NMG New Orleans on higher frequency

I managed to log New Orleans on its highest frequency, 17146 kHz this afternoon. Here are three pictures:

17146 kHz, 1335z HIGH WIND/WAVES

17146 kHz 1350z 72 HR WAVE PERIOD/SWELL DIRECTION

17146 kHz, 1400z GOES IR TROPICAL SATELLITE IMAGE

ZSJ Cape Naval again

18 MHz was quieter this morning, but instead of a typical weather chart, I got this one:

18238 kHz, 1033z

Yes, It's only that. I have rotated the image. Also, some image editing magic to correct my decoder's fault of missing sync and adding the final part of the transmission. If you compare the header with my previous images, it's obvious that conditions were better. Cape Naval notoriously continues to transmit early or late, even only the header for a couple of times before transmitting a chart. At least some moments later got some charts:

18238 kHz, 1102z

18238 kHz, 1124z

Conditions stayed good in the afternoon; a "blurred" chart this time:

18238 kHz, 1532z

I like this station because it's so unpredictable. I can't wait sunspot number rise and have even better signals on 18 MHz! I like higher frequencies; they give cleaner and steadier HF-Fax images!

New Orleans HF-Fax schedule

The "Request for comments/Broadcast Schedule" chart from New Orleans HF-Fax service, as of 05/01:

12790 kHz, 2025z NMG New Orleans, Request for comments/Broadcast Schedule.

All-in-one plus QSL info! I hope the address is still valid!

Ice

I'll present you some HF-Fax images regarding ice & icebergs, which I received yesterday (Friday 05/01) from Hamburg HF-Fax service, and Boston. Here is the one I like most:

9110 kHz, 1810z, NMF Boston, Ice Chart.

I like the "CQ" in the beginning and the comment "The 2007 ice season has not opened"! DXers overlook the powerhouses but they can also send interesting charts like the following, instead of "surface analysis" and charts full of isobar lines!

7880 kHz, 2100z, DDK3 Hamburg/Pinneberg, Ice Conditions Chart Northwest Atlantic. (image rotated 180°)

7880 kHz, 2115z, DDK3 Hamburg/Pinneberg, Ice Conditions Chart West Baltic Sea.

By overlooking the "common" ones (Northwood & Hamburg) I have never logged the above chart, which is also beautiful!

Some more HF-Fax images from Cape Naval

I rolled a new "matching transformer" since I have more noise these days and I thought my old one may failed. The new one uses a ferrite toroid from a busted PC motherboard. It seems that the noise wasn't coming from there, something else is happening. At least the new transformer seems to work better on higher frequencies (preliminary result of course!) So here are some more charts from Cape Naval. And you'll see what I mean with "blurred" charts.

18238 kHz, 0730z, 12:00 SURFACE PROGNOSES (PREVIOUS DAY'S RUN)

So this is how a "blurred" one looks like.

18238 kHz, 0803z, ANTARCTIC ICE LIMITS

Note the "UNCLASSIFIED" notice. (Last word in the text box)

18238 kHz, 1029z, 06:00 SURFACE ANALYSIS

Also a blurred one.

18238 kHz, 1100z, 00:00 SURFACE PROGNOSES

Today they were almost exact regarding start time. But still, if the signal is not strong at your location, it's difficult to catch the start, since the phasing sequence is brief (where is Kyodo, with the nice long tuning session?)

New Charts from Cape Naval

11 minutes late! They started at 0741z on 18238 kHz in a hurry! I was ready to tune my receiver to something else, when I heard them rushing to start the transmission! At least there is a 1600 Hz tone idling before the transmission. I still have weak signals so the combination of all these make this station very tricky to catch!

Another thing I forgot to mention: Some charts transmitted blurred, i.e. with lower resolution, like resampling an image to fewer pixels. I don't know if this is intentional, the result is unreadable though.

18238 kHz, 0741z

18238 kHz, 1102z

Now this one started 2 minutes earlier!

ZSJ Cape Naval, South Africa HF-Fax

A decent chart appeared on my screen this morning, along with a partial RTTY transmission. So far the best frequency for me is 18238 kHz, but I have to operate on batteries to reduce QRN from my PC. Unfortunately there is noise on some frequencies caused from my computer. In the case of Cape Naval transmission, the signal is very weak and I have to run on batteries.

18238 kHz, 0756z

Station's schedule can be found on the South African Weather Service web page.

