WEFAX - Weather Fax reception
Overview
Receiving weather images on HF
WEFAX
WEFAX (Also known as Weatherfax, HF-FAX, Radiofax, and Weather Facsimile) is a slow scan analogue image transmission mode used for the transmission of press images, weather charts, newspapers, and meteorological reports.1
Kit
Standard HF setup for this, we use FLDigi for the software decoding.
| Serial | Category | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Antenna | Home made end fed NVIS antenna | Runs round the garden fence |
| 002 | Coax run | 1m of RG58 with SO-239 at each end and a ferrite choke | Connects the transformer to the radio |
| 003 | Transformer | 49:1 unun | Connects my antenna to my coax |
| 004 | Radio | Xiegu G90 | Worked well as ever |
| 005 | Radio | Digital mode stand and fan | Cools the G90, useful for digital modes |
| 006 | Digital Modes | MinProSC | Flawless as ever |
| 007 | Software | FLDigi | Used to decode the WEFAX |
WEFAX stations
There are lots of WEFAX stations that you can look up online. Radioenthusiast has a great page. The two stations that I've had experience with are:
| Serial | Name | Call sign | Frequency | Schedule link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FWOC - FLEET Weather and Oceanographic Centre Northwood | GFA | 2618.5 kHz / 4610 kHz / 8040 kHz / 11086.5 kHz | schedule |
| 2 | Hamburg - Pinneburg | DDH3 | 3885 kHz | schedule |
| 3 | Hamburg - Pinneburg | DDK3 | 7880 kHz | schedule |
| 4 | Hamburg - Pinneburg | DDK6 | 13882.5 kHz | schedule |
FLDigi setup
There are a lot of good guides on line. I won't replicate that here, but point you at a few good references and offer some advice on what I have found.
This guide includes advice on the changes you need for the German station, frequency shift of 850 for German station and 800 for Northwood.
The major setting that you have to play with, once you have your frequency set if the slant. You can let FLDigi do it but you might need to alter it. Doing it during reception will cause a few artifacts in your images, so be aware that you want to get it as right as you can and then leave well alone.
Gallery
I've included a gallery of the some of the images that I've captured, including some with some 'issues'
