Hello Nolan!
21 Jun 95 00:36, Nolan Lee wrote to Marius Rensen:
 NL> On Jun 19 20:15 95, Marius Rensen of 2:241/1040.12 wrote:
 MR>> THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 1996
 MR>> PROPOSES ELIMINATING TRANSMISSION OF NATIONAL WEATHER
 MR>> SERVICE WEATHER CHARTS TO MARINE RADIOFAX BROADCAST STATIONS
 MR>> ON 30 SEPTEMBER 1995. SEE THE 0920Z REQUEST FOR COMMENTS
 MR>> BROADCAST FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
 NL>      Bummer, thanks for passing the information on to us.
here is the report of CG/NWS meeting fro June 15 :
Forwarded from rec.boats,sci.geo.meteorology
                                             15 June 1995
Report of Coast Guard / National Weather Service Coordination
Meeting, June 15, 1995.
Staff of the USCG and NOAA/NWS met at Coast Guard Headquarters,
Washington DC, to discuss matters of mutual interest concerning
broadcasts of marine weather forecasts and collection of
meteorological observations.
1.   NOAA marine radiofax policy.  The group discussed the
announcement of the President's proposal to privatize NOAA marine
radiofax broadcasts by reducing NWS budget by $500,000 (a copy of
that announcement was posted on Internet rec.boats and
sci.geo.meteorology, and is available in the CG NIS computer BBS,
accessible through  telnet fedworld.gov', menu selection  udd54',
file WXFAX.TXT).  NWS asked how this policy would affect the CG,
and CG staff noted that it had never been formally notified of
the budget proposal and it was unlikely the Commandant was aware
of it.  The NWS will be formally notifying the CG.  The CG noted
it would be reviewing the proposal, and stated the need of its
own cutters for weather chart information.  The NWS noted actual
cost savings produced by privatization totaled $30,000/yr, and
said it was unlikely any private company would broadcast radiofax
under this program, since products were available to the public
at no charge by Internet, companies had no means of charging
users receiving the broadcasts, and NWS could no longer route
products to such companies at no cost.
2.   Internet access to marine weather charts.  NWS noted that
although marine charts were recently included with other weather
charts on their Internet file server, it had not yet announced
the URL of that server.  However NWS will announce the URL in
their document gopher server http://gopher.cominfo.nws.noaa.gov/.
Marine charts on the server are in T4G3 facsimile format only.
3.   CG marine radiofax improvements.  Both CG and NWS agreed to
increase fax products from COMMSTA BOSTON by August 1.  CG also
plans to begin broadcasting radiofax from COMMSTA NEW ORLEANS
over three transmitters beginning October 1.  Data routing
circuits and file server location concerns still need to be
worked out before New Orleans broadcasts can begin.  Frequency
and schedule information will be provided in the CG computer,
file FAX.TXT.  It was agreed to continue plans for expanding
Boston and initiating New Orleans broadcasts, assuming Congress
decides not to approve the proposal to terminate broadcasts, or
assuming other arrangements can be made.  However if the proposal
to terminate broadcasts is enacted, this effort will cease.
4.   Navy marine radiofax program.  Navy CNO announced its HF
Weather Facsimile Policy in a message dated June 9th.  The Navy
has decided to maintain its broadcasts until transition to high
speed satellite fleet broadcast to its own ships is complete.
Broadcasts will be discontinued in each ocean area when all fleet
units operating in that area have high speed fleet broadcast
capability.  No broadcasts will be terminated before 1997.
5.   NAVTEX broadcasts.  The NWS has completed its review of
NAVTEX weather products, but noted some changes will be necessary
when NWS consolidates coastal and offshore products sometime next
year.  A list of broadcast products is included in the CG
computer as file PRODUCT.TXT.
6.   Consolidated meteorological and ship position (AMVER)
reporting.  Both agencies discussed operation of the Inmarsat C
Seas program for routing AMVERs and OBS using low cost compressed
messaging over satellite.  The CG and NWS also agreed to provide
a similar service over Inmarsat A and C telex, and is contracting
with COMSAT to implement it.  The CG will verify receipt of AMVER
messages over Inmarsat C Seas.
7.   Chesapeake Bay voluntary marine weather reporting.  The CG
Auxiliary representative noted that although this trial program
has only just begun, the public is not participating, due to a
lack of publicity and/or interest.  The NWS will look into making
examples of how reports are helping improve forecast accuracy
available to the public, to help better advertise this effort.
More information concerning this trial is available in the CG
computer as file MAREP.TXT.
8.   Next meeting.  Both agencies agreed to meet Sept 13 in Camp
Springs MD.
--
+                        COAST  GUARD  COMMUNICATIONS                         
+
|                                                                             
|
|          Telephone: (202) 267-2860         U.S. Coast Guard (G-TTM)         
|
|          Fax:       (202) 267-4106         Washington DC 20593              
|
|          Internet:      CGComms/g-t07@cgsmtp.comdt.uscg.mil                 
|
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
-- End Forwarded Message --
Marius
--- GoldED 2.41
---------------