Two very important things to keep in mind if you decide to hunt this one:

1. They don't start exactly on time, sometimes 8 minutes earlier or 4 minutes late.
2. The preamble (tuning) sequence is very, very brief, so your decoder might not catch it.

RTTY transmission excerpt:

A EXTENSPOM OF WINDS BY QUADRANTS (KM):
30 KT NE: 150 SE: 250 SO: 200 NO: 150
50 KT NE: 04)2 SE: 040 SO: 40 NOWJ
A FIRST CLOSED ISO(PRESSURE AVEAGOCDIAM): 1008 HPA /400 KM A
VERTICALPXENSION OF CYCLONE CIRCULATION: DEEP

B FORECASTS:
12H: 2007/01/83 14 UTC: 11.0S/47.6E, MINDOTVKT, OVERLAND.
24P: 2007
84 0/75:: 21.6S/47.0EN MAX WIND=030KT, OVERLAND.
36H: 2) 01/04 18 UTCTI WWMTS/46.:MAX WIND=020KT, DISSIPATING.
48H: 2007/01/05 06 UTC: 23.4S/46.7E, MAX WIND=020KT, DISSIPATINGBOTHER INFORMATI
ONS:
CLOVIS IS MAKING LADFALL NORTH OF N
ASRCF
IT SHOULD RAPIDLY WEAKEN OC LAND AND DIZOGANIZE DURING OPE
NEXT WWR TO 48 HOATXHREPTISITUATION AT 030600 C
HIGH 1026 HVAH33F8W HIGHEUR HPA 37S49ELFOTI HPE 57S15W LOW 1010 HPA 4S DE LMW
994 HPA 57S3
S
LOW 1008 PA 22S40E SEVERE TROP
STORM(CLOVIS
OIT HPA 20.5S /
48.7E

1/ COLD FRONT:'67?2-8EEKW 45S19W 50S10W 55SUPLW
2. COLD FRONT: 35S15E UFWS28/3)45S38E 50STFTTS43E 58S38E

AREA FORECAST
ASCENSION (06S/15S 00E/20W)
BSE PHLQQ TO 20.
VIS : GOOD.

ANGOLA CKPYS.19=': 00E/ COAST)
WIND : O SW 05 TO 10 BUT SE 10 TO 25 .8, 5'3 23'5.
VCDN : GOOD.
ST HELENA (15XEPS, 00E/20W)
WIND C SE TO E 10 TO 20
VIS : GOOD.

TRADES (15S/30S, 00E/WEST COAST)
WIND : S TO CE 10 TO 20.
VIS : GOOD.
SEA STATE: 3.0ZWITH SW SWELL.

TRISTAN (30S/'(/(),001)26
WIND :8VARIABLPHK TO 10 IN THE EXTREME NORTH, OTHERWISE NW
20 TO 30 BECOMING SW 15 TO 20 IN THE
H-WEST
TOMORROW MORNING.
VIS N IGCOR IN RAIN AND SHOWERS IN THE SOUTH.
SEA STATE: 3.5 TO 4.5M I THE SUTHBN SW SWELL.

CAPE WEST (30S/40/''0+/20E)
WIND :6859 '3,059 20 IN THE NORTH, OTHERWISE NW 20 9
TO 30.
VIS TOD BUH POOR IN RAIN AND SHOWERS IN THE SOUTOPV
SELATE: 2.5 TO 3.5MNVNHHHE SOUTH-WEST, SW SWELLRBZUI EAST (32.5S/40S,28EBBPE)


WIND : E TO NE QT T
IGIN THE EXTREME NORTH, OTHERWISE NW
I H959 2''= '2 15 TO 2',45'023'5)74.
VIS NPGOOD BUT POOR IN RAIN IN THE EXTCHCBT.
SEU JR ZMT TO 3.0M IC GDNEAST, WITH SW ELL.

The decoding is not error-free due to low signal strength.

Other frequencies? Well, I haven't confirmed any other frequencies. I guess 7508 kHz is valid since I have a trace of a Fax transmission yesterday at 2245z.

Conditions are still disturbed and the frequency (18238 kHz) asks for more sunspots and quiet ionosphere! Hope this will happen soon!

"Perfect Paul"

Ionosphere is disturbed again. While browsing New Orleans HF-Fax frequencies, I heard a mechanical male voice dictating weather info. A few clicks were enough to prove that it was New Orleans HF Voice Broadcast service. Here is more info. The mechanical voice is called "Perfect Paul"! I tuned on 8764 kHz and the signal was better. This frequency is assigned on Chesapeake and Pt. Reyes. The transmission started on 2130z according to schedule. Here is a sound sample recorded at 2154z on 8764 kHz. Some Cool Edit witchcraft is applied to make it more pleasuring for your ears.

