NAVTEX Time Slots

NAVTEX Time Slots
(Click for a larger image) 
 

There are currently 16 NAVAREA's with 5 new NAVAREA/METAREA's covering the Artic region expected to come into effect  in the second half of 2008.

Each NAVAREA may contain up to 24 stations, each identified by what is known as a B1 character A through to X.

NAVTEX messages in each NAVAREA are transmitted in six, four hour blocks of 24, 10 minute slots.

The blocks start at midnight then 0400, 0800, 1200, 1600 and 2000.

Each station identified by its B1 station identifier starts transmitting at a fixed offset from the start of each four hour block.

e.g. Station E will start transmitting 40 minutes from the start of a 4 hour block for 10 minutes, the first each day being at 0040 then at 0440, 0840, 1240, 1640 and finally 2040.