Subelement N: N – Marine— Topic 88: FAX, NAVTEX
Question 3-88N2
Element 3 (GROL)What is the standard scan rate for high-frequency 3 MHz - 23 MHz weather facsimile reception from shore stations?
Explanation
High-frequency weather facsimile (WEFAX) transmissions from shore stations adhere to international standards to ensure interoperability for receivers worldwide. The most common and widely adopted scan rate for these HF broadcasts is 120 lines per minute (LPM). This rate, often coupled with an Index of Cooperation (IOC) of 576, provides a good balance between image resolution, transmission time, and the practical bandwidth limitations and propagation characteristics of the HF spectrum.
Options C and D, given in "lines per second," represent significantly higher scan rates (3600-9000 LPM) that are far too fast for robust HF transmission and reception of weather charts. Such speeds would require excessive bandwidth and be highly susceptible to HF propagation issues. While 240 LPM (option A) is a recognized facsimile speed, 120 LPM is the prevalent standard for the vast majority of shore-based HF WEFAX services.
Related Questions
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