Teaser: Cape Naval HF-Fax service is still on air. I'm trying to get a good chart for them to post here! Stay tuned!

ZKLF Wellington, New Zealand: Ultimate HF-Fax DX is DONE!

Bring me Honolulu!

Santa brought me a nice present for Xmas on my screen. I proudly present you...

13551 kHz, 1330z 1200 SW PACIFIC MSL PROG H+48

There are no doubts anymore. 17400 km! 17400 km! ...17400 km! 5kW transmitter! A portable radio! Antenna made out of junk!

Here comes another!

5807 kHz, 1400z 1200 SW PACIFIC MSL PROG H+72

And another!

9460 kHz 1415z 1200 SW PACIFIC MSL PROG H+72

This one suffered from BC QRM. 600 Hz above was the carrier of a broadcast station interfering.

...Again the same one transmitted on different frequency...

13551 kHz, 1430z 1200 SW PACIFIC MSL PROG H+72

The next transmission (1445z) was on 3247 kHz, too low for me. OK you can't have everything!

A different chart:

5807 kHz, 1500z 1200 TASMAN - NEW ZEALAND MSL ANAL(YSIS)

(parenthesis added to avoid any misunderstandings. This is a DX blog and nothing more!)

The same chart as above, on the QRMed higher frequency:

9460 kHz, 1515z 1200 TASMAN - NEW ZEALAND MSL ANAL(YSIS)

That's all for now. I hope you're impressed, and not bored! Again, the schedule can be found here.

I'll have to run a VOACAP run for Honolulu. I assume it must be more difficult, not because of distance, but because of the frequencies they use.

The Ultimate HF-Fax DXing

This is the ultimate DX goal for any HF-Fax DXer (well, for those located near my QTH!)

13551 kHz 1434z Wellington, New Zealand. Distance: 17400 km

I decided to give a try and that's what I got! It must be the most distant HF-Fax station from my QTH. Distance-speaking, it is further than Honolulu, but maybe easier, propagation-wise. It is noisy, but it is definitely a fax transmission! The schedule can be found here. It is more detailed than the one found in rfax PDF. The service uses a single transmitter which changes frequency cyclically, as time passes.

OXT Skamlebæk, Denmark Meteo HF-Fax

For a couple of days I was looking for a noiseless reception from Denmark, to present you a decent chart. My major problem is noise for this "nearby" station. The schedule can be found in the Danish Meteorological Institute website, except from the well known rfax PDF publication. The station transmits a CW ID prior the Fax transmission, lasting for 2 minutes. The ID is "CQ DE OXT". Running my notebook on batteries reduces noises a little bit on higher frequencies.

17510 kHz, 1335z

NMG New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Meteo HF-Fax

STANDBY FOR NMG FAX

A 10000 km path opened late this evening from my QTH to the coast of Louisiana, offering the above image (8504 kHz 0000z). While not promising, the next ones are good:

8504 kHz 0115z

And here is the original, from NOAA's National Weather Service:

Not bad for 10000 km travel! And the next one:

8504 kHz, 0125z

Again, the original:

The funny thing is that on the lower frequency, 4318 kHz, Moscow Fax and New Orleans Fax, coexist! Right now (0152z) Moscow is dominant but you can see the black vertical line of New Orlean's transmission! On the other hand, on 8504 kHz things are getting more noisy, (and my eyes more sleepy!) Oh well, I'll wait a little bit to finish receiving this chart and then to my bed!

8504 kHz 0150z

Stay tuned for more Fax & Numbers! Good night!

CFH Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Meteo HF-Fax

The recent solar storm still disturbs the ionosphere but I keep trying DXing Fax stations. Maybe I should rename the blog into HF-Fax-something ! My recent addition is Halifax, which sometimes interferes with E10 numbers station. What defines interference? When listening to PCD on 4270 kHz, Halifax is interference, while when DXing for Halifax, the strong carrier from E10 is interference! Most of my fellow numbers stations fans will probably adopt the first point of view!

