National HF Marine Voice
& Fax Weather Broadcasts
VOICE Broadcast Frequencies-Use a Short wave
SSB receiver or a scanner with SSB capabilities.
VMC broadcasts VOICE weather on the following frequencies: Times here relate to local time (EST) at the
transmitter.
Daytime (7am-6pm) 4.4260MHz USB and 16.5460MHz USB
Night-time
(6pm-7am) 2.2010MHz USB
and 6.5070MHz
USB
Anytime 8.1760MHz USB
and 12.3650MHz
USB
VMW broadcasts VOICE weather on the following frequencies: Times here relate to
local time (WST) at the transmitter.
Daytime (7am-6pm) 4.1490MHz USB and 16.5280MHz USB
Night-time
(6pm-7am) 2.0560MHZ USB
and 6.2300MHz
USB
Anytime 8.1130MHz USB
and 12.3620MHz
USB
FAX Broadcast Frequencies-Scanner & Computer
Control For FAX reception.
VMC broadcasts FAX on the following frequencies:
Times here relate to local time (EST) at the transmitter. Fax Schedule Fax
broadcasts run on a 24 hour cycle. www.bom.gov.au/marine or by faxing 1902 93 5046 (call costs 66
cents per minute including GST, higher from mobile phones). Fax Schedule
Daytime (5am-7pm) 20469,
Night-time (7pm-5am) 2628,
Anytime 5100, 11030
and 13920.
VMW broadcasts FAX on the following frequencies: Times here relate to local time
(WST) at the transmitter.
Daytime (5am-7pm) 18060,
Night-time
(7pm-5am) 5755,
Anytime 7535, 10555
and 15615.
VMC and VMW voice broadcast schedules provide for bulletins of Warnings broadcast on the hour in Australian Western Standard Time (WST) and Australian Eastern Standard Time (EST), on the half hour in Australian Central Standard Time). 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 mins to every
hour (25 mins 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 |
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 Mins to every
hour (25 mins after the hour CST) |
|
Forecasts for Northern Area |
VMC |
0000, 0400, 0800, 1200, 1600,
2000 CST |
|
VMW |
0230, 0630, 1030, 1430, 1830,
2230 WST |
|
|
Forecasts for North Eastern
Area |
VMC |
0030, 0430, 0830, 1230, 1630,
2030 EST |
|
Forecasts for South Eastern
Area |
VMC |
0030, 0430, 0830, 1230, 1630,
2030 EST |
|
VMW |
0330, 0730, 1130, 1530, 1930,
2330 WST |
|
|
Forecasts for Western Area |
VMW |
0230, 0630, 1030, 1430, 1830,
2230 WST |
Wind speed mentioned in forecasts and coastal observations refers to the average speed over a 10-minute period at a height of 10 metres above the surface. It is given in knots. A knot (kn) is equal to a speed of one nautical mile per hour. Note: 10 knots = 18.5 km/h and 10 km/h = 5.4 knots.
Gusts may be up to 40 per cent stronger than the average speed.
A squall is an abrupt and large increase of wind speed with a duration of the order of minutes which diminished rather suddenly.
Strong wind: 25 to 33 kn; Gale force: 34 to 47 kn; Storm force: more than 47 kn; Hurricane force (used for tropical areas only): more than 63 kn (remembering these are all ten-minute averages).
Wind Direction is given in the 16 compass points and is the direction the wind is coming from.
Wave height is
vertical distance between the top of crest and bottom of trough.
Wind (or sea) waves are generated by the local prevailing wind
and vary in size according to the length of time a particular wind has been
blowing, the fetch (distance the wind has blown over the sea) and the water
depth.
Swell waves are the regular longer period waves that were
generated by the winds of distant weather systems. There may be several sets of
swell waves travelling in different directions, causing a confused seas state.
Sea state is the combination of wind waves and swell.
The wave and swell heights described in Bureau observations and
forecasts refer to 'significant wave heights' which represent the average of
the highest one-third of the waves. Some waves will be higher and some lower
than the significant wave height. The probable maximum wave height can be up
to twice the significant wave height.
King/Freak waves can occur when wind waves and/or a combination
of swell waves join to produce a very high wave. These can be even higher than
the probable maximum wave height, and can result from the added influence of
currents, tides, distant weather systems and shape and depth of the seabed.
