Getting Australian Weather Information

Daryl & Kerren from Coffin Bay write,
When out of range of both VHF and mobile, how to get weather info? Am looking at a reasonably priced SSB HF receiver hooked to the laptop. Was looking at satphone but think it would work out pretty expansive. What would you recommend?
Cheers, Daryl & Kerren

HF Marine Radio Services (Voice and Fax)

The Bureau of Meteorology broadcasts its marine weather radio services for high seas and Australian coastal areas from transmitters at Charleville in Queensland and Wiluna in Western Australia. Identifiers are VMC (for services from Charleville) and VMW (for services from Wiluna). The weather broadcasts are fully automated; therefore a ship cannot call up the BOM on “VMC” or “VMW” and expect a response.

Frequencies – Weather Services via Voice :

Station Day Time (kHz) 7 am to 6 pm Night Time (kHz) 6 pm to 7 am
VMC 4426, 8176, 12365, 16546 2201, 6507, 8176, 12365
VMW 4149, 8113, 12362, 16528 2056, 6230, 8113, 12362

 

Marine Radio Coastal Waters Forecasts and Warnings Schedule

VMC and VMW voice broadcast schedules provide for bulletins of Warnings broadcast on the hour in WST and EST (on the half hour CST).  Weather forecasts for Coastal Waters and High Seas followed by coastal observations are broadcast using a program that is repeated every four hours. The program contains up-to-date forecasts, warnings and coastal observations.

Location
Station
Scheduled Broadcast times
Warnings for QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS and SA
VMC
Every hour commencing 0000 EST (0030 CST)
Warnings for QLD Gulf, NT, WA and SA
VMW
Every hour commencing 0000 WST (0030 CST)
Special Announcements
VMW/VMC
Five minutes to every hour (25 minutes after the hour CST)
Forecasts for Queensland
VMC
0330, 0730, 1130, 1530, 1930, 2330 EST
Forecasts for Queensland Gulf Waters
VMW
0030, 0430, 0830, 1230, 1630, 2030 EST
Forecasts for New South Wales
VMC
0130, 0530, 0930, 1330, 1730, 2130 EST
Forecasts for Victoria
VMC
0130, 0530, 0930, 1330, 1730, 2130 EST
Forecasts for Tasmania
VMC
0230, 0630, 1030, 1430, 1830, 2230 EST
Forecasts for South Australia
VMC
0200, 0600, 1000, 1400, 1800, 2200 CST
VMW
0300, 0700, 1100, 1500, 1900, 2300 CST
Forecasts for Western Australia
VMW
0030, 0430, 0830, 1230, 1630, 2030 WST
Forecasts for Northern Territory
VMW
0300, 0700, 1100, 1500, 1900, 2300 CST
Northern Territory coast east of Cape Don
VMC
0300, 0700, 1100, 1500, 1900, 2300 CST

High Seas Forecasts and Warnings Schedule

Location
Station
Scheduled broadcast times
Warnings for Northern, NE and SE Areas
VMC
Every hour commencing 0000 EST (0030 CST)
Warnings for Northern, Western and SE Areas
VMW
Every hour commencing 0000 WST (0030 CST)
Special Announcements
VMW/VMC
Five Minutes to every hour (25 minutes after the hour

Radio Fax Schedule: VMC & VMW

Either a HF weather fax machine is required, or you can use an HF SSB receiver coupled to a laptop that has a decoder program using the external speaker outlet to microphone plug.  On Banyandah, we use  JVComm32. This produces black and white faxes and weather charts pretty much automatically once it is setup.

