1800 UTC Fishery Fax Confirmed JFX

Every day at 1800 UTC, a fax is sent over the Japanese Fishery frequency of 8658.0 kHz.

Others have been able to identify this transmission as JFX, Kagoshima Prefectural Fishery Radio, in the southern part of Japan. For the first time ever, the morning of February 10 (local time, 2/11 in Japan) had good enough conditions for readable text here.

Luckily, that day's fax was self-identified with the heading JFX-NOAA. NOAA is the US National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, umbrella agency for the National Weather Service and several oceanic prediction centers.

Indeed, the content seemed to be columns of figures showing forecast weather conditions for three days. Well, we know that JFW, Fukushima, sends NOAA weather. Obviously Kagoshima does too.

We now have a pretty good handle on the Japanese fishery faxes. What was once known in utility books as "Chuo Gyogyo" (Central Fishery) turns out to be at least three stations at the prefectural level. These are JFC (Misaki), JFW, and JFX. All of these use common fishery frequencies of 6414.5, 8658.0, 16907.5, and 22559.0 kHz.

In addition JSC, also at Kagoshima, still blisters the US West Coast on 16971.0 kHz with a very strong relay of the Kyodo News oceanic edition. This is at 2300 UTC daily. Other transmissions occur throughout the day.

Fax is tuned 1.9 kHz below these assigned frequencies.

JFX Kagoshima QSL'd in SoCal

Martin Foltz has received an e-QSL from JFX, Kagashima Fishing Radio Station, for a fax fishery chart received at 1500 UTC. This transmission has also been received here, though usually too weak to make much out.

This brings the number of confirmed Japanese fishery radio fax stations received on the US Pacific Coast to four:

JFC Misaki, Kanagawa Prefecture
JFW Fukushima Prefecture
JFX Kagoshima Prefecture
JSC Kagoshima Prefecture (Kyodo News).

JSC uses the old JJC Kyodo frequency of 16971 kHz USB. The others use the common Japanese Fishery Radio frequencies of 6414.5, 8658.0, 16907.5, and 22559.6 kHz USB. As always, FAX dial frequencies are around 1.9 kHz lower than these assigned channel centers.

Afternoon US Kyodo News is JSC, Not JJC

Still getting great reception of the Kyodo News FAX on 16971 kHz USB, 60/576. Today I caught a sign-on, identifying the transmitting station as JSC, Kagoshima Radio, not the usual JJC, Tokyo.



Some Googling around turned up the following (badly translated) information:

07.04.12 [April 2007 -hugh] 16971kHz 10kW JSC Fisheries Kagoshima consignment sent to radio stations (for the direction of Hawaii)

I interpret this to mean that this one frequency is broadcast for part of the day over a separate transmitter with a different beam. This certainly explains why only part of Kyodo's 24/7 sked is being sent, and why it's so much louder on the US Pacific Coast than any of the others. It sounds like a special contract to transmit a newspaper to Japanese fishing boats operating in the Eastern Pacific.

You learn something new every day in this hobby.