Weather Images and Text via SSB Radio
August 5, 2020 · 28 min · 7K views
What this video covers
Sailors can retrieve weather graphics and text forecasts offshore by using a single-sideband (SSB) radio connected to a laptop via a modem.1:40 This process requires email software to send specific requests to the NOAA server or SailDocs.2:00 Users must first identify the desired file numbers—such as those for surface analysis or high-seas forecasts—by exploring the NOAA website while connected to the internet at home.2:36 Once at sea, the sailor sends an email request formatted with specific commands like "open cdfax" and "get [file number]" to the NOAA server.8:16 The system then transmits the requested data back over the radio frequency.8:28 Alternatively, the AirMail/SailMail software automates this process by managing file requests and selecting the optimal radio frequency based on propagation probabilities for specific shore stations.20:00 While GRIB files provide raw, computer-generated wind and pressure data, they lack the meteorologist review found in traditional NOAA charts.26:19 These same email-based retrieval methods also function with satellite communicators like Iridium GO.28:12
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