WeatherFax2000 & SANGEAN ATS 909?

[bhcva]

Is anyone using the subject software/hardware?

Thanks,
Bruce

[camaraderie]

Here's a bunch of user reviews on the radio.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/542

I've used the software and it works fine. Since the fax's from my YB400 at the time were pretty noisy...I really appreciated the ability to pull in the Navtex forecasts which were a lot easier to interpert!
If I were starting out today I might give this software a try since you can download it and it is only $35 bucks after the 30 day trial:
http://www.download.com/SeaTTY/3000-...ml?tag=lst-0-2

[bhcva]

Thanks....I have both the radio and the software and have been unable to make it work. I'd like to find someone who has successfully used this package. I'm not getting much help from xaxero except to suggest that I buy a filter. Any input would be appreciated. The radio seems to be bringing in the signals just fine.

If I had a sound card, I'd try your suggested package. Actually the wefax2000 now works with a sound card also.

Bruce

[camaraderie]

Bruce...your PC or laptop doesn't have a microphone input? If it does then you have a sound card. If you do have the necessary input..then you can try the Seatty software free trial and determine whether the problem exists there as well. If it does...then you are probably just tuning in a weak and noisey fax signal OR doing something wrong. The radio with the EXTENDED wire antenna rather than the built in one should get you a usable signal. Sounds like a chirping bird when you're tuned right.

[svsirius]

i have the weather fax 2000 sound card edition and use it with my ssb. works great. you have to make sure the levels are correct but other than that no issues.

[soul searcher]

I use weather fax 2000 also the one thing that they dont get into much is volume the volume nob on the radio and probably on your mic is almost as important as the fine tuning. play with the volume some and see if it doesnt help. I have a Icom 710 and it has a speaker off/on button you can turn the speaker off and crank up the volume. with out having to listen to it then just tune. You are stepping down 1.9 right. like new orleans on 4317.9 is recieved on 4316.0
Night time Is better and if your in a marine with alot of other sailboats it degrades the signal. can you get an external antenna for that little radio? and how are you getting the signal from the radio to the computer?

hope this helps
Matt

[bhcva]

Thanks to Camaraderie, SVSirius, Soul Searcher (fellow caliber owner).

I do indeed have a mic input and a line input on the desktop...big slap to the forhead! I have downloaded the Seatty software and tried without success with that software and my extended (25' antenna) without luck. I've fiddled with all the knobs and settings in the software that seem to make no difference. I get a major spike at about the 1000 mark on the scale, but no second spike...does that tell anyone anything?

I believe dialing 1.9 below freq is the same as hitting the LSB button on the radio??...I've tried both and neither are getting me the profile shown in the SEATTY manual.

I thought I'd try to string a longer antenna...can I just wire one to the whip vice the nice plug-in arrangement on my current external wire?

Are any of you using a noise filter?...that's all the advice I could squeeze out of Xaxero.

Thanks to all.

Bruce

[soul searcher]

Bruce,
first get a copy of this. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf
Read through the first pages. that explains freqs and times
depending on where you are you need to pick a freq that matches.
generaly the closer to the station you are the lower the freq. 8 and 4 megs seem to work the best for the gulf coast.
usb and lsb are different. stay on usb and tune down. If you can here the transmission like Cam said a bird cherping then it probably isnt the radio. also new orleans gives the high seas forcast in voice. look in the book that came with wxfx 2000 and look at the examples of the tuning scope. the higher you keep the fuzzy line in the box the better. as far as noise filters go try running the radio on its batteries that should elimanate some noise.
hope this helps
Matt
P.S. don't forget to pump up the volume

[EscapadeCaliber40LRC]

Bruce - I have the same setup as Soul Searcher - Weatherfax 2000 and the icom 710. I pick up the East coast transmittions in Puerto Rico with no problem. I picked them up in Florida and received them all the way down as I migrated south last year. Can't recall all the frequencies 4316, 8X 12X. but I also hit the signel 1.9 below. Chris Parker has an expanded section of his weather book that deals with this stuff pretty thoroughly. My weatherfax software and hardware set up worked fine, from the getgo using an audio interface plug set up that I klugged together.

[bhcva]

In messing around this morning I discovered that dialing the 1.9 below AND using the USB selection did the trick. I thought maybe my radio was wacky, but got the note from Matt referencing USB after my discovery and was pleased that all is normal and I am a great deal more educated.

I do have a question re NAVTEX...is the dialing strategy the same or just straight 518 with no sideband? Also, does anyone have an accurate schedule of xmsns? I have a least three and none seem to be correct. Or...I am too far here in Central VA from any of the transmitters??

Also discovered that running a 70-80 foot external line to my built in whip was no better than the 25 foot external plug in antenna run outside up to the second floor. The pictures are somewhat blurry so I guess I need to look further into a noise filter. Plugging the radio into my laptop creates a fair bit of static on the radio which can't be good. I haven't tried the batteries-only suggestion yet, but hearing the static when I plug into the laptop seems to say the problem is coming from the laptop rather than the radio's AC power.

Thanks to all for the help.

Bruce