Schedule updated 1 July 2017
Schedule | Frequencies and technical details: VMC (Charleville) – VMW (Wiluna)

Time (UTC) Description of Item and Current Chart
0000* Indian Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0015 VMC/VMW Schedule – 2 pages
0045 VMC/VMW Broadcast Information
0100 Recommended Frequencies for VMC (Charleville) – 3 pages
0131 Recommended Frequencies for VMW (Wiluna) – 3 pages
0203 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+36) Valid 0000
0245 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0300 Australian Primary Swell Waves Forecast (H+24) Valid 0000
0315 Voice Broadcast Information for VMC and VMW
0345* Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0400 South Pacific Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0430 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure 4-day forecast – 2 pages
0500* Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure 4-day forecast – 2 pages
0600 Asian (Area A) Gradient Level Wind Analysis Valid 0000
0623 Asian (Area B) Gradient Level Wind Analysis Valid 0000
0645 Asian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0730 Indian Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0745 Australian Total Wave Height and Direction Forecast (H+24) Valid 0000
0800 Australian Primary Swell Waves Forecast (H+24) Valid 0000
0830 South Pacific Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0845 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0600
0900 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+36) Valid 0000
0915 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure 4-day forecast – 2 pages
1015 Southern Ocean Total Wave Height and Direction (H+24) valid 0000
1030 Indian Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
1045 Southern Hemisphere Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+48) Valid 0000
1100 Southern Ocean Total Wave Height and Direction (H+36) valid 0000
1115 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0600
1130 Asian Sea Surface Temperature Analysis
1145 VMC/VMW Information Notice
1200 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+36) Valid 1200
1215 VMC/VMW Schedule – 2 pages
1245 Indian Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+36) Valid 1200
1315 South Pacific Ocean Total Waves (H+48) Valid 0000
1330 Indian Ocean Total Waves (H+48) Valid 0000
1345 Pacific Ocean Sea Surface Temperatures
1400 Indian Ocean Sea Surface Temperatures
1415 Southern Ocean Total Wave Height and Direction (H+48) valid 0000
1430 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 1200
1500 Australian Primary Swell Waves Forecast (H+24) Valid 0000
1515 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+36) Valid 1200
1530 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure 4-day forecast – 2 pages
1600 Asian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
1630 Recommended Frequencies for VMC (Charleville) – 3 pages
1701 Recommended Frequencies for VMW (Wiluna) – 3 pages
1800 Asian (Area A) Gradient Level Wind Analysis Valid 1200
1823 Asian (Area B) Gradient Level Wind Analysis Valid 1200
1915 Indian Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
1930 Australian Total Wave Height and Direction Forecast (H+24) Valid 1200
1945 Australian Primary Swell Waves Height Forecast (H+24) Valid 1200
2000 South Pacific Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
2015 Southern Ocean Total Wave Height and Direction (H+24) valid 0000
2030 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis (Manual) Valid 1800
2215 Southern Ocean Total Wave Height and Direction (H+36) valid 0000
2230 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure 4-day forecast, Days 1 and 2
2245 Southern Hemisphere Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+48) Valid 1200
2300 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure 4-day forecast, Days 3 and 4
2315 Southern Ocean Total Wave Height and Direction (H+48) valid 0000
2330 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+36) Valid 0000
2345 Indian Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Forecast (H+48) Valid 1200
*The following charts are repeat broadcasts on 11030 kHz only via a directional aerial pointing from Charleville (VMC) towards Tasmania.
0000 Indian Ocean Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0345 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure Analysis Valid 0000
0500 Australian Mean Sea Level Pressure 4-day forecast – 2 pages

Technical Specifications

Call signs, frequencies and broadcast times Call SignVMC Frequency kHz2628
5100
11030
13920
20469
Broadcast
(UTC)
0900-1900
0000-2400
0000-2400
0000-2400
1900-0900

 

Call signs, frequencies and broadcast times Call SignVMW Frequency kHz5755
7535
10555
15615
18060
Broadcast
(UTC)
1100-2100
0000-2400
0000-2400
0000-2400
2100-1100

Comments

Getting Australian Weather Information — 4 Comments

  1. Hi, does anyone know if you can use an ipad instead of a laptop when wanting to receive weather faxes via SSB, as long as it has a decoder programme? I have neither but it would seem to be the cheaper option if it was possible. Any ideas on that please?

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