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NTRODUCTION
Weatherman consists of a synthesised HF receiver, a powerful computer and a high
contrast display. It forms a dedicated radio teletype (RTTY) receiver configured to
record and display the range of weather reports and weather forecasts broadcast
by the German national weather agency Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) based in
Hamburg.
The coverage is, clockwise from the Eastern Mediterranean, via Gibraltar and the
English Channel, to the North Atlantic and Baltic Seas. There is a daily schedule
of times, frequencies and areas and Weatherman can easily be set up to receive all
this information, or to record only the areas and data to suit the user’s requirements.
The receiver is simple to use with all instructions clearly displayed on the screen.
A compact stubby antenna is supplied with the receiver.
Whilst the receiver is designed to operate from the vessels 12 volt system it can be
powered by domestic mains using a regulated 12 volt power supply (not a battery
charger). When used in a domestic environment it is important that the negative
supply wire is connected to a good ground (e.g. mains ground or a suitable water
pipe) to avoid interference.
DWD TRANSMISSIONS
DWD broadcasts on several frequencies simultaneously. This is to cope with the
varying radio propagation and reception conditions, which are dictated by time of
day and the distance from the Hamburg transmitters.
Weatherman can receive the following frequencies:
DDK9 on 10.1008 MHZ
DDH7 on 7.646 MHZ PROGRAM 1 in ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DKK2 on 4.583 MHZ
DDH9 on 11.039 MHZ PROGRAM 2 in GERMAN LANGUAGE
The most appropriate frequency can easily be resolved by reference to Weatherman’s
on-screen radio spectrum analyser, which is more fully explained in the section
entitled SELECTING THE BEST FREQUENCY.
