Fax 30 GPS position data

[Smilesb]

Ok I will try that after rechecking the ground values you suggested
Might you be able to re explain the instructions for that please? It’d be very helpful before I start taking things apart
All The best
Smiles

 

[C-Bass]

Try measuring between these points.

 

[Smilesb]

Ok thanks for his
Will do
I assume this is the fax5 end I need to test
I’ll look to see how that comes undone
Thanks

 

[Smilesb]

Hi there
The coaxial cable and the ground at the pre amp /fax 5 end dont seem to be easy to access
Then I look up the bottles end of the fax 5 it looks like they disappear into sealant
Should a nut or some means of access be visible
Or do I undo the whip antenna to access?

Failing that is it worth trying to just use the whip antenna as a normal wire Ariel ?
Ie remove the power to the pre amp and see what the SN ratio is?

I’m beginning to think it might be time to revert back to my old portable ssb radio!!

Thanks for all the help so far

Smiles
Many thanks

 

[Smilesb]

I have measured he resistance between the inner core and outer case of the connector where the coaxial plugs into The main fax 30. It’s 38 ohms

I’ve removed the antenna from the top of the pre amp fax 5. It’s not corroded and looks like it’s been well sealed.
The resistance between the top the pre amp where the antenna screws in and he pre am ground point of 98kohms
This resistance does not change with the fax 30 on or off

As before the ground and the coaxial cable disappear into the base of the preamp coupler unit
Perhaps into silicon but it feels more like a rubber bung they pass through from what I can feel from my finger up the whole at the bottom

Many thanks
Smiles

 

[Smilesb]

Just been playing some more with this
I removed the whip antenna and connected a long wire to the top of the pre amp via the connector that came the unit

I then moved the J23 jumper to wire
The SS was 20 and the SN between 10 to 16

I then replaced the whip antenna and switched he jumper to active again
I’m getting SS 55 and SN 15-23

This is via Dakar 6VU which seems strongest for my location
I have the channel setup channel on AUTO

Any further ideas on what to try!??

Many thanks
Smiles

 

[C-Bass]

Did you try all the frequencies for that station? which one gives you the strongest SS and SN value?

 

[C-Bass]

Good afternoon SmilesB,

Please see link below to World Weather Fax Schedule. This amended addition as of Sept. 2018 only list one available broadcast station in Africa, and that is in South Africa. It is possible that some of the radiofax broadcast stations are no longer in service?

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/marine/rfax.pdf

 

[Smilesb]

Hi there CBass
A boat I’m sailing with is still receiving weatherfax from the agua Northwood station
He’s just using wire hoisted up the mast and a handheld ssb reciever so sadly I think there is an issue with my setup

So far with your help I’ve
- looked at the ground of the pre amp. Connecting that to the same ground as my radar did not alter the SN ratio

- tried the unit without the preamp actively powered by switching the J23 jumper to ‘wire’. I tried this with the whip antenna and also a piece of wire attached to the top of the pre amp instead via a wire connector I found for the pre amp

- I have tried different stations from UK to Africa and allowed the automatic frequency selection. but the very best SN ration I got was Senegal I think - momentarily >20 !


The fax 30 looks to be in really great condition. Very clean and tidy so my suspicion is with either the boats ground or the preamp.

Given the outside position of h Enpreamp it feels like the most likely source of problems although it’s not at all rusty etc



I’m still unsure how to test continuity of the pre amp unit itself. Ie
- is the ground actually connected inside the unit ?

- Is the connector attached properly

I’m unsure how to remove the connector which seems to disappear into silicon inside the base of the unit

Any thoughts bout how to undo this ?

The base of the preampnitself seems to me a separate section with flat sides. Does it come apart?

Manu thanks for any thoughts - at this point I’m running out of ideas!!

All the very best
Smiles

 

[C-Bass]

Good morning SmilesB,

Unfortunately I don't have any other ideas outside of sending the unit in with the pre-amp for bench testing.

You could try to pick up a NavTex but there is limited range with Navtex and I don't believe there is any stations close enough to where you are.

