HF VOLMET weather broadcasts
 

I have been a "lurker" on the forum for awhile and really enjoy a lot of these posts.

But I decided I wanted to ask a question, and I hope this is the right place to ask it.

Does anyone still use the HF VOLMET weather broadcasts for their weather source while in flight? (or anytime)

I know many of the big Carriers have gone to the VOLMET -D digital means, and the HF voice stations have been around for ever.

The reason I ask, is that HONOLULU RADIO for the past two years on and off has not been broadcasting the reports.
And a time or two got out of sync and off time, and was interfering with TOYKO RADIO in its time slot.

Just Curious?
Thanks

Yes, some airlines havent updated their fleet with Satcom - so HF volmet is widely used.

In fact we attempt to listen to the Honolulu volmet quite often as we rely on it - and these days it never seems to have the weather available. A bit disconcerting when you are flying for long periods over the pacific with few alternate airports.

We keep an ear out on the HF volmet every time we go flying. It's a shame that it only broadcasts once every half hour. Normally miss the TTF I want by about 10 seconds!

It has not reported the regular weather information now for about four months.
It does broadcast SIGMETS that are sent to it , but all METAR broadcasts are
just :" No Report Received" after each airport name.

I have emailed and called to get them to find the problem ,but to no avail.
It is almost as though they do not care anymore in Honolulu
(or someone retired and the replacement does not know what to do)

Thanks to both who responded.

HONOLUU HF VOLMET STATION
 

FYI - Apparently, the HONOLULU RADIO (HF VOLMET) STATION has been turned off.

I have not heard the station now for about 4 weeks on any frequency.

All other stations in that volmet chain are broadcasting normally at their assigned times.

I guess someone decided it was not needed anymore. (and maybe it isn't)

We couldn't get the Australian VOLMET today either, on both 6676 and 11387. Any suggestions?

Datalink and satcom are fine. What happens if they break? There is still a use for Volmet.

Aussie VOLMET 6676 has been OTS on different occasions for some time now.
Head Office Notam.

On the Tasman, Oz volmet is notoriously bad for reception, being very weak or unreadable on either frequency a lot of the time, until you get relatively close to the coast.

And I've noticed that the NZ volmet is cutting off the beginning of the transmission lately, which can be a pain if there are no sigmets at the beginning, as it cuts off the initial details of the Auckland METAR.

AERIS on VHF over continental Oz is pretty good (ERSA GEN-FIS-1), and there is always the Flightwatch on HF on request of course.

HF VOLMET HONOLULU Weather Broadcasts
 

Got to love the technical folk at the FAA......

After almost a year of intermittent or no broadcast, I find that HONOLULU
RADIO is back to actually broadcasting current weather for all locations.

I gave up on phone call's and email's, who knows how or why it got fixed.