 09N TO 13N BETWEEN 94W
AND 101W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS TO 10 FT PRIMARILY IN MIXED
NE AND SW SWELL.
.48 HOUR FORECAST WITHIN 60 NM OF LINE FROM 15N95W TO 12N98W
WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS TO 9 FT PRIMARILY IN MIXED NE AND SW
SWELL.
.SYNOPSIS AND FORECAST.
.COLD FRONT 30N133W TO 26N140W. NW OF FRONT WINDS 20 KT OR LESS.
SEAS TO 8 FT PRIMARILY IN MIXED NW AND SE SWELL.
.24 HOUR FORECAST FRONTAL TROUGH 30N132W TO 24N140W. N OF 27N
BETWEEN 131W AND 137W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS TO 8 FT PRIMARILY
IN MIXED NW AND SE SWELL.
.48 HOUR FORECAST FRONTAL TROUGH 30N129W TO 26N134W WINDS 20 KT
OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.
.FROM 07N TO 10N BETWEEN 105W AND 112W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS
TO 8 FT PRIMARILY IN MIXED NW AND SW SWELL.
.12 HOUR FORECAST WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.
.REMAINDER OF AREA WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.
CONVECTION VALID 2100 UTC THU OCT 24...

TROPICAL STORM RAYMOND
SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG
WITHIN 270 NM E AND WITHIN 150 NM W SEMICIRCLES OF CENTER.
.INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH...
MONSOON TROUGH 10N85W TO 09N92W TO 11N101W...RESUMES AT 1011 MB
LOW PRES AT 09N112W TO 1011 MB LOW PRES AT 09N128W TO 09N133W.
ITCZ 09N133W TO 10N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG
WITHIN 120 NM OF LINE FROM 05N77W TO 08N94W TO 15N98W...WITHIN
60 NM OF LINE FROM 11N104W TO 09N110W...AND WITHIN 30 NM OF LINE
FROM 08N132W TO 11N137W TO 10N140W.
.FORECASTER NELSON. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.

HIGH SEAS FORECAST FOR METAREA XVI
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1715 UTC THU OCT 24 2013

SUPERSEDED BY NEXT ISSUANCE IN 6 HOURS
SEAS GIVEN AS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT...WHICH IS THE
AVERAGE HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVES. INDIVIDUAL
WAVES MAY BE MORE THAN TWICE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT.
SECURITE
S PACIFIC FROM THE EQUATOR TO 18.5S E OF 120W.
SYNOPSIS VALID 1200 UTC THU OCT 24.
24 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1200 UTC FRI OCT 25.
48 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1200 UTC SAT OCT 26.
.WARNINGS.
.NONE.
.SYNOPSIS AND FORECAST.
.ENTIRE AREA WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST S OF 10S W OF 110W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS
TO 8 FT IN SW SWELL.
.48 HOUR FORECAST S OF 06S W OF 106W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS
TO 8 FT IN SW SWELL.
.REMAINDER OF AREA WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT
http://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE

.FORECASTER GR. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.

HIGH SEAS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1730 UTC THU OCT 24 2013
SUPERSEDED BY NEXT ISSUANCE IN 6 HOURS
SEAS GIVEN AS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT...WHICH IS THE AVERAGE HEIGHT
OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVES. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY BE MORE THAN
TWICE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT.
THIS HIGH SEAS FORECAST USES 1-MINUTE AVERAGE WINDS WHICH MAY BE
HIGHER THAN 10-MINUTE AVERAGE WINDS.
SECURITE
SOUTH PACIFIC EQUATOR TO 25S BETWEEN 120W AND 160E
SYNOPSIS VALID 1200 UTC OCT 24 2013.
24 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1200 UTC OCT 25 2013.
48 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1200 UTC OCT 26 2013.
.WARNINGS.
.NONE.
.SYNOPSIS AND FORECAST.
.LOW 18S169E 1008 MB MOVING SSE SLOWLY. TROUGHS FROM LOW TO 15S169E
TO 10S160E...AND FROM LOW TO 19S173E TO 17S176E NEARLY STATIONARY.
WINDS 20 TO 30 KT FROM 17S TO 21S BETWEEN 169E AND 180E. ISOLATED
MODERATE TSTMS WITHIN 330 NM NE OF LOW AND TROUGHS...AND WITHIN 150
NM S OF TROUGH E OF LOW.
.24 HOUR FORECAST LOW 20S170E 1009 MB. TROUGHS FROM LOW TO 16S170E
TO 09S160E...AND FROM LOW TO 21S172E TO 18S179E. WINDS 20 TO 25 KT
FROM 19S TO 24S BETWEEN 169E AND 180E.
.48 HOUR FORECAST LOW DISSIPATED. TROUGH FROM LOW TO 10S160E TO
15S170E TO 19S170E TO 22S174E. WINDS 20 TO 25 KT S OF 19S BETWEEN
171E AND 180E.
.LOW 18S152W 1009 MB MOVING SE 25 KT. TROUGHS FROM LOW TO 14S154W TO
TO 09S170W TO 09S179W...AND FROM LOW TO 22S144W TO 22S146W MOVING S
SLOWLY. SCATTERED MODERATE TSTMS WITHIN 540 NM NE SEMICIRCLE OF LOW.
ISOLATED MODERATE TSTMS ELSEWHERE WITHIN 150 NM OF TROUGHS.
.12 HOUR FORECAST LOW 22S142W 1009 MB. TROUGHS FROM LOW TO 19S149W
TO 13S155W TO 10S173W...AND FROM LOW TO 25S141W. WINDS 20 TO 25 KT
WITHIN 180 NM E OF LOW AND TROUGH S OF 20S.
.24 HOUR FORECAST LOW JUST S OF AREA NEAR 26S140W 1009 MB. TROUGH
FROM LOW TO 25S138W TO 20S147W TO 13S153W TO 10S175W. WINDS 20 TO 25
KT WITHIN 210 NM E OF TROUGH S OF 22S.
.48 HOUR FORECAST LOW MOVED FAR S OF FORECAST AREA. TROUGH FROM
25S136W TO 18S147W TO 13S153W TO 10S174W. WINDS DIMINISHED TO 20 KT
OR LESS.
.RIDGE FROM 25S126W TO 13S140W TO 07S159W NEARLY STATIONARY.
.RIDGE FROM 25S161E TO 24S160E MOVING E SLOWLY.

