Receiving HF Weather FAX Using An RTL SDR Receiver

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Here I show you how I received a weather FAX using an RTL SDR receiver from NooElec and which software I used.
SDR CONSOLE V3 : www.sdr-radio.com
SeaTTY: www.dxsoft.com/en/products/seatty
UK Only, see above for US: NooElec Ham it up: amzn.to/2GiA0JS
More info here:
www.hfunderground.com/wiki/Ma...

[@Verklunkenzwiebel]

I've actually worked with a wet paper fax in the 70's. The wet paper sits between a fixed metal edge, and a rotating 'screw' much like in a push lawnmower. This coil spins in the cadence of the signal. Every blip in the signal caused an electric spark between the coil and the edge. As the wet paper roll was in between, a black dot would appear on the spot where the spark happened. once the coil wat at end-of-line, the paper would scroll up a tiny bit, and the next line started. All very mechanical and very analog, but it worked like a charm

[@Zothaqqua]

I currently pick these up while at sea by putting my little Tecsun shortwave radio next to my mast (an 8m aluminium tube) and getting my phone to listen to the output using its microphone. The "HF Weather Fax" Android app decodes. I'm hoping that I might be able to make an automated Weather Fax receiver with an SDR dongle and a low power device like a Raspberry Pi Pico.

[@sailorjim7115]

Good info thanks!

[@TechMindsOfficial]

You’re welcome :)

[@nobody1841]

That was quick. Im still waiting on my dongle. This sailboat has an isolated ssb antennae built into the stays that Im hoping to connect onto. Im in Florida and assume I can get the transciever numbers from our area.

[@egavasnai]

At what times do they broadcast their weather fax, is it on the hour every hour, every 30 minutes or just once a day etc?

[@dulls8475]

Which antenna and which SDR do i buy to give me the marine HF frequencies? Thanks for your great vids.

[@Verklunkenzwiebel]

Question: I am getting some signal in, but not quite cigar. Using SDR# on a V4 dongle, what modulation, exact frequency, and if CW is used what BFO (CW-shift) do you use?

[@sp0ttybug]

If I get signal where can I know what is the frequecy that is used for ? Does radio reference contains all frequency data ? If anyone know which website can I refer It will be helpful

[@drmisfit]

theres tw0 downloads USA1 & USA2 does it mattere which one

[@alighassan1269]

Can we get images from eumsat ?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Good question! Well, I am currently working on some videos which cover how to receive data from various types of satellites, but I’m stalled at the moment as I need to build some specially tuned antennas. Once complete I’ll document in a video. Thanks for watching! Matt

[@Roter_Wolf]

Is this also possible with the nooelec nesdr Mini?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I believe the mini has a lower frequency of around 25mhz which it could not receive HF Fax on its own. You would need the Ham It Up UP-Converter in-line with the antenna in order to receive the required frequencies for HF fax.

[@tourdumondiste1]

Hi, I'm a newbie in the radio station listening. How do you manage to locate the origin of the signal? Thanks a lot. 73 from France

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I guess it’s just research using Google. Can’t really get a direction unless you use a yagi, but if you type the frequency into google, you may get some results.

[@royhopkins974]

Link for fax decoding software?

[@yarpenzigrin1893]

Download Open CPN and install a weatherfax plugin.

[@LaMouleQuiCoule]

I dont understand how you feed seatty?

[@annax5212]

Vcable

[@simonemastroianni1985]

You could use two methods. You could use a program called VBcable, or you could use a phisical cable connected from the output of the computer to the microphone line

[@jasonbrodbeck]

What about the USA

[@colingill9317]

I can only receive this using USB rather than NFM, is that right?? Cheers Col

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Yep, HF Weather fax is USB. Only the NOAA Weather satellites use WFM

[@colingill9317]

@@TechMindsOfficial Thanks I think I watched another tutorial from somewhere which said it was nfm and 4khz wide, cheers for the reply, thanks.

[@colingill9317]

Sorry to sound real dump but iss is that nfm, and is the width 20khz, cheers mate

[@eXpeditous]

Was this a USB or an LSB?

[@airworldpremium4472]

yes

[@Captlucpicard]

title show and say RTL receiver. you didnt provide any information about it. wrong title...

[@TechMindsOfficial]

The term RTL-SDR refers to a device using RTL2832u, r820t2 chipset. The device used in this video uses that chipset. The title is correct. Thanks for watching and if you need help with anything please feel free to ask.

[@crapisnice]

to decode use OPEN CPN PLUGIN opencpn.org/OpenCPN/plugins/weatherfax.html