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!

E10 blooper

E10 is one of the most common numbers stations in the HF spectrum. Despite the large number of transmissions, usually they make no mistakes. Well, most of the time. Today, while listening on 3150 kHz at 1900z (a "hot" PCD slot) suddenly the operator switched for some seconds from "PCD2" to "ULX2". Here is a recording of the event. And these days, they start late, about 1 minute late! Maybe is the "New Year's Eve hangover effect"!

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!