So I have a laptop and a receiver (Yaesu) that covers the frequencies
from 2 Mhz to 30 Mhz. What kind of black box and software do I need to
display weather fax maps on my laptop screen ?

I want to use that on my 26' trailerable boat during a cruise, it will
not be a permanent installation.

Thanks in advance,
Klaus

For starters, ask around locally. IIRC, we didn't have terribly good
luck with Australian weatherfax crossing the Tasman -- I don't
remember why, but my memory is that it wasn't useful. We did use
weatherfax across the Pacific and the Atlantic, so it probably wasn't
our installation that was the problem. That was in 1997, so it may be
different now.

For equipment, at the low end, a demodulator that plugs into the
headphone jack on the receiver and into the serial port on your laptop
and software to run it. West sells one for US$200+, but there are
others, cheaper (do a Web Search -- I don't know about Oz vendors).
This will do fine if you're relatively close to the transmitter (100s
of miles) and have limited needs.

It's also possible to plug the headphone output into the sound card on
your computer, with suitable software -- I've never used this, but I
suspect the bandwidth is fairly low.

At the high end, a demodulator that uses a PCMCIA slot, a USB, or a
parallel port on the computer (much higher data rate, hence better
detail) and some sort of image processing program (Corel PhotoPaint,
Adobe PhotoShop, etc.). Fairly sophisticated image processing is
helpful when you're getting a fair amount of static with your image --
it can pull a usable picture out of a mess.

Make sure you have a good antenna installation. SSB transceivers have
sophisticated antenna tuners which make the antenna look like a
different length when you change bands. I don't think the antenna on
the radio will do the job so you'll probably need insulators in the
backstay. A good antenna also includes a good ground -- at radio
frequencies, this is not just a wire, but a copper strip maybe 4" wide
going down to your keel (if the keel is outside the glass) or a large
area of copper screen just inside the glass below the waterline.
Bonding all the metal on board, including life lines, rail, prop
shaft, engine, and keel, will help and is a good idea for other
reasons. For starters, you'll know you're in reasonable shape when
you can hear a really solid signal from the weatherfax station of your
choice -- it's a very characteristic sound as it scans across the
page.

Operate the rig a number of times ashore before you set out. As you
probably know, the faxes come only a few times a day and the computer
has to be set up and running before the transmission starts -- I
wouldn't count on using the computer for anything else while it's
receiving one.

Also look to your electrical system -- you'll have to run the receiver
and computer while receiving, and, if you want to set it up to receive
while you're sleeping, even longer. This may tax the battery on a 26'
boat.

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com


Klaus wrote in message ...
So I have a laptop and a receiver (Yaesu) that covers the frequencies
from 2 Mhz to 30 Mhz. What kind of black box and software do I need to
display weather fax maps on my laptop screen ?

I want to use that on my 26' trailerable boat during a cruise, it will
not be a permanent installation.

Thanks in advance,
Klaus

Thanks Jim, for you very informative reply. I will do some more research on the lines you suggested.
Klaus

Jim Woodward wrote:

For starters, ask around locally. IIRC, we didn't have terribly good
luck with Australian weatherfax crossing the Tasman -- I don't
remember why, but my memory is that it wasn't useful. We did use
weatherfax across the Pacific and the Atlantic, so it probably wasn't
our installation that was the problem. That was in 1997, so it may be
different now.

For equipment, at the low end, a demodulator that plugs into the
headphone jack on the receiver and into the serial port on your laptop
and software to run it. West sells one for US$200+, but there are
others, cheaper (do a Web Search -- I don't know about Oz vendors).
This will do fine if you're relatively close to the transmitter (100s
of miles) and have limited needs.

It's also possible to plug the headphone output into the sound card on
your computer, with suitable software -- I've never used this, but I
suspect the bandwidth is fairly low.

At the high end, a demodulator that uses a PCMCIA slot, a USB, or a
parallel port on the computer (much higher data rate, hence better
detail) and some sort of image processing program (Corel PhotoPaint,
Adobe PhotoShop, etc.). Fairly sophisticated image processing is
helpful when you're getting a fair amount of static with your image --
it can pull a usable picture out of a mess.

Make sure you have a good antenna installation. SSB transceivers have
sophisticated antenna tuners which make the antenna look like a
different length when you change bands. I don't think the antenna on
the radio will do the job so you'll probably need insulators in the
backstay. A good antenna also includes a good ground -- at radio
frequencies, this is not just a wire, but a copper strip maybe 4" wide
going down to your keel (if the keel is outside the glass) or a large
area of copper screen just inside the glass below the waterline.
Bonding all the metal on board, including life lines, rail, prop
shaft, engine, and keel, will help and is a good idea for other
reasons. For starters, you'll know you're in reasonable shape when
you can hear a really solid signal from the weatherfax station of your
choice -- it's a very characteristic sound as it scans across the
page.

Operate the rig a number of times ashore before you set out. As you
probably know, the faxes come only a few times a day and the computer
has to be set up and running before the transmission starts -- I
wouldn't count on using the computer for anything else while it's
receiving one.

