Re: [IRCA] Chile logged on 518 kHz

[Bruce Portzer <bportzer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim

I've been DXing NAVTEX off and on for a couple of years.  Best catch so 
far is Sandakan, Malaysia during a DXpedition to Grayland, WA.  At 
Grayland I've also heard Japan, Russia, Korea, Taiwan, and China several 
times, and Guam once.  From home, I've found Kodiak to be a very 
prolific source of weather material for the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, 
Arctic Ocean, Aleutian Islands, etc.  I can also hear Tofino, Astoria, 
Prince Rupert, San Francisco, and Long Beach regularly, and sometimes 
Honolulu, New Orleans, Miami, and San Juan. 

The "content" can be interesting at times, dealing with stuff like naval 
exercises (areas to avoid), storms, capsized ships, maritime hazards, etc.

There's a gold mine of Navtex information at 
http://www.beaconworld.org.uk/navtex.htm

Bruce in Seattle

Jim Renfrew wrote:
> Jim Renfrew, Holley NY
> Drake R8B, longwires
>
> Yes, slightly off-topic for MW enthusiasts, but read on!
>
> With help from Bill Hepburn I've been learning to use DSC Decoder and 
> SeaTTY software to decode NAVTEX transmissions on 518 kHz during the 
> last several days.  The DSC software is availble on a 21 day trial and 
> SeaTTY is shareware.  Once you get the hang of it it is possible to 
> get marine weather in text form.  The only hardware needed is a 
> regular audio cable between the Drake's line out and the computer's 
> line in.
>
> A nice feature is that I can tune my radio to 519.09 LSB, go do other 
> things, and the text appears as a digest to be reviewed later.  SeaTTY 
> is lbrings in a lot of corrupt text, but seems to capture a lot more 
> than the DSC program.  However the DSC program when it hits is in much 
> more readible form.
>
> Stations heard so far include:
>
> Cheapeake VA
> Boston MA
> Miami FL
> Sydney NS
> Labrador NL
> Wiarton ON
> New Orleans LA
> Sept-Iles QC
> San Francisco CA
> Saint John NB
> Savannah GA
>
> This evening I was really pleased to receive fragmentary text messages 
> from stations in Nuuk, Greenland and Magallenes, Chile.  While not 
> strictly MW, I find it fascinating that Greenland and Chile can be 
> heard on the edge of the MW band from western NY.  It appears that the 
> Chile reception is even further south than Bill's Puerto Mott 
> reception of a few days ago.

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