Searush
Well-Known Member
Forgot to say that many of us don't have Navtex anyway.
How often do you use the BBC Radio 4 shipping forecast?
- Thread starter HughJames
- Start date
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Hugh, you will read my comments at the end of the completed survey, but I really needed to know what question two really means?
Last edited:
[70521]
Well-Known Member
davidej
Well-Known Member
NormanS
Well-Known Member
That was when, and why I fitted Navtex. Must admit that I've never had quite the same
feeling for the CG since these times when they were refusing to give out safety information!
Navtex is now excellent on the Scottish West Coast, since they started transmitting from Malin Head, as well as Portpatrick.
dulcibella
Well-Known Member
I've picked up the LW R4 forecast in the middle of Biscay when no useful Navtex data was within range.
