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 | Scheduled Broadcast times | |
| Warnings for QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS and SA | Every hour commencing 0000 EST (0030 CST) | |
| Warnings for QLD Gulf, NT, WA and SA | Every hour commencing 0000 WST (0030 CST) | |
| Special Announcements | Five minutes to every hour (25 minutes after the hour CST) | |
| Forecasts for Queensland | 0330, 0730, 1130, 1530, 1930, 2330 EST | |
| Forecasts for Queensland Gulf Waters | 0030, 0430, 0830, 1230, 1630, 2030 EST | |
| Forecasts for New South Wales | 0130, 0530, 0930, 1330, 1730, 2130 EST | |
| Forecasts for Victoria | 0130, 0530, 0930, 1330, 1730, 2130 EST | |
| Forecasts for Tasmania | 0230, 0630, 1030, 1430, 1830, 2230 EST | |
| Forecasts for South Australia | 0200, 0600, 1000, 1400, 1800, 2200 CST | |
| 0300, 0700, 1100, 1500, 1900, 2300 CST | ||
| Forecasts for Western Australia | 0030, 0430, 0830, 1230, 1630, 2030 WST | |
| Forecasts for Northern Territory | 0300, 0700, 1100, 1500, 1900, 2300 CST | |
| Northern Territory coast east of Cape Don | 0300, 0700, 1100, 1500, 1900, 2300 CST |
High Seas Forecasts and Warnings Schedule
| Location | Scheduled broadcast times | |
| Warnings for Northern, NE and SE Areas | Every hour commencing 0000 EST (0030 CST) | |
| Warnings for Northern, Western and SE Areas | Every hour commencing 0000 WST (0030 CST) | |
| Special Announcements | 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 |
|---|
Any weather Fax apps for android available?
Sorry Jawahar, we don’t use our android phone for that. Unless someone pops in with some help, I’d suggest you goggle it.
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?
Hi Steve, I think an Ipad would be a perfect choice, the decoder programs require an audio input. Here is one decoder that works on an Ipad http://www.blackcatsystems.com/ipad/iPad_HF_FAX_Weather_Fax_App.html