GPS (plotter) + VHF + NAVTEX

[phatcat1]

I have a Raymarine C80 plotter linked to an ICOM VHF and both now work very well (after some early teething problems!)

I have now fitted a Furuno NAVTEX, which is the mutts nuts! While sat in the home berth at Woolverstone on the Orwell, we get messages from Poland and the Baltic, down to Italy and the Adriatic, which is all rather fantastic, but does tend to clutter up the real messages we want from the North Sea, Thames and Dover!

If we connect the Furuno to the GPS it will automatically screen out the unwanted clutter and messages, concentrating on the local messages.

There in hangs the problem!

How do I do this, neither Furuno or Raymarine mention how this is possible in either handbook!

Does anyone have any ideas how these three components can live happily together (i am including the VHF in this marriage!)

 

[Koeketiene]

We've got the very same.

Quite straigthforward really - there's an NMEA-IN at the back of the NAVTEX - that's the one.
Once you hook it up, the NAVTEX can also serve as a GPS repeater (lat/long screen only).

I've used a splitter on my GPS (Furuno GP32) as it's also linked to my VHF, radar, Yeoman & NASA GPS repeater on the bridge.

You can also reduce the amount of clutter on your NAVTEX by reducing the amount of msgs you want to receive - I only "subscribe" to weather (B & E) and SAR msgs.
Equally you can reduce the number of stations you receive - for your area E (Nitton), G (Cullercoats), T (Ostend Radio) and P (Netherlands Coastguard) should cover it.

Also make sure that your Raymarine plotter's output is set to NMEA and not SeaTalk rubbish - but since you got it to work with your VHF that won't be a problem.

 

[phatcat1]

Thanks for the info Guapa, it was good to bump into you at Ramsgate, I trust your trip over the sea was fine.

I will have ago wiring the NMEA input on the Furuno to the output from the Raymarine (where it joins the Icom input and see what happens. I will also have a go at screening the messages as you have advised.

Regards

Nick

 

[Koeketiene]

The main reason I got NAVTEX was to not have to rely on whatever the marina (if I was in one) posted or to have to get up at an ungodly hour to catch the forecast on Radio 4.

In the end, you're not much better off than before. If you have ONE watch you know the time; if you have TWO you're never sure.
You end up getting so many forecasts - some contradict eachother - and you end up not knowing who to believe. Also, most forecasts tend to be for the next 12hrs. How about tomorrow, our the day after?

They more you know, the less you know.

We experienced this these last two weeks - always waiting for the ideal conditions. We ended up with so much contradictory forecasts that in the end it just came down to: "F-word it, we're going!"

 

[phatcat1]

Have found Ostendradio, and the Met 24 hr and 3 day outlook useful. Just have to remember which side of the North Sea they are biased to.