OTHERWISE
WINDS 20 KT OR LESS OVER REMAINDER OF FORECAST AREA.
.SEAS 8 TO 12 FT FROM 15S TO 24S BETWEEN 169E AND 176E. SEAS 8 TO 9
FT S OF 10S BETWEEN 121W AND 135W...AND S OF 21S BETWEEN 135W AND
150W.
.24 HOUR FORECAST SEAS 8 TO 10 FT FROM 19S TO 24S BETWEEN 168E AND
178E. SEAS 8 TO 9 FT S OF 22S BETWEEN 130W AND 141W.
.48 HOUR FORECAST SEAS 8 TO 9 FT S OF 22S W OF 169E.

OTHERWISE
SEAS 8 FT OR LESS OVER REMAINDER OF FORECAST AREA.
.ISOLATED MODERATE TSTMS N OF 04S W OF 167E.
.FORECASTER HOUSTON. HONOLULU HI.

b) As well as the ham / maritime Voice nets....
I think the Pacific Puddle Jump Net is on 8.143mhz @ 1300z and 2300z ???

And, here are other Pacific Nets...
West Coast Nets



c) If you choose to receive WeFax (by connecting the receiver to your laptop), you'll get good charts from 3 different USCG stations...
(Click on the transmit time, on these pages, to see a gif image of the current chart...)

NMG, New Orleans....for the first 30% of your passage (out to about 100* W)
New Orleans Radiofax Schedule with Links
Depending on when you're planning on this passage, you'll probably find 16/17mhz freqs to be good daytime...and 8mhz at night...with 12/13mhz usable at other times and during transitions...



NMC, Pt. Reyes, CA....Tropical Pacific Analysis and Forecasts, along your whole passage...
Pt Reyes Radiofax Schedule with Links
Depending on when you're planning on this passage, you'll probably find the 22mhxz and 16/17mhz freqs to be good daytime...and 8mhz (and possibly 12/13mhz) at night...with 12/13mhz usable at other times and during transitions...

Here are a few examples....there are lots more transmitted day and night....











KVM70, Honolulu....the last half of your passage...
Honolulu Radiofax Schedule with Links
Depending on when you're planning on this passage, you'll probably find 16mhz freqs to be good daytime...and 9-11mhz at night and during transitions...





I hope this helps....

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[Gerrycooper56]

Originally Posted by Feral Cement

You are absolutely correct that my cruising plans and itinerary would be helpful in recommending a proper wx system for my boat. Sorry for the omission. Coastal cruising down the AICW to FL, then jumping to the Bahamas and working south/east thru the T & C's, continuing SE as far as and as long as we're having a good time, possibly as far as South America to lay over thru hurricane season. Panama and Central America may be next, unless we traverse the canal to see the west side of South America. It occurs to me that the transmission part of an SSB may be the expensive part, and a receiver with the ability to display weather charts and maps on a screen might be a viable source of info. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. All of this has to fit on a Tartan 34C that already has VHF/DSC/AIS and Garmin 441s chartplotter. We carry a Windows 8 laptop, a Mac, an ipad and 2 ipods, plus 2 PLB's. I have a 145W solar panel with 2 group 31 batteries (separate start battery) and power has not been an issue. Thanks to all of the knowledgeable people who have contributed ideas, options, and experience to help us non-techies find our way through the electronic forest. John

John, for the Caribbean with a plethora of land based weather stations covering the coastal weather plus the number of boats cruising around we used the Caribbean weather nets on SSB and in some cases locally with VHF. Once thru Panama to Galapagos we still used SSB but started using Iridium to Maxsea for weather plotting. From Galapagos to Marquesas it was all Iridium/Maxsea as for whatever reason we couldn't always get a clean weather fax from NOAA. The Iridium setup for us was 100% reliable - always had signal and data.
Eventually because of the Iridium/Maxsea info we acted as the weather boat for our group crossing, using the SSB to (try) keep in contact and broadcast the weather for each boats area. We plan on repeating the voyage and I don't think will buy a new SSB - the new boat already has an old Icom installed.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Gerrycooper56

John, for the Caribbean with a plethora of land based weather stations covering the coastal weather plus the number of boats cruising around we used the Caribbean weather nets on SSB and in some cases locally with VHF. Once thru Panama to Galapagos we still used SSB but started using Iridium to Maxsea for weather plotting. From Galapagos to Marquesas it was all Iridium/Maxsea as for whatever reason we couldn't always get a clean weather fax from NOAA. The Iridium setup for us was 100% reliable - always had signal and data.
Eventually because of the Iridium/Maxsea info we acted as the weather boat for our group crossing, using the SSB to (try) keep in contact and broadcast the weather for each boats area. We plan on repeating the voyage and I don't think will buy a new SSB - the new boat already has an old Icom installed.

Just to pile on, offshore the Iridium is the way to go. Totally agree on the reliability and signal with the Iridium. Very important when you are trying to sidestep big North Atlantic lows. We tracked four of them on one crossing. Getting clean weather offshore on the SSB was aggravating for a whole list of reasons so consequently, we never turned it on much.

Near land we used WiFi when available for weather.