Also look to your electrical system -- you'll have to run the receiver
and computer while receiving, and, if you want to set it up to receive
while you're sleeping, even longer. This may tax the battery on a 26'
boat.

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

Klaus wrote in message ...
So I have a laptop and a receiver (Yaesu) that covers the frequencies
from 2 Mhz to 30 Mhz. What kind of black box and software do I need to
display weather fax maps on my laptop screen ?

I want to use that on my 26' trailerable boat during a cruise, it will
not be a permanent installation.

Thanks in advance,
Klaus

Klaus, Jim's advice is sound for a SSB install, but a good antenna for your
little installation is to simply run a wire from the receiver's antenna
connection to a convenient point somewhere on the standing rigging. I use a
stout alligator clip to the backstay or backstay chain plate. Make a great
RECEIVE antenna! You don't need to isolate the backstay with insulators for
a receive antenna.....as you've got a damn elaborate high performance
RECEIVE antenna with all of the standing rigging as it is!

My receiver lights up like a Christmas tree on ALL bands. While in the
MARINA, however, there is so much stray current floating around that the
noise level is s-9 PLUS......but out away from the marina it's pretty
amazing. Keep this in mind during your testing.

You might try a ground to keel bolts, inboard engine, tanks, or whatever
....to improve performance, but on my present boat, a MacGregor 26x (with no
seawater or capacitive ground at all,) it still works very well.

The BEST performance I've ever seen for a receive-only antenna was on my old
keelboat....with the standing rigging (mast) solidly grounded to the keel
bolts. This is the most quiet (as far as noise) antenna for HF receive I've
ever played with. Many short-wave listeners use this trick on land as well.

BTW....I've not tried any of them, but I hear there are some FREEWARE
soundcard weatherfax programs out there you may want to search around
for.......

Fair winds......Joe
S/V "South of 80"
Charlestown, MD

"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
For starters, ask around locally. IIRC, we didn't have terribly good
luck with Australian weatherfax crossing the Tasman -- I don't
remember why, but my memory is that it wasn't useful. We did use
weatherfax across the Pacific and the Atlantic, so it probably wasn't
our installation that was the problem. That was in 1997, so it may be
different now.

For equipment, at the low end, a demodulator that plugs into the
headphone jack on the receiver and into the serial port on your laptop
and software to run it. West sells one for US$200+, but there are
others, cheaper (do a Web Search -- I don't know about Oz vendors).
This will do fine if you're relatively close to the transmitter (100s
of miles) and have limited needs.

It's also possible to plug the headphone output into the sound card on
your computer, with suitable software -- I've never used this, but I
suspect the bandwidth is fairly low.

At the high end, a demodulator that uses a PCMCIA slot, a USB, or a
parallel port on the computer (much higher data rate, hence better
detail) and some sort of image processing program (Corel PhotoPaint,
Adobe PhotoShop, etc.). Fairly sophisticated image processing is
helpful when you're getting a fair amount of static with your image --
it can pull a usable picture out of a mess.

Make sure you have a good antenna installation. SSB transceivers have
sophisticated antenna tuners which make the antenna look like a
different length when you change bands. I don't think the antenna on
the radio will do the job so you'll probably need insulators in the
backstay. A good antenna also includes a good ground -- at radio
frequencies, this is not just a wire, but a copper strip maybe 4" wide
going down to your keel (if the keel is outside the glass) or a large
area of copper screen just inside the glass below the waterline.
Bonding all the metal on board, including life lines, rail, prop
shaft, engine, and keel, will help and is a good idea for other
reasons. For starters, you'll know you're in reasonable shape when
you can hear a really solid signal from the weatherfax station of your
choice -- it's a very characteristic sound as it scans across the
page.

Operate the rig a number of times ashore before you set out. As you
probably know, the faxes come only a few times a day and the computer
has to be set up and running before the transmission starts -- I
wouldn't count on using the computer for anything else while it's
receiving one.

Also look to your electrical system -- you'll have to run the receiver
and computer while receiving, and, if you want to set it up to receive
while you're sleeping, even longer. This may tax the battery on a 26'
boat.

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com


Klaus wrote in message
...
So I have a laptop and a receiver (Yaesu) that covers the frequencies
from 2 Mhz to 30 Mhz. What kind of black box and software do I need to
display weather fax maps on my laptop screen ?

I want to use that on my 26' trailerable boat during a cruise, it will
not be a permanent installation.

Thanks in advance,
Klaus

I'm not sure I understand. You got good antenna performance with the
antenna wire connected to the standing rigging and the mast solidly
grounded to the keel (as it should be)? That goes against all I know
about radio -- that antenna is antenna and ground is ground and they
must be separate. I might go so far as to suggest that if your
standing rigging works well as an antenna that it's not well grounded
and is therefore asking for trouble with lightning.

