Easy Navtex - Nasa

[Tintin]

I had a look at the Nasa site this morning, specifically navtex, and noticed they now have a new (I think) unit called the EASY NAVTEX.

Click

It looks similar to the Clipper unit, but appears to have larger display characters, the switching between national and international is automatically programmable (unlike the clipper and target - correct?), and the 4 buttons are now "soft" menu buttons rather than dedicated to a function.

Has anyone tried one out?

If so, how did it compare to the Target or Clipper? I am assuming the software / engine is identical and that this is a revamped user interface.

(Battening down the hatches for the Furono / anti-nasa posts )

 

[pvb]

I can't imagine spending £250ish on a clunky-looking Nasa Easy Navtex when for about £100 more I can buy an ICS Nav6 Dual which has a far superior display and stacks more features. Better quality, better functionality, better value.

 

[Tintin]

I can't imagine spending £250ish on a clunky-looking Nasa Easy Navtex when for about £100 more I can buy an ICS Nav6 Dual which has a far superior display and stacks more features. Better quality, better functionality, better value.

Where have you found the Nav6 plus (the dual one) at roughly £100 more?

I ask 'cos the best price I could find was almost £580, which is well over twice the cost of the Nasa.

 

[Twister_Ken]

I can't imagine spending £250ish on a clunky-looking Nasa Easy Navtex when for about £100 more I can buy an ICS Nav6 Dual which has a far superior display and stacks more features. Better quality, better functionality, better value.

Agreed. And for another £100 you can the Nav6+ which can repeat NMEA info so you get a cheap NMA readout downstairs.

 

[doug748]

Why, oh why buy one of these when for another £1000 you could have a villa in the South of France.....



The weak link on the NASA previous stuff always seemed to be the active aerial. I have heard they work well inside a locker and thus protected from the elements tend to last longer. My Navex pro has been ok but that new job does seem to have a much sleeker case. At your price pint you might consider a secondhand unit but I would be tempted to have a go with the Easy, esp if they are discounted to below £250.

 

[pvb]

Where have you found the Nav6 plus (the dual one) at roughly £100 more?

I didn't say I had. The Nav6 Dual is about £350; the Nav6+ is about £450. Check their website for features, or better still, look at the user manual and contrast it with the Nasa user manual.

 

[Tintin]

Why, oh why buy one of these when for another £1000 you could have a villa in the South of France.....



The weak link on the NASA previous stuff always seemed to be the active aerial. I have heard they work well inside a locker and thus protected from the elements tend to last longer. My Navex pro has been ok but that new job does seem to have a much sleeker case. At your price pint you might consider a secondhand unit but I would be tempted to have a go with the Easy, esp if they are discounted to below £250.

That made me laugh - the reason I started looking was because I has seen a Target on ebay starting at £75, so already "wallet creep" had set in with me thinking about a new unit for £250. Suddenly I'm up to £580

I've just made a quick call to the guys at Nasa (as ever so helpful and straight through to someone who can help) to confirm about the aerial mounting. They have confirmed its OK in a cockpit locker and can be horizontal or vertical (that helps a lot), but to be aware that strip lights or inverters can create electrical noise that may interfere and reduce recepetion of the 518MHz band.

All the Nasa kit I have (wind, depth, log) always seems to work well, and I haven't had the problems that some have reported with, for example, the wind cups.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I do think that sometimes we are all quite happy to knock British made products, which do after all mean money stays in our country.

PVB - you often comment on Nasa kit - do you actually own any or have you ever as you do seem a touch anti.

 

[Tintin]

I didn't say I had. The Nav6 Dual is about £350; the Nav6+ is about £450. Check their website for features, or better still, look at the user manual and contrast it with the Nasa user manual.

Mmmm - maybe you have a different type of internet to me.

The best price on the Dual I can find (INCLUDING VAT) is £499.94 at Cactus - click

And from what I can see you then need to buy the aerial extra.

Where is it for £350 inc VAT with aerial?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Mmmm - maybe you have a different type of internet to me.

The best price on the Dual I can find (INCLUDING VAT) is £499.94 at Cactus - click

And from what I can see you then need to buy the aerial extra.

