Hello All!
According to an announcement dated June 15, 95, which I received from
different sources, and which I have found also on the USCG Gopher.
Summary:
- Meeting between the NWS and USCG June 15, 95.
- NWS was to formally notify USCG of intent to cancel wefax product.
- NWS said their charts are available on their Internet file server.
- USCG to increase wefax broadcast from COMMSTA Boston, 8/1/95.
  (I have post the new schedule here).
- Begin of Facsimile broadcast from USCG New Orleans, Oct. 1, 95.
- US NAvy not to discontinue Facsimilebroadcasts before 1997.
- Next meeting between NWS and USCG Sept. 13, 1995
Before we lose Wefax from Boston, Kodiak, San Francisco and Honolulu here are
some comments I have found otherwise.
Marius
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 URGENT - WEFAX MAY BE GONE SOON
TO:  ALL WEFAX USERS
FM:  CARL YOUNG, MREO,  SS KAINALU/KCGH
SUBJECT:  Elimination of the TRANSMISSION of WEATHER CHARTS TO
          MARINE RADIOFAX STATIONS as of SEPTEMBER 30, 1995.
FOLLOWING FROM "NOTICE TO MARINERS" NM 31/95 PAGE III-2.1
--- QUOTE ---
          SECTION III
MARINE INFORMATION - MISCELLANEOUS
MARINE RADIO FAX SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
The Federal Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year, 1996 includes reductions in
the National Weather Service (NWS) Funding, which will eliminate the
TRANSMISSION OF WEATHER CHARTS TO MARINE RADIOFAX STATIONS as of
September 30, 1995.  If the proposal is accepted, the Weather Charts
produced by the NWS will be made available to Maritime Users ONLY
through Private Weather Information Services.
The U.S. Coast Guard is determining whether this proposal will
permit Private Weather Information Services to broadcast Weather
Charts by RadioFAX from Coast Guard STations NMF-Marshfield, MA;
NMC-Pt Reyes, CA; and NOJ-Kodiak, AK after October 1, 1995.
A similar determination will be made by the  Federal Aviation
Administration for Station KVM70-Honolulu, HI.  Private Marine Radio
Stations WLO-Mobile, AL; WLC-Rogers City, MI; and any other
Private Marine Radio Stations may continue or begin RadioFAX Broadcasts
after September 30, 1995, by obtaining charts from the NWS at no cost
to the government.  Further notices will be issued as more information
becomes available.  If you have ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE NWS
Office of Meteorology (W/OM), 1325 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,MD
20910
--- UNQUOTE ---
========================================================================
SEND COMMENTS IMMEDIATELY to:
Radiofacsimile Coordinator           Mr. Dave Feit (pronounced fight)
National Weather Service, NOAA       Marine Forecast Branch
Room 14470                           National Meteorological Center
1325 East West Highway               1325 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD  20910             Silver Spring, MD  20910
PHN: (301) 713-1677                  VOICE PH: (301) 763-8442 (M-F 8-4
EST)
FAX: (301) 713-1598                  FAX   PH: (301) 899-8903
TLX: UNKNOWN (SRI )                  Internet: dfeitmtpgate.ssmc.noaa.gov
Commandant (G-T)
US Coast Guard
2100 Second Street S.W.
Washington, DC  20593-0001
===================================================================
The following is an excerpt of my radio link with NMC/US Coast Guard
Pt. Reyes, CA Duty Operator. (de K5HK)
KCGH DE NMC
CK'D WITH THE DUTY FORECASTER AT THE MARINE FORECAST BRANCH
NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL CENTER       (301) 763-8441
AND HE SAID THAT THERE IS NO 'SPECIFIC' PLAN AS YET FOR CESSATION OF
DIRECT RADIOFACSIMILE BCSTS ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF CONTINGENCY PLANS ARE
BEING CONSIDERED IN CASE NWS FUNDING IS CUT DRAMATICALLY...
HE SAID THAT THEY ARE EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN YOUR COMMENTS AND, IN FACT,
ANY COMMENTS FROM OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO
MUSTER.  ALL COMMENTS SHOULD BE SENT TO:
MR. DAVE FEIT (PRONOUNCED FIGHT)    -     see address above
INTERNET: DFEITMTPGATE.SSMC.NOAA.GOV
003669990 NMC +
+/+
NMC DE KCGH FB THANKS FOR INFO...ILL GET THE INFO OUT TO OTHER PARTIES
FOR COMMENTS.  WE RELY HEAVILY ON THESE BCST AT MATSON NAVIGATION CO
WITH OUR SOON TO BE FLEET OF 15 SHIPS.  AS DO OTHER U.S. AND FOREIGN
SHIPPING INTERESTS AS WELL AS SMALLER CRAFT SUCH AS TUGS, SAILING VESSELS
AND MOTOR VESSELS...  MANY USE ANALOG FAX MACHINES - OTHERS USE A VARIETY
OF TERMINAL NODE CONTROLLERS (TNC-S) TO RECEIVE THESE TIMELY MAPS ON
YOUR HF BCSTS INCLUDING NMN AND THE PACIFIC STATIONS THAT YOU REMOTE KEY.
I WILL PASS ALONG...THANKS MUCH FOR INFO.  73
NMC DE KCGH SS KAINALU
CARL YOUNG, MREO
8/6/95
========================================================================
From Carl, K5HK:
I would encourage ALL USERS of MARINE WEFAX to comment on this important
change which may cause untimely delays on the broadcast of these IMPORTANT
WEATHER MAPS.  Your Senators and Congressmen as well as the President of
the
United States would ALSO be GOOD PLACES to register your comments.
Signed,
Carl E. Young, MREO
SS KAINALU
(eof)
From Nedra, KK5PN:
No provision appears to have been made to assure maritime vessels will NOT
be left WITHOUT WEFAX.  This means all vessels at sea will have greater
difficulty assuring safety at sea.  Cruising Vessels cannot afford the
cost of these Private Weater Information Services.  What I did NOT know,
until talking with K5HK, is that the commercial ships ALSO use the USCG
WEFAX heavily and do not wish to lose it.
At a recent meeting on the WEFAX issue, comments were made that it must
be OK to discontinue the WEFAX Services, as NO COMPLAINTS have been
received from the maritime community.  What they failed to realize is
that this information was simply issued in a Notice to Mariners under
the title, Miscellaneous, and many of you are not aware of it..
WRITE NOW - or we will LOSE the WEFAX transmissions we need for safety
to human life and our vessels at sea.
PLEASE -=- INUNDATE -=- Mr. Feit's office with letters and INTERNET MAIL.
If you don't -=- ALL WRITE SOON -=-  we will LOSE our WEFAX stations ||
 -  de  Nedra  KK5PN KC5LT.#SOCA.CA.USA.NA
16:39 PM PDT  Mon Aug 7, 1995
Post this on forms ums on Internet, Compuserve, Prodigy, etc.
Print it and post it at marinas, marine stores, etc.  SEnd it
to your newspaper and marine magazine.  FAX it... email it..
Discontinuance of WEFAX endangers THOUSANDS of lives!
*** END OF MSG # 9212 from KD6CCQ W6TJ.#SOCA.CA.USA.NOAM
--- GoldED 2.41
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