ws5 marine weather satellite receiver system - ICS Electronics Ltd

WS5 MARINE WEATHER SATELLITE RECEIVER SYSTEMICSICS ElectronicsLtd have a worldwidereputation inthe design andmanufacture ofMF/HF radio datacommunicationsequipment. As wellas supplying DSC,NAVTEX, WeatherFacsimile,Weather Satellitesystems to themarine market.ICS equipment isextensively used bycoast radio stationsand naviesthroughout theworldThe WS5 M usespowerful 32bitWindowscompatiblesoftware to receiveand displaystartlingly detailedsatellite weatherimages directly ona PC screen, evenwhen at sea.Detailed Visiblelight and Infra-redheat image earthviews enable theuser to trackweather systemsand pinpoint oceantemperatures.Automatic direct reception of NOAA Weather Satellite Imagesat Sea with Windows 95/98 laptop or desktop computersThe American NOAApolar orbiting satellitestransmit a continuouspicture of the earth’ssurface and cloud cover asthey slowly orbit theearth. Travelling frompole to pole, each satellitetakes about 100 minutesfor one orbit. Twosatellites are normally inuse. Because the satelliteshave a relatively low orbitheight of about 450 miles,reception is possible usinga compact VHF ‘crosseddipole’ antenna.NOAA 14 temperature sliceSeveral near overhead NOAAsatellite passes will occur eachday anywhere in the world.These can give startlingly detailed cloud coverpictures of the weather patterns surrounding thereceiving location. Two types of images aretransmitted from each satellite: Visible light andinfra-red. Visible light images show surfacecloud cover. Low pressure weather systemstypically show up as a spiral of densely groupedcloud. Infra-red images can reveal the surfacetemperature and show cloud cover even duringthe hours of darkness.The WS5 M SystemEverything that is needed to receive stunningsatellite images on a Windows 95 or laterlaptop computer is provided. The systemincludes a compact marinised antenna, a dualchannel NOAA receiver with in-built serialcomputer interface and powerful Windows32bit ‘PROsat’ software.Satellite Information and UseModern weather forecasting is increasinglyaccurate, however most information used toproduce radio weather facsimile charts is at leastthree hours old when transmitted. The speed ofmovement of weather patterns and tropicalrevolving storms is often inaccurately forecastand the development of a secondary lowpressure system is frequently not forecast at all.The WS5 allows fine tuning of weather forecasts- the determination of the actual rate ofmovement of weather systems, and an indicationof un-forecasted weather developments. Usinginfra-red images,surface temperaturesmay be determinedand changes inocean temperaturecan be located.These features canassist deep-seafishermen in thelocation of warmocean areas andallow long distanceyachtsmen to locateocean currents.Track II for WindowsFEATURES User friendly Windows 95/98/NT4softwareNOAA 14 visible light image with false colourOne ‘click’ for automatic scheduling ofNOAA passesLive display of full incoming imageVisible and Infrared images viewablesimultaneouslyContinuous AutoSave and scheduling ofnew imagesSimultaneous tracking and newimage window‘You are here’ position indication from GPSLatitude and Longitude grids withland outlinesTemperature slice displaySpectacular colour facilitiesCompact marine antennaGreyscale or colour printing usingWindows supported printers

Software OperationAs with all ICS products, ease of use is ofparamount importance. One click of the‘Automatic Reception Icon’ will start anew reception session. The ‘TrackingWindow’ will show the actual position ofthe ‘footprint’ of the NOAA satelliteplotted on a world map. It shows details ofthe actual ‘rise’ and ‘fall times’ of the nextavailable satellites. From then on, imagesare automatically received, dated, timestampedand saved to computer file. Themost up to date image is left in view.Previous images may be recalled and‘windowed’ alongside for comparison.Any part of an image may be enlarged andprocessed to provide maximum imageclarity. Images may be zoomed as many as threetimes, grey levels manipulated and imagecontrast adjusted to allow examination of the finedetail. User defined ‘false colour’ palettes may beoverlaid. These can enhance the overall imagepresentation by showing ocean areas and landmasses in different colours.The ‘Temperature Slice’ feature presents areasof similar surface temperatures as colouredbands. This permits the user to view the positionof weather fronts and ocean currents which canbe dependant on changes in surface temperature.Computer generated latitude and longitudegridding and country outlines may besuperimposed on the received image and the actualposition of the vessel can be plotted on the screen.By connecting the WS5 to a GPS navigationreceiver with a NMEA 0183 interface, the vessel’sposition details and the computer’s clock may beautomatically updated.Satellite Element DataSatellite orbit prediction element data can be automaticallydown loaded into the WS5 by connectionto the “Internet” or telephone bulletin board(requires Windows supported modem). To maintainthe accuracy of the satellite rise time predictionand grid image overlay, updating is normallyrequired once a month. If a direct “Internet”connection is not available on board, it is possibleto enter the element update information by hand.ICSWS5 M Technical SpecificationsRECEIVERReceiver Frequency137.500, 137.620 MHzReceiver Sensitivity>0.3µV for 12dB SINADAntenna Input75Ω F type connector, 12v DC present.Supply Voltage10-14 Volts DCSupply Current500 mASerial Interface Output 57.6kbpsNMEA Input0183 Version 2 - RMC or GGA& ZDA or GLL&ZDASize200W x 45H x 15D mm excluding connectorsWeight0.45KgMountingTable top, or bulkhead using the BMK-2 optionCOMPUTER REQUIREMENTSPentium 90 or higher processor, 20MB hard disk space, Windows 95/98 or NT4, Unused serial COM port,8MB RAM or more, Super VGA 800x600x256 display or betterAutomatic update of NOAA satellite elements requires a modem and Internet accountWS5 - OPTIONS● BMK-2bulkhead or shelf mounting kit for WS5 receiver● WS-EXT20m antenna extension cable● WS-5GMeteosat & GOES Geostationarysatellite-upgrade for WS5,(for landbased installation only)TECHNICAL DETAILS - WS-ANT/A ANTENNAMarinised cross dipole antenna with reflectors, 1” x 14 T.P.I.internal mounting thread, 10m plug in cableSize650mm tall x 950mm diameterWeight1.75KgICS Electronics has a policy of continuous product improvement and reserve the right to vary in detail from thespecifications contained in this brochure.WS5 M Rev B 24/08/1998 © 98 ICS Electronics LtdICS Electronics Ltd,Unit V, Rudford Industrial Estate, Ford, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 0BD, England.Telephone: +44 (0) 1903 731101 Facsimile: +44 (0) 1903 731105Email: sales@icselectronics.co.uk Web Site: www.icselectronics.co.uk