Where is it for £350 inc VAT with aerial?

Yes, you obviously have an inferior version of the Internet: £359

 

[ithet]

Slightly better internet - http://www.mailspeedmarine.com/mari...ium=base&utm_campaign=ICS_Nav_6_Dual_Reciever

The thing that gets me about NASA kit is why they have so many different units for everything. When they developed a different Navtex display interface, why not just produce one unit with a selectable display format? No extra development or product costs - surely they do not expect anyone to buy both do they?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Slightly better internet - http://www.mailspeedmarine.com/mari...ium=base&utm_campaign=ICS_Nav_6_Dual_Reciever

The thing that gets me about NASA kit is why they have so many different units for everything. When they developed a different Navtex display interface, why not just produce one unit with a selectable display format? No extra development or product costs - surely they do not expect anyone to buy both do they?

You should be aware that the Mailspeed site isn't displaying the current ICS unit. The shark's fin aerial has now been replaced by a plain aerial, and the electrickery that was embedded in the serial base has now been moved into a second box which has to be fitted downstairs somewhere.

NO

YES

 

[Slow_boat]

Personally, I would rahter pay a bit less for a simple, straightforward system than pay more for a more complicated system with bells and whistles I'm not going to use. But then I am quite happy to have a wind indicator that hasn't worked for three seasons, a log that works intermitantly and a Furuno chart plotter that I don't use because it's to complicated!

If I were more than coastal and day sailing, I would probably get the gadgets working but still prefer simple and adequate to bells and whistles I'll never use.

 

[stevensuf]

i have on of the nasa navtexts and the antenna works ok indoors but the system gets interference when my stereo is on and looses messages. the antenna is about 3 foot away from the stereo, but the display closer so don't know which part is causing the lost messages!

 

[pvb]

Mmmm - maybe you have a different type of internet to me.

The best price on the Dual I can find (INCLUDING VAT) is £499.94 at Cactus - click

And from what I can see you then need to buy the aerial extra.

Where is it for £350 inc VAT with aerial?

I think you need some Googling practice!

You'd be best starting with the ICS website, where you can begin to understand the different versions available. The entry-level Nav6 (often called the "Dual" by retailers) is £358 inc shipping (and antenna) at Mailspeed and Fox's. That's about £140 cheaper than the "best price" you found at Cactus. It can receive on either 490 or 518kHz.

The next one up is the Nav 6+ (this has simultaneous reception of the 2 frequencies and a very good NMEA repeater capability). It's been offered at £459 by JG Tech (although now sold out apparently). Other retailers have it at about £540.

There's also a Nav6A Plus, which you can get for about £440 without aerial, but it will apparently work on a simple long wire aerial or connected to the backstay.

 

[pvb]

PVB - you often comment on Nasa kit - do you actually own any or have you ever as you do seem a touch anti.

No, I don't own any Nasa stuff, and wouldn't buy any. Apart from the amazingly crude design of much of it, I feel most of their products don't represent good value for money.

 

[Tintin]

I think you need some Googling practice!

.

I think I do

 

[multihullsailor6]

I too have been toying with Nasa's EASY Navtex, it would compliment the Weatherman and Meteoman (which work perfectly by the way) in my nav station. But I have now been thinking about using the NASA PC NAVTEX USB instead, at GBP120 plus postage it's a big difference and it also picks up both transmitted frequencies simultanieously.

 

[pvb]

....and it also picks up both transmitted frequencies simultanieously.

You reckon? I think you'll find it doesn't, but it can be programmed to switch between frequencies twice a day.

 

[multihullsailor6]

You reckon? I think you'll find it doesn't, but it can be programmed to switch between frequencies twice a day.

Thanks for that clarification - can the Easy Navtex pick up both frequencies simultaniously?
If not, is there another Navtex receiver out there which does?

 

[pvb]

Thanks for that clarification - can the Easy Navtex pick up both frequencies simultaniously?

I don't think so, but it's very difficult to get any sensible information on Nasa products, their website is poor and their user manuals are worse.