Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who shares the Radiofax news report (above) from Kyodo News Agency and his amazing artwork (below) detailing the news and his Radiofax reception:
Thank you, Carlos!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who shares the Radiofax news report (above) from Kyodo News Agency and his amazing artwork (below) detailing the news and his Radiofax reception:
Thank you, Carlos!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who shares the Radiofax news report (above) mentioning that a Japanese astronaut may step on the surface of the Moon for the first time, under a U.S.-led lunar exploration program. Click here to read a full news article.
Carlos also included this amazing artwork he created commemorating the news and his Radiofax reception:
As always, thank you so much for sharing your artwork and your radio adventures with us, Carlos!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes:
A photo essay from Said Khatib (AFP via Getty Images) in Rafah refugee Camp, southern Gaza Strip, on December 19, 2023, shows the importance of the radio in a war-torn environment.
One of the radio sets is a KTF-1653 portable multiband, solar-powered radio.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, friend, and political cartoonist Carlos Latuff, who shares the following guest post:
by Carlos Latuff
Back in the 90s, I used the fax machine a lot, I even had one in my house, sending messages and cartoons to my clients and even to live TV shows (see the video example below). Lots of fun!
But for me, the fax only worked through the phone line.
It was only in 2020, during the covid-19 pandemic, that I, by chance, during one of my radio listening sessions, came across a strange signal that I would only later discover was a radiofax.
It was then that I realized that several meteorological agencies around the world broadcast synoptic charts and satellite images to vessels on the seas by radiofax, and that there was a Japanese news agency (the only one left in the world) that broadcast daily news to fishing boats and cargo ships: Kyodo News.
I was fascinated by that!
And I started tuning to the frequency of 16971 kHz USB (16970 in fact, to properly receive images) using basically my Xhdata D-808 and its telescopic antenna (now I use a 3-meter long wire antenna).
All the weather agencies I know broadcast at 120 lines per minute, while Kyodo News broadcasts at 60 lines. When I used to have a laptop, I had programs installed where I could adjust this cadence, like MixW, however, using an Android cell phone, the only application that works for radiofax is HF Weather Fax, which only decodes at 120 lines per minute (I had some problems with the app, which, being old, sometimes generated conflicts with Android and crash suddenly or even didn’t even open. Another bug is that after around 40 minutes of continuous decoding, the app stops). When you receive a radiofax at a rate of 60 lpm and decode it at 120 lpm, it’s as if you cut the image in half, vertically, and joined the two parts into one, mixing the letters.
I noticed that, when enlarging the image with my fingertips on the surface of the cell phone, while receiving the radiofax, I was able to see the right and left side of the image at a time, in an effect known in graphic arts as “moiré pattern”.
So, using HF Weather Fax I cannot download a Kyodo News radiofax in full (except when I receive the bulletin in English, the only time Kyodo News broadcasts in 120 lpm), but I can view parts of it and make print screens. And with these prints, I open them on Google translator app translating from Japanese to English. If image is in good quality, the translation is perfect.
Results I got were obtained from radio listening in Porto Alegre, Tramandaí beach in Rio Grande do Sul, and Urca beach in Rio de Janeiro, all located in Brazil. The best time has been late in the morning/early in the morning.
I’ve already obtained digital QSL cards from some meteorological agencies, such as those in Germany, Australia and Kagoshima in Japan, but Kyodo News doesn’t even respond to my emails.
But the main question is: why go to so much work to receive news via radiofax when you can easily receive it on the Internet through the Kyodo News website–?
Firstly, I’m nostalgic, receiving these radiofax has a touch of the past that I like to remember. And second, I believe that with the advancement of new satellite data transmission technologies, it’s only a matter of time before radiofax disappears as means of communication for vessels on the high seas. This is already happening!
Remember the end of radiofax transmissions from the New Zealand meteorological agency MetService this year?
So I’m enjoying the radiofax, before it ends!
The following are reports from some of my listening/decoding sessions: Continue reading
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who shares these recent Radiofax decodes on Twitter:
Hey Thomas my good man, have a look how good were the NOAA radiofax reception in Urca Beach, Rio de Janeiro, from USCG radio stations in Pt. Reyes, Boston and Honolulu:
Today, between 00h14 and 00h48 UTC, I received at Urca Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, #Brazil, radiofax from @NOAA broadcasted by @USCG in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the frequency of 16135 kHz USB. The only problem with this transmission is that the images were broken in some parts. pic.twitter.com/5geluA5eMv
— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) December 5, 2023
Excellent propagation this afternoon at Praia da Urca, Rio de Janeiro, #Brazil, between 23h20 and 23h56 UTC, provided excellent reception of @NOAA radiofax transmitted from the @USCG radio station in Pt. Reyes, California, on the frequency of 22527 kHz. pic.twitter.com/w1zChefEmU
— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) December 5, 2023
Gale warning issued today via radiofax by @NOAA for the Gulf of Tehuantepec, #Mexico.
Broadcasted by @USCG in Pt. Reyes, California, received at 22h14 UTC in Urca Beach, Rio de Janeiro, #Brazil, frequency of 22527 kHz USB. pic.twitter.com/ISmnMcMwM0— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) December 5, 2023
Excellent propagation this afternoon at Urca Beach, Rio de Janeiro, #Brazil, between 21h15 and 22h02 UTC, provided excellent reception of @NOAA radiofaz broadcasted from the @USCG radio station in Boston, on the frequency of 12750 kHz USB. pic.twitter.com/m5o54U1tod
— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) December 5, 2023
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following video and notes:
Receiving navtex, Radiofax and voice broadcasts in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil…
Click here to view on YouTube.
Wow, Carlos! What an amazing spot to play radio! Thank you for sharing!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes:
Hey Thomas, just got a broadcast (Nov 5, 2023) on 21640 kHz, from 15h30 to 16h00 UTC here in Rio de Janeiro. A potpourri of pop rock songs and then a female voice says ‘this is the end, have a nice day’.
Both Carlos and I assume this could be a shortwave pirate. If you can help Carlos identify this station, please comment!