Best Navtex (PBO recent survey?)

demonboy

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Hi

I'm looking to buy a Navtex system for my boat and wondered if anyone had any constructive advice/recommendations. I know I should really be looking for the best system for my cruising area which is currently Turkey, but this will extend to the whole Med, north Africa, Canaries and the Caribbean too!

I seem to remember a recent test in PBO but I've left my copy on my boat in Turkey! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Any websites with the results?

Thanks!
 

TigaWave

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For what its worth....I would opt for an ssb receiver (preferably transceiver) and a lap top.
Last trip I did the cheap option and it was superb for navtex/weatherfax and rtty. A Target HF3 and a £100.00 laptop.
Superb reception covering the whole atlantic, and a choice of weatherfax, text and ham nets to tune into.
(I've always hated navtex only receivers as they seem to give me loads of print outs of stuff i dont want)
 

demonboy

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Hi Tiga

So with your set-up how stable did you find the data....as in did you hit black spots, have to constantly re-tune etc? The HF3 spec reads well and could be a hot contender though I was considering an LCD screen Navtex to avoid the print-outs.
 

TigaWave

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I didn't use it for navtex but it worked well on rtty/text from Germany which is a nicer forecast for western europe and weatherfax from northwood or Boston...but downside is you have to tune into the station at the right times....,
I can see the point of navtex if you want an automatic system, but on longer passages it was nice to be able to get a variety of weather sources from one (small ) piece of kit, as well as tune into friends who were chatting on nets, as they shared their wether info.
 

ShipsWoofy

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They recommended the Furuno I recall. The recommendation based upon menu systems and how far the thing could receive from, they were getting results from miles away when the other sets Nasa and Nav6 were only getting 200 odd miles.

Not that this was a maximum for them, just what results they got on the day.

I did not like the furuno that I saw at Libs I think, it looked like fisher prices my first navtex. The text was just too big and therefore lines and characters are limited.

I use a clipper navtex and thus far am very pleased with it. I find the screen really easy to read, and the back light is brilliant IMO.

Best prices for Nasa look at http://www.allgadgets.co.uk/

***Usual disclaimers apply***
 

ShipsWoofy

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Currently Cardigan Bay, well, West coast I guess.

Soon...

Somewhere warm with bars on the beach

soon

soon


soon
 

BlueChip

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Ive got the ICS Nav6 Plus LCD Navtex system and can only say good things about it. I have had it for several years, it is very easy to use and program, it will select relevant transmission stations automatically based on GPS position, but is sensitive enough to pick up transmissions from all over Northern Europe. ie we can receive Norwegian Navtex transmissions in Gosport if needed. It receives both 518KHz and 490 KHz automatically with no user intervention necessary.

Its also a very versatile NMEA repeater with a number of pages of repeater layout translating just about every NMEA sentence available. Ours is positioned by the chart table and we leave it with the display showing the lat & long in large characters - anyone needing to transmit our position by VHF would have no problem in reading it

What I particularly like is that although you can filter the data to only display what you want to see, every bit of received data is actually stored, so you can always change your display filter parameters and see the data in other formats or from other stations at any time

It's on permanently but you can turn the display off to save power. The display is very high resolution and clear and you can toggle between a number of font sizes for the text messages, choose a large font if you haven't got your reading glasses on and a very small font which displays the whole forecast very clearly.
 

pvb

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Best choice is...

Regardless of what PBO might have said, the best choice surely is the ICS Nav6plus - that's what I've put on my "wish list" for the boat.

The Nav6plus has a simultaneous dual frequency reception, whereas the Furuno NX300 and Clipper Navtex, although described as dual frequency, have to be manually switched between the 518 and 490 frequencies. The Nav6plus also functions as a superb repeater for NMEA information, with lots of user-selectable display formats. And it can be set to automatically keep a log of position, etc, at regular intervals. The "Fisher Price" description /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif of the Furuno is a good one, as the 4.5" screen is only 120x64 resolution; the ICS Nav6plus in contrast has a 6" screen with 480x320 resolution - 20 times better!

The downside is that the ICS Nav6plus is £399 - £70 more than the Furuno, but well worth the extra.
 

demonboy

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Re: Best choice is...

Hmmm, ok, that's useful advice pvb. Thank you. Anyone else have an opinion on this bit of kit?

As an adjunct to my original question, does anyone know if I can receive Navtex data in Turkey (Aegean), or can anyone tell me how I find out if I can receive this data? (*Thinks* perhaps I should do a quick Google before asking this question)
 

Oldhand

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Re: Best choice is...

Quite agree, ICS Nav6 Plus is an excellent bit of kit and if your worried about onboard generated interference then the "A" model works great with an active whip at the masthead.
 

demonboy

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Re: Best choice is...

Excuse my ignorance but what is an active whip and why should I worry about "onboard generated interference"? What could cause this?
 

Sui Generis

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Re: Best choice is...

Agree that the ICS looks good on paper, and agreed that the repeater function is excellent. However, I find the Furuno more reliable when receiving Navtex down here in the West Country, but you do have to change frequency manually. (I have both sets.) PM me if you want more info
 

pvb

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ICS reception...

I believe the Nav6 was originally shipped with a 450mm whip antenna which fitted in the top of the active antenna. ICS stopped shipping with the whip some time ago, but the whip antenna is still available as an option and may improve reception in certain areas.
 

Sui Generis

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Re: ICS reception...

I have it and it makes no difference. I have tried many things including grounding it out to the keel/anode, and sending it back to McMurdo twice (who were very helpful). It may be local conditions or interference on my boat, but why does the Furuno work and not the ICS? More questions than answers.

I have a spare Nav 6, two years old with repeater, which I would happily sell.
 

Marsupial

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Hi

I have had quite a few of these, the NASA, and the ICS 6. They are both excellent bits of kit but both had a problem with me! The text on the ICS was far too small, I couldn't read it. The NASA was OK but was a bit "cheap". The one that I currently favour is the fisher price Furuno - it has big characters that I can read. As I tell my students, you need good eyes to see through my glasses, sadly I don’t have them.

Must say though that I find the value of the navtex system questionable at times, it often tells you no more than you already know.

Cheers
 

Sui Generis

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Quote
Must say though that I find the value of the navtex system questionable at times, it often tells you no more than you already know. Unquote

In my opinion the theory is good but the technology involved is old and so desperately slow that NAVTEX cannot convey anything more that the most basic information. Why do sea safety systems have to evolve so slowly?
 

Gypsy

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Re: Best choice is...

I too have an ICS Nav6+. The extra cost was supported by the NMEA displays, the dual channel (barely useful in the Med) and the storage of all messages even though you displayed only those you had the filters selected for. Depending upon how many stations you can receive and the number of messages from those stations, the unit stores about a week's worth. Handy to look back for navigational warnings, alarms etc.

As mentioned, the latest antenna (active) does not need the "whip". I found earthing the braid of the display/antenna cable to the keel improved reception considerably but you should also keep the antenna clear of other metalwork such as biminis etc. You can have reception difficulties in very sheltered anchorages/ports which is ironic considering you are usually looking for weather info to decide if you will leave port!

I have used Navtex in Italy, Greece and Turkey and have found it to be very useful but I also agree the SSB German 24hr and 5 day Med forecasts are very good during the changable seasons of Spring and Autumn. The problem with the German forecast is that it is designed more for open waters whilst the Navtex can be more detailed for local waters depending on the country providing the service.

In the end too much information can be confusing and we use the "LOW" forecast (Look Out the Window) to great effect whilst coastal cruising.

Ray
 
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