Back to subject now: 4271 kHz (among others) is the Halifax HF-Fax service and in between Fax transmissions are RTTY transmissions. More info can be found in the Canadian Coast Guard Internet Site. And here is the image:

4271 kHz 0100z

Not a stunning image but a nice addition to my collection! As the conditions improve, I hope for better ones! By the way, I was browsing old Fax pictures of mine from 2001-2002, when I started playing with shortwave. Compared to nowadays reception quality, then conditions were amazing! Later I may show you later a sample from those images. Then Japan HF-Fax was easy and clear, today is hard (for me at least). Alas, the effect of solar cycle minimum...

Emission for syntony Valparaiso Playa Ancha Radio CBV

A better "tuning aid chart" received today. While this is better than the previous one, still needed image processing (slant fix) and it's not complete. It is obvious I got the final part of the transmitted "chart".

8678 kHz, 2247z

The following transmissions were noisy so I didn't uploaded any of them. Again it is a stormy day, we had 2 X-ray flares within 20 hours.

3-day Solar-Geophysical Forecast issued Dec 14 at 22:00UTC

Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be moderate to high. Isolated X-class flares from Region 930 remains a possibility.

Geophysical Activity Forecast: The geomagnetic field is expected to range from active to major storm levels for 15 December. This activity is due to the CME observed on 13 December. Unsettled to active conditions are expected for 16 and 17 December.

That's not a promising forecast... It really discourages me from hunting other HF-Fax transmission from distant places... But right now I have Louisiana... Stay tuned...

New images from downbelow

Here are more images from CBV Valparaiso, Chile HF-Fax service. The quality is not stunning but remember, these traveled 13500 km under stormy weather! (Another X-ray flare occurred today, magnitude X3.4).

The frequency was 8677 kHz (-1.9 kHz if you use USB, as myself) and the time was 2210-2341z

8677 kHz, 2220z and 2241z



8677 kHz, 2310z and 2331z

The last one obviously is a sat image. The fact that the third picture is the best is in par with VOACAP's prediction of maximum SNR at 2300z. Impressing!

VMW Wiluna Australia Meteo HF-Fax : New image!

18060 kHz 0943z (left), actual (right).

For your convenience I present you side-by-side my received image vs. the original one found at this page. I rotated the original so you don't have to turn your head! Luckily the image found there is the one sent this morning.

HLL2 Seoul Meteo HF-Fax

As mentioned in my previous post, I managed to log Seoul Meteo HF-Fax transmission. The chart depicted below started at 0714z on 13570 kHz. I also got a couple of other charts, but this one is the less noisy. You can identify the Korean Peninsula if you turn your head towards your left shoulder!

13570 kHz 0714z

I hope my images encourage you to try DXing these stations. My setup is really simple and you can see the results it can achieve!

CBV Valparaiso Chile Meteo HF-Fax

This evening I decided to hunt for other Fax transmissions. I got Seoul and Chile! I tuned to 8677kHz at 2308z just in time to let the station introduces itself! Lucky me!

8677 kHz 2308z

The original decoded image was slanted, but I did my magic by simple image processing! Distance from me is about 12500 km. The farthest HF-Fax image I have! That's real DX!

VMW Wiluna Australia Meteo HF-Fax

A quick VOACAP run indicated that around 1000z it is a good time to check for HF-Fax transmissions from Australia. I tuned my receiver to 18060 kHz and got four charts. I can't say I'm impressed with the quality of the reception, but at least it is possible, and my decoding software manages to recognize the beginning and end of the charts.

The best one is presented below. According to schedule, it is supposed to be "S.H. 500 hPa Prog (H+48) Valid 0000". You can find how the original chart looks like in the same web page. Unfortunately, the current chart isn't available online, only an older one.

18060 kHz 1032z

Wiluna is located at 26° 35' S, 120° 13' E, about 12000 km from me! Not a bad signal for such long path! Boston is about 8000 km, so it must be the most distant Fax image in my blog!

NMF Boston Meteo HF-Fax

The sun storm continues, but the whole Earth is covering ionosphere in my part of the world. Sunlit regions of Earth are affected, and luckily it is night now.

For some reason I have a "decent" propagation path from here to Massachusetts and I can copy Boston Meteo Fax also on 9110 kHz (9108 kHz on my dial, you know, just subtract 1.9 kHz from the listed frequency!)

Reception on 9110 kHz is just a little better than 6339 kHz, so I parked my receiver there for some time. Here is a sample chart:

9110 kHz 2140z

And a chart depicting a satellite image:

9110 kHz 2151z

It is amazing that someone can receive signals from across the world, signals which travel in an unpredictable medium!