Grib Viewer

[brokethebox]

Hi all,

currently going through setting up an iridium phone to connect to a computer for running weather on our offshore trip in the summer, and I wondered if any of you had a preferred GRIB viewer.

Mailasail have a few recommended, but before i picked one of them i wondered if you lot had any thoughts.

Many thanks in advance,

James

 

[GHA]

Opencpn and zygrib. Opencpn is handy as you can make a route showing where you think you'll be 12/24 hours ahead.

 

[coopec]

I have not the slightest idea what you are talking about but after a quick look I think I would want one on a cruise.

This article is a bit out-of-date but it might assist.

https://www.morganscloud.com/2011/10/15/review-grib-viewers/

http://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/cruising-tips/tools-for-weather-forecasting/

Clive

 

[brokethebox]

Opencpn and zygrib. Opencpn is handy as you can make a route showing where you think you'll be 12/24 hours ahead.

Why zygrib? Can you elaborate?

James

 

[brokethebox]

thanks clive,

I saw that one when i googled but I'd have thought things should have moved on a bit from then. But probably not...

James

 

[coopec]

Why zygrib? Can you elaborate?

James

"Stand-alone GRIB Programs

There are many stand-alone GRIB programs available. In particular, on the desktop computer, zyGrib (zygrib.org) for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X is a very easy-to-use GRIB downloader, viewer and weather visualization program. The zyGrib program combines NOAA GFS forecasts for up to 10 days in three-hour increments at 0.25-degree resolution. The program also supports high-resolution Numerical Mesoscales Model (NMM) forecasts for up to three days in one-hour increments and global wave data from



http://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/cruising-tips/tools-for-weather-forecasting/

 

[adwuk]

zyGrib is one of the best, an the grib overlay in opencpn is also very useful.

 

[GHA]

Why zygrib? Can you elaborate?

James

Probably force of habit

The boat nav computer is a raspberry pi running openplotter which comes with zygrib preinstalled, so that gets used whenever there is a net connection, offshore gribs come in using winlink on a ham radio so thinking about it on a recent trip from Brittany down to the Algarve, it'smore likely that opencpn was used to view gribs most of the time. The Opencpn weatherfax plugin is very good &will create the email parameters fto get a grib from saildocs, also can create a "moving grib" where you set a speed and course and the grib area will follow the boat. Handy to keep downloads as small as poss offshore.

 

[bitbaltic]

I find the most flexible stand-alone GRIB viewer, in terms of manipulation of the presentation, is ExpeditionLT (the free version of Expedition). However for going offshore with satcomms I suggest having a look at SQUID- the software is free and a free subscription gives 10 day GFS 0.25 deg as well as 16 day GFS 1 deg, plus some other models. Perhaps most useful if sailing offshore is that the software includes a routing tool, which I was pleased to find works with the free subscription. This means you can request weather routing, which is something I find useful offshore and I don't know any other free viewer that will give you this. The software will also connect to the GPS and show the boat's position on the weather model (haven't tried that yet though). http://www.squid-sailing.com/

I can't speak for OpenCPN but the PC chartplotter GRIB displays I have used (SeaPro, PCPlotter) I have found clunky. If you are properly offshore there will be nothing to look at on a chart anyway, so why use a plotter program if you can get a better stand alone viewer?

 

[LadyInBed]

zyGrib is one of the best, an the grib overlay in opencpn is also very useful.

Yes to zygrib and it has been going a long time now.
Re opencpn, overlay is useful if you run ocpn as a plotter/planner but I wouldn't use it just for its grib overlay.

 

[temptress]

Hi all,

currently going through setting up an iridium phone to connect to a computer for running weather on our offshore trip in the summer, and I wondered if any of you had a preferred GRIB viewer.

Mailasail have a few recommended, but before i picked one of them i wondered if you lot had any thoughts.

Many thanks in advance,

James

I have been a fan of OpenCPN and ZYgrib for years.Used them across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific. However I have been using SQUID http://www.greatcircle.be/en/ - sign up for their free service - has GRIB files, Understands Satphone compression and even does routing for you...we use it on Ipad, Laptop and Android tablets... http://www.greatcircle.be/en/

FYI we use OpenCPN to do our navigation.

 

[franksingleton]

zyGrib will handle .grb and .grb.bz2 files. That could be useful.

If you have a tablet (IOS or Android) Weather4D both generates and accepts Saildocs email messages. The App lets you move a pint around the screen and see how a meteogram changes.

 

[wully1]

The App lets you move a pint around the screen and see how a meteogram changes.

I'll drink to that! Do you know of a simple ( for a complete computer dunce like me) GRIB programme for iPad that I can try?

 

[agurney]

Hi all,

currently going through setting up an iridium phone to connect to a computer for running weather on our offshore trip in the summer, and I wondered if any of you had a preferred GRIB viewer.

Mailasail have a few recommended, but before i picked one of them i wondered if you lot had any thoughts.

Many thanks in advance,

James

ZyGrib for the viewer
GRIB files from SailDocs (small file size and fast response to request)

 

[franksingleton]

I'll drink to that! Do you know of a simple ( for a complete computer dunce like me) GRIB programme for iPad that I can try?

What seems simple to one person may not be so to another. I can only suggest that you look at http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Grib-Files-Apps. Of the Apps there, iGrib is pretty simple to use. They are only a couple of quid each, do a trial yourself. You may also find http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Grib-And-Objective-Forecasts-Reviewed useful. Many of the various sites listed work well on an any tablet or Laptop.

 

[franksingleton]

ZyGrib for the viewer
GRIB files from SailDocs (small file size and fast response to request)

Agreed that zyGrib is a very good viewer – and is free. I really see no virtue in messing around with any other. If you have to use email, ie you are using HF radio or a satellite phone, then Saildocs is the best option. The MailASail GRIB responder is an alternative - http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Mailasail-Grib-Responder. If you have internet contact, even over 2G or GPRS then the zyGrib data compression (.bz2) programme will be slightly more efficient for the same area, number of elements, days, time intervals. A plus for Saildocs is the repeat request facility. One message from you can result in a daily email with .grb attachment. To some extent that will counter the slightly larger message. If you keep requests small, then the repeat request may be the more cost effective.

 

[wully1]

thank You for that- currently playing with igrib - nice and simple. Like me..

What seems simple to one person may not be so to another. I can only suggest that you look at http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Grib-Files-Apps. Of the Apps there, iGrib is pretty simple to use. They are only a couple of quid each, do a trial yourself. You may also find http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Grib-And-Objective-Forecasts-Reviewed useful. Many of the various sites listed work well on an any tablet or Laptop.