After decades of operation, MetService will retire its Radiofax broadcast service from 1 July 2023

After decades of operation, MetService will retire its Radiofax broadcast service from 1 July 2023.

This means Furuno Weatherfax systems e.g. FAX-207, FAX-30 etc.), along with other brands/models, will no longer be able to receive/print broadcasts in New Zealand after this date. 

The MetService isobaric mean sea level analysis and prognosis charts transmitted through Radiofax will however continue to be produced and available on the metservice.com website here, also on a low bandwidth page here which is designed for users with more limited or paid data connections (such as via satellite) to minimize download size and cost.

What’s not changing?

While the Radiofax service will cease from 1 July 2023, it is important to note that it is not used for the more safety critical oceanic/high seas warnings and forecasts which will continue to be produced and broadcast through all existing channels/services, including: internet, email, radio broadcast, and satellite broadcast under the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). For more information about the GMDSS, see the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) website for the Worldwide Met-Ocean Information and Warning Service (WWMIWS).

What is Radiofax and why is it stopping?

The Radiofax service is one method that MetService has used to transmit isobaric mean sea level analysis and prognosis charts throughout the South Pacific (an example is shown below).

Radiofax (also known as HF Fax or Radiofacsimile) is an analogue broadcast using high frequency (HF) radio waves to transmit images over very long distances. The technology is almost 100 years old (see Wikipedia for more about its history) and was originally used by MetService to transmit weather charts and images to other National Meteorological Services in the South Pacific – long before the arrival of the internet.

Nowadays, Radiofax equipment is scarce and difficult to service, costly to maintain (especially transmitting equipment), and the technology has now been superseded by the likes of HF email or satellite-based internet – all key reasons for the retirement of the service.

Modern solutions

Newer technologies allowing vessels to receive data while crossing the ocean have been revolutionary. Satellite internet connections have enabled up to date weather information and forecasts (such as maps of pressure, wind and waves) to be directly displayed within onboard Chartplotters (e.g. TimeZero Professional) or Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) such as (e.g. Furuno NAVnet TZT3). These can now provide skippers with a much richer source of information that can be integrated with other navigational maps and vessel data in digital devices.

For the full Metservice article, click the link below. 

https://about.metservice.com/our-company/national-weather-services/retirement-of-radiofax