UTC (Universal Time Coordinate): time references in warnings for
high seas are given in UTC. Australian Eastern Standard Time is UTC + 10 hrs.
Western Standard Time is UTC + 8 hrs. (UTC is also known as GMT or ‘z’)
The Bureau's radio fax program will not change following the change of transmission arrangements from AXM to VMC Australia Weather East broadcasts from Charleville in Queensland, and AXI to VMW Australia Weather West broadcasts from Wiluna in Western Australia.
For more information on changes to reception due to the change of location of the transmitters and for information on usage of the Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS) charts go to the IPS web site.
The full schedule is available by following this Radio Fax Schedule link or by faxing 1902 93 5046 (call costs 66 cents per minute including GST, higher from mobile phones).
Telstra
Weather Phone: 1196. (This is the weather service you often hear Met train
drivers (Metro Melbourne) and other VIC SMR users calling for the weather.
VMC: The East Coast transmitter for
Australian Weather East is located at Charleville, Queensland, Australia
VMW: The West Coast transmitter for
Australian Weather West is located at Wiluna, Western Australia.
Name of transmitting station
|
Charleville, Queensland |
|
Denomination
of broadcast |
Facsimile transmission |
|
Area
of intended reception |
Southwards from 10N, 70E - 150W. |
|
Power of
transmitters |
1 kW |
|
Class
of emission |
F3C |
|
Bandwidth |
White +400 Hz |
|
Index
of cooperation |
576 |
|
Scanning
line density |
3.8 lines/mm |
|
Scanning
frequency |
120 lines/minute |
|
Start
Signals |
Carrier modulated by 300 Hz for five
(5) seconds |
|
Phasing
signals |
BLACK
signal interrupted by one (1) WHITE phasing pulse per revolution of the
facimile drum, transmitted for at least thirty (30) seconds prior to the
transmission of the chart |
|
Stop
signals |
Carrier modulated
by 450 Hz for five (5) seconds followed by ten (10) seconds of BLACK signal
will be transmitted |
Name of transmitting station
|
Wiluna, Western Australia |
|
Denomination
of broadcast |
Facsimile transmission |
|
Area of
intended reception |
Southwards from 25N -25S, 75E -
180W. |
|
Power
of transmitters |
1 kW |
|
Class
of emission |
F3C |
|
Bandwidth |
White +400 Hz |
|
Index
of cooperation |
576 |
|
Scanning
line density |
3.8 lines/mm |
|
Scanning
frequency |
120 lines/minute |
|
Start
Signals |
Carrier modulated by 300 Hz for
five (5) seconds |
|
Phasing
signals |
BLACK
signal interrupted by one (1) WHITE phasing pulse per revolution of the
facimile drum, transmitted for at least thirty (30) seconds prior to the
transmission of the chart |
|
Stop
signals |
Carrier
modulated by 450 Hz for five (5) seconds followed by ten (10) seconds of
BLACK signal will be transmitted |
An integrated network of nine HF stations operated
around Australia by State and Northern Territory Governments, located at
Gladstone, Cairns, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney
maintain a listening watch on distress and calling frequencies 4125, 6215 and 8291Khz 24 hours a day. These stations also provide
regular broadcasts of navigation warnings on 8176
kHz. All GMDSS services (HF DSC monitoring and follow-on communications), other
than the monitoring of 2187.5 kHz, are provided
by Australian Maritime Safety Association (AMSA).
Note that these are HF frequencies and are all
transmitted in Upper Side Band USB, and you would enter the frequency of 4426KHz on most scanners as 4.4260MHz.
These HF
frequencies may be subject to change without notice. Please check the Bureau Of
Meteorology website (www.bom.gov.au/marine)
before ever taking off on any boating journey. All vessels, by law must have at
least at 27MHz marine radio on board, and preferably a VHF Marine Radio.
DO NOT RELY ON ANY MOBILE PHONES WHILST AT SEA OR ON INLAND WATERS
A VicNews The Victorian Scanning News Publication
ISSN 1038-6971 ©2003 The Australian Scanning Encyclopedia, owned by Ashley Geelan.
Send corrections, updates and other scanner information to ageelan@bigpond.com
All information correct
as at: Thursday, October 09, 2003
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