Grib file readers

[BlueSkyNick]

Been doing a bit of research into the best way of downloading and displaying Grib files.

Found the Ballgate here . Only £8 + VAT and looks pretty good.

Are there any other recommendations?

 

[demonboy]

Yes. I was recently introduced to GRIB.US, and it's FREE!

I don't know how it compares to your suggested package but it allows you to locate your region and save it so every time you want to dload the latest grib file you just click a button. It's a 5 day forecast at 3 hour intervals and can be animated. Covers rain, pressure, wind.

You have to have MS .net framework installed on your PC but if you don't have this, it downloads and installs this automatically.

 

[Talbot]

Another vote for Grib.US

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

And another!

 

[BlueSkyNick]

only had a quick flick - looks good, thanks chaps. More investigations to follow later.

 

[Jonny_H]

Just downloaded Grib.US stuff - looks fantastic - thanks chaps.

Just got an SSB for the boat - will it be easy to use a pactor modem to get the GRIB data via HF using UGRIB??

 

[demonboy]

As long as you save the grib file on your pc first. Not sure if you can dload directly using the SSB - a quick search on the site for 'pactor' and 'ssb' yielded no results. Try emailing them. Always worth mentioning things like this to s/w developers cos if it's not available in the current version they may consider developing a newer version with this facility.

 

[Deleted member 478]

To get grib files via a pactor modem and SSB, you need to be a subscriber to something like Sailmail ( http://www.sailmail.com ). To get synoptic charts via SSB you don't need a pactor modem, just a sound card in your laptop, a cable between the SSB and laptop (SSB headphones to laptop microphone) and a software package like MeteoScan ( http://mscan.com/products.html ) or JVcomm.

 

[Deleted member 478]

err, I've just seen the price of MeteoScan. I am sure it used to be about US$30. There are bound to be other packages, more reasonably priced, that do exactly the same thing.

 

[deep denial]

I get the impression that the actual forecasts are different to the ones which come from the met office. Has anyone else felt this, and do they use different data?

 

[PembrokeshirePromise]

I understood that GRIB files were generated automatically from the forecasting models - no human intervention - whereas "normal" forescasts have a meterologist adding a further layer of interpretation ontop ...

 

[demonboy]

Not sure where/who/how the grib files are generated for grib.us but they seem to tally with Windguru, which is always spot on for Turkey.

 

[duncan]

ty - installed and happy!

 

[AlistairC]

SeaTTY is absolutely brilliant - I tried it for a while then willingly paid the £20 fee.

 

[Jonny_H]

The guy we bought our SSB off had a cable to connect to the laptop and he used MeteoScan ... but it does look pricey - any other suggestions on weather programmes that don't use a modem?

Jonny

 

[whipper_snapper]

Seatty
http://www.dxsoft.com/en/products/seatty/

Oops. Just seen that AlistairC says the same thing. But i agree!

 

[Blue5]

I beleive they use the GFS model.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

sorted now Demonboy - it's the mutt's nuts !

had a small problem with connection to the server, posted a thread on their Help forum and got a response within half an hour - turned out to be my firewall config.

thanks again.

 

[demonboy]

'Bir shey dil', as they say in Turkey (but probably not spelt like that)!