Easy Navtex - Nasa

[Twister_Ken]

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

ICS Nav6+. See above.

 

[Tintin]

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

It seems the Easy Navtex can receive both frequencies and that on first set up (or afterwards if you wish) you can program the times it changes frequencies.

The Clipper navtex (if I am correct) required buttons t be pushed whenever you wanted to change, and the Target (again if I am correct, from reading) has a switch in the leads, so quite fiddly.

The dual frequency programmable switch seems to solve the weak point in the product features of the Nasa Navtex units.

Some may think that you miss stuff if you are not receiving all the time on both, but (and I have no experience to back this up BTW) I'm taking the view that the messages are often repeated, so will be unlikely to miss much.

 

[doug748]

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

From memory, I think the Easy Navtex can be programmed to switch between the two frequences at your convenience. It is on the site.


Aye, aye. I have just seen that Comrade Red has said the very same thing

 

[stuartwineberg]

+1 on the aerial

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.

We have a navtex PC unit and the aerial is in a void behind a piece of trim in the saloon. Works fne - definitely no need to mount it outside

 

[Slow_boat]

This is a silly question, I'm sure, but surely a 'basic' navtex will recieve the same forcasts with the same frquency as a more expensive one. What else do the more expensive ones do to justify the higher price tag?

 

[doug748]

Beats me.

I often think the same thing about motor cars.

 

[Twister_Ken]

This is a silly question, I'm sure, but surely a 'basic' navtex will recieve the same forcasts with the same frquency as a more expensive one. What else do the more expensive ones do to justify the higher price tag?

Well, to start with, they don't look like something cobbled-up by a first year design and technology class.

 

[Slow_boat]

It's a lot of money to pay for looks.

 

[pvb]

This is a silly question, I'm sure, but surely a 'basic' navtex will recieve the same forcasts with the same frquency as a more expensive one. What else do the more expensive ones do to justify the higher price tag?

Not a silly question. The more expensive units are better designed, better made and have much better features. Some of these features include higher resolution displays for easier reading, sophisticated message processing to reduce errors in received messages, various sorting and filtering capabilities, various alarm functions, etc. The ICS Nav6plus also has the ability to use the display as a sophisticated NMEA data display, including a rolling road navigation facility.

 

[Slow_boat]

If they all receive the same forcast at the same time I can probably do without the better looks, filtering capabilities, sorting and filtering and ability to double up as a display for something else for a couple of hundred quid!

 

[pagoda]

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.

The active antennas consist of a JFET and a few other components, and cost relative pennies to fix. Mine lives outside and has suffered no harm.
My GPS antenna (active also) unfortunately has a connector below it - and needs attention from time to time. NASA stuff may be simpler than Ra££marine, but it generally does the job.

 

[Tintin]

It's a lot of money to pay for looks.

And its hardly a babe magnet

 

[Tintin]

Not a silly question....... The ICS Nav6plus also has the ability to use the display as a sophisticated NMEA data display, including a rolling road navigation facility.

Oh gawd. Another bit of kit / feature that I wasn't aware I needed

 

[joha]

Got a Navtex Pro Plus (NASA) Regularly picks up Anaba in Algeria, GFotland in the Baltic and North Utsire in Norway. I can read the messages ok and is connected to a whip antena on the gantry really can't complain. Yes it sometimes displays lost signal but not often and thgese are far away stations usually and boat based in Gosport. So cant complain really.

J

 

[Oldgeezer]

I have the NASA easy navtex and it is easy to set up and works very well. It even receives messages from Valentia and Faroes. (I've programmed them out as I'm cruising in the Thames estuary!) Very clear display for my old eyes.

I cant imagine a more expensive unit gets any different or better messages.

The only (minor) negative I can see is the clock would need to be reset every time I power the unit up if i want it to do a timed automatic switch from 518 to 490 but as that only gets me Dutch language from Ostend i dont bother.

I would have thought a clock that keeps going on a rechargeable battery would have been quite simple as most of us switch the electrics off every time we leave the boat - or is that just me?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

This is a silly question, I'm sure, but surely a 'basic' navtex will recieve the same forcasts with the same frquency as a more expensive one. What else do the more expensive ones do to justify the higher price tag?

I've used both Nasa and ICS ones. Nasa products seem to have significantly poorer reception, often displaying half junk. ICS models just work all the time.

I was in Portpatrick harbour once and couldn't get any reception on a Nasa receiver even though I could see the man through my binoculars typing in the text up on the top of the hill.

 

[Seajet]

Comrade Red,

I have had various bits of NASA kit ( Hi, my name's Andy and I'm an ex-NASA user ! ) and PVB Pete speaks the truth I assure you.

Had 2 windspeed units ( long story ) both rubbish, now removed.

Had an early Navtex, installed correctly but didn't work at all well, took it back to Marine SuperStore who were excellent about it, in fact I got the strong impression they were expecting it back !

The only bit of NASA kit I can say has proved reliable and does its' job properly is the Clipper Depth.

I take no joy in reporting this, the only reason I've stuck with them at all is to try and support a British company; I just wish they'd get their finger out and improve their quality.

 

[Tintin]

I can report that it installed easily, with the aerial tucked up in the coaming, and it works ace.

Now to find something to spend the saved cash on...

 

[Poignard]

I get the weather forecasts on my Kindle 3G

 

[WightMistress]

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.

I have just decided that a NAVTEX would be a good bit of kit to take with me on my next delivery, since the owner was not prepared to pay for my Iridium phone for the trip. I have NASA windex on my own boat and even though it did go defective at one point, the folks at NASA were extremely helpful AND as Comrade Red says, it helps keep the money in UK. I am looking at one of the NASA range; not sure which one yet but I do want one that is auto freq changing.