[Lowfer] Navtex and 500 kHz

[jrusgrove at comcast.net]

Got interested in receiving Navtex on 490 and 518 kHz after David Wilson sent me his reception list 
a while back. After a week of monitoring, the info compiled is useful as a 500 kHz propagation 
indicator and as a tool for determining the best times for possible QSOs over the long distance 
(Europe, California and Alaska) paths. It's not a perfect system - stations sometimes transmit on 
top of each other outside of their assigned time slots - but worthwhile data does emerge after 
several nights of monitoring. Directional antennas are a plus...running two receivers here each fed 
by opposite ends of a 1000' BOG oriented 60/240 degrees.

Of the several decoders I've tried, SeaTTY seems to be the best at weak signal decoding, although 
exhaustive testing of all available software hasn't been done.

Would be interested in hearing from others that have been monitoring Navtex and seeing their 
results. It might be interesting to compare reception lists. Here's mine: 
http://www.w1vd.com/Navtex.pdf .

Jay W1VD  WD2XNS  WE2XGR/2