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What is this station on the Marine band?

scruffpotscruffpot Posts: 4,570
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in Radio and Podcasts #1
Hi all, its late in the evening and i decided to fiddle around with my radio an Amstrad 6010
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/6/7/9/2/9/4/webimg/705571821_tp.jpg
by wiring it up to the aerial in the loft and seeing if I could pick up anything interesting (as the built in telescopic aerial is a bit naff).
However I have just come across on the Marine band a womans voice at 5.5mhz (can't tune in very well its a bit garbled), I think she is reading out possibly weather I think a name of a place on the ocean map then numbers which I think are degrees - its a recorded message seems to be on a loop.
I also seem to be picking up music stations either end of the scale but the radio is a bit old.
Any ideas on the marine band?
I was really hoping to find a spy station but no joy !

thank you

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    albertdalbertd Posts: 14,362
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    #2
    I think what you have is Shannon Volmet on 5.505 MHz. This is a set of weather reports and forecasts for aircraft.

    Any reference to "marine" on your radio is probably out of date as there is now little or no HF marine activity.
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    LaurelandHardyLaurelandHardy Posts: 3,806
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    #3
    Yes that is definitely Shannon Volmet that you can hear on 5505 kHz. There is another one on 5450 kHz which used to be called RAF Volmet but has recently changed it's name to something more complicated and less memorable!
    As for the "Spy" stations? A lot of them have closed down now, but there are a few that still remain. However, most don't have the rigid schedules of the ones from the past. Happy hunting!
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    albertdalbertd Posts: 14,362
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    #4
    scruffpot wrote: »
    However I have just come across on the Marine band a womans voice at 5.5mhz (can't tune in very well its a bit garbled)
    The reason for it sounding garbled is that the transmission uses Single Sideband (SSB) which that old Amstrad radio is not designed to resolve.
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    scruffpotscruffpot Posts: 4,570
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    #5
    Ahh brilliant thank you very much for the info, I'm going to hunt around a few stations tonight.
    I fell asleep listening to some arabic music on SW last night was rather good
    where does Shannon Volmet transmit from? I'm in Plymouth
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    Robbie01Robbie01 Posts: 10,434
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    #6
    scruffpot wrote: »
    Ahh brilliant thank you very much for the info, I'm going to hunt around a few stations tonight.
    I fell asleep listening to some arabic music on SW last night was rather good
    where does Shannon Volmet transmit from? I'm in Plymouth
    Ballygirreen in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare, Ireland.

    https://www.iaa.ie/nacs
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    lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    #7
    scruffpot wrote: »
    Ahh brilliant thank you very much for the info, I'm going to hunt around a few stations tonight.
    I fell asleep listening to some arabic music on SW last night was rather good
    where does Shannon Volmet transmit from? I'm in Plymouth
    Seem to be details here.

    https://www.iaa.ie/nacs
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    Gerry1Gerry1 Posts: 4,224
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    #8
    scruffpot wrote: »
    Where does Shannon Volmet transmit from?
    From Shannon, of all places !

    https://www.iaa.ie/nacs

    Edit: Whoops, I see that Robbie 01 and lundavra beat me to it. Telepathy at work...
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    LaurelandHardyLaurelandHardy Posts: 3,806
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    #9
    Scruffpot. If you have another analogue MW or SW radio, you may be able to resolve the signal from Shannon Volmet. Tune the Amstrad radio to Shannon Volmet, put the other radio close to it (after switching It on of course!) and slowly tune the other radio up and down the band. Some radios generate a carrier wave while doing this and it will make Shannon Volmet's transmissions more intelligible.
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    lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    #10
    Gerry1 wrote: »
    From Shannon, of all places !

    https://www.iaa.ie/nacs

    Edit: Whoops, I see that Robbie 01 and lundavra beat me to it. Telepathy at work...

    Not familiar with Ireland but looks as if not at Shannon itself.

    It is normal for the ATC services to have remote transmitter sites. The HF VOLMET will quite likely go out from one site but the VHF (and UHF) services have multiple sites. I know CAA NATS at Prestwick have numerous transmitter sites.
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    albertdalbertd Posts: 14,362
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    #11
    lundavra wrote: »
    Not familiar with Ireland but looks as if not at Shannon itself.
    Ballygirreen, the location of the North Atlantic Communications Centre is only about 5 miles north of Shannon Airport.
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    scruffpotscruffpot Posts: 4,570
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    #12
    sorry it took me awhile to reply ( been on holiday), but thanks for the information. when I'm home after this weekend I'll see what else I can find. I did come across some random chatting on the marine band.. no idea what that was, possibly aliens..
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    KnobTwiddlerKnobTwiddler Posts: 1,925
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    #13
    scruffpot wrote: »
    sorry it took me awhile to reply ( been on holiday), but thanks for the information.....

    This is what it should sound like. :D
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