Keep in mind as well that weatherfax is not voice radio. Many of the
voice stations on MF radio operate with large power and directional
antennas to make them heard in specific areas. Weatherfax stations
tend to be lower power and broad antenna patterns. Hearing lots of
voices on MF doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to recieve good
weatherfax.

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"JAD" wrote in message ...
Klaus, Jim's advice is sound for a SSB install, but a good antenna for your
little installation is to simply run a wire from the receiver's antenna
connection to a convenient point somewhere on the standing rigging. I use a
stout alligator clip to the backstay or backstay chain plate. Make a great
RECEIVE antenna! You don't need to isolate the backstay with insulators for
a receive antenna.....as you've got a damn elaborate high performance
RECEIVE antenna with all of the standing rigging as it is!

My receiver lights up like a Christmas tree on ALL bands. While in the
MARINA, however, there is so much stray current floating around that the
noise level is s-9 PLUS......but out away from the marina it's pretty
amazing. Keep this in mind during your testing.

You might try a ground to keel bolts, inboard engine, tanks, or whatever
...to improve performance, but on my present boat, a MacGregor 26x (with no
seawater or capacitive ground at all,) it still works very well.

The BEST performance I've ever seen for a receive-only antenna was on my old
keelboat....with the standing rigging (mast) solidly grounded to the keel
bolts. This is the most quiet (as far as noise) antenna for HF receive I've
ever played with. Many short-wave listeners use this trick on land as well.

BTW....I've not tried any of them, but I hear there are some FREEWARE
soundcard weatherfax programs out there you may want to search around
for.......

Fair winds......Joe
S/V "South of 80"
Charlestown, MD

"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
For starters, ask around locally. IIRC, we didn't have terribly good
luck with Australian weatherfax crossing the Tasman -- I don't
remember why, but my memory is that it wasn't useful. We did use
weatherfax across the Pacific and the Atlantic, so it probably wasn't
our installation that was the problem. That was in 1997, so it may be
different now.

For equipment, at the low end, a demodulator that plugs into the
headphone jack on the receiver and into the serial port on your laptop
and software to run it. West sells one for US$200+, but there are
others, cheaper (do a Web Search -- I don't know about Oz vendors).
This will do fine if you're relatively close to the transmitter (100s
of miles) and have limited needs.

It's also possible to plug the headphone output into the sound card on
your computer, with suitable software -- I've never used this, but I
suspect the bandwidth is fairly low.

At the high end, a demodulator that uses a PCMCIA slot, a USB, or a
parallel port on the computer (much higher data rate, hence better
detail) and some sort of image processing program (Corel PhotoPaint,
Adobe PhotoShop, etc.). Fairly sophisticated image processing is
helpful when you're getting a fair amount of static with your image --
it can pull a usable picture out of a mess.

Make sure you have a good antenna installation. SSB transceivers have
sophisticated antenna tuners which make the antenna look like a
different length when you change bands. I don't think the antenna on
the radio will do the job so you'll probably need insulators in the
backstay. A good antenna also includes a good ground -- at radio
frequencies, this is not just a wire, but a copper strip maybe 4" wide
going down to your keel (if the keel is outside the glass) or a large
area of copper screen just inside the glass below the waterline.
Bonding all the metal on board, including life lines, rail, prop
shaft, engine, and keel, will help and is a good idea for other
reasons. For starters, you'll know you're in reasonable shape when
you can hear a really solid signal from the weatherfax station of your
choice -- it's a very characteristic sound as it scans across the
page.

Operate the rig a number of times ashore before you set out. As you
probably know, the faxes come only a few times a day and the computer
has to be set up and running before the transmission starts -- I
wouldn't count on using the computer for anything else while it's
receiving one.

Also look to your electrical system -- you'll have to run the receiver
and computer while receiving, and, if you want to set it up to receive
while you're sleeping, even longer. This may tax the battery on a 26'
boat.

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com


Klaus wrote in message
...
So I have a laptop and a receiver (Yaesu) that covers the frequencies
from 2 Mhz to 30 Mhz. What kind of black box and software do I need to
display weather fax maps on my laptop screen ?

I want to use that on my 26' trailerable boat during a cruise, it will
not be a permanent installation.

Thanks in advance,
Klaus

Software such as JVcomm will probably do the job for you. You can get a
demo version of the software from http://www.jvcomm.de/indexe.html
The software utilizes the soundcard to receive fax transmissions. The demo
version will imprint "demo" on the received faxes, but other than that
works well.

I had problems with JVcomm stair-stepping the faxes and could never get it
resolved. I now use the SailMail companion program GetFax, but that
requires a Pactor HF modem which is probably overkill for you at $800.

-- Geoff

Klaus wrote in news:3F39F8C3.C392DD12
@curtin.edu.au:

So I have a laptop and a receiver (Yaesu) that covers the frequencies
from 2 Mhz to 30 Mhz. What kind of black box and software do I need to
display weather fax maps on my laptop screen ?

I want to use that on my 26' trailerable boat during a cruise, it will
not be a permanent installation.

Thanks in advance,
Klaus