If you want to have the unit evaluated you will need to contact one of the following service providers in your area:

FURUNO FRANCE S.A.S.
Espace Phare 12, rue Laplace 33700 Merignac, France
Phone +33 5 56 13 48 00
Fax +33 5 56 13 48 01
URL http://www.furuno.fr/
E-mail service@furuno.fr

Authorized service provider
SOCIETE ISFOMA S.A.R.L.
174 Bd Moulay Youssef Casablanca Morocco
Phone +212 5 22 27 06 60
Fax +212 5 22 48 72 40
E-mail info_isfoma@menara.ma

S.I.E.C.M.I. SOCIETE IVOIRIENNE D'ELECTRONIQUE MARITIME ET INDUSTRIELLE
Port de Peche 18 B.P.347, Abidjan 18 (R. C. I.), Cote d'Ivoire
Phone +225 21 21-63-45
Fax +225 21 25-08-23
Telex 43217 SIECM CI
E-mail abidjan@siecmi.com

FURUNO ESPANA S.A.
Francisco Remiro, 2-B 28028 Madrid, Spain
Phone +34 91-725-90-88
Fax +34 91-725-98-97
URL http://www.furuno.es/
E-mail furuno@furuno.es

I am sorry we could not help you with your inquiry.

If you do follow up with a service provider and you get a report I would be curious of the outcome?

Kind Regards,
C-Bass

 

[Smilesb]

Ok thanks cbass!
Removing the antenna is a big job so it’s a case of get it working in situ or ignore it and try another solution unfortunately!
I am not sure we bottomed out the potential ground problem on the pre amp?
You suggested testing the coaxial cable inner outer resistance at the pre amp
Struggled to as I can’t easikky access the coaxial cable where it enters the bottom of the pre amp

Does the pre amp come apart at all to allow access further up the threaded internal hole in the base?
As mentioned it kinda looks like it might / there should I imaging be a way of getting inside the unit to check the ground connection internally?

Also when I just attached a wire to the top of the pre amp with J23 off is there any test I can run re resistance on the wire to the ground point etc?

I assume with J23 set to ‘wire’ and the pre amp setup inactive /unpowered: the preamp does nothing but provide a connection between the center if the coaxial cable from the f30 to the wire antenna
so a simple test would be continuity between an added wire antenna and the Center of the coaxial cable at the fax 30 end?


Is it even worth testing with a coat hanger jammed into the fax 30!? Seriously!?
Many thanks !

Miles

 

[C-Bass]

Good afternoon SmilesB,

After further conversation with our tech support team there is really no way to check to see if the ground wire on the Fax 5 is properly terminated. One way to see if it is working is to see if the SNR value changes when it is grounded or not?

Do you have a SSB radio?

You can could use the SSB radio to listen in on a Fax broadcast from a station to see what frequency is the cleanest. You should be able to listen to the tones and beeps of the data being sent from the stations in Europe and South Africa. Try to find a station and frequency during a broadcast that has the best tone to back ground noise. Then you can try and set the Fax30 to listen in on that station and frequency.

Also the SNR ratio: Have you looked at the SNR ratio during a broadcast. You may not see the SNR ratio to change until it latches onto start signal.

Also you could try to master reset the Fax 30. I will post the procedure below.

 

[Smilesb]

Oh wow!
I got a fax through!
Not sure quite how
Tried at night and perhaps that has helped?
I reset the machine as per you instructions
I had done this beforehand but via a jumper switch in the unit
I left the unit tuned to GYA Northwood
Annoyingly I can’t recall the channel I used
Came back and bingo there was a random image from GYA in the thumbnails panel on the right hand side of the browser

There is hope
I noticed when I can to be unit that he SN was upninbhe mid 30s
I’ve switched it to ‘auto’ again and it’s looking like it’s cycled through some of the frequencyies and locked into a good one. Is that how auto works?
It’s now got a solid mid 20 to 40 SN
SS is 60 and stable

So there should have been a broadcast at 2100
But at that point the SN was down low
Only now later on at 2110 it’s higher
Are the broadcast times spot on or is there a provocation delay I wonder?

As yet just one image but I’ve just noticed the system has for the 1st time I’ve noticed gone from STBY to RCV
Which I assume means receiving !

Will let you know if I have any more success.

Thanks so much for your help and patience

Smiles

 

[olgamet30]

Hi every one,

i need some urgent help regarding a FAX-30 facsimile receiver onboard our Company's vessel (bulkcarrier)

The Captain reported after diagnostic test, that Lat/Long is "NG".

1) What should i tell him to check? The antenna? or what else?
2) I told him to to restart the unit, just in case. But could this action erase the
settings or not?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Olga

 

[Melville]

Olga-
I am sorry for the delay, but this is a recreational forum manned by volunteers with Furuno USA. Urgent service matters, especially for commercial application, should be addressed to a local service agent. You can check our website dealer locator or contact an overseas distributor if outside the USA.
https://www.furuno.com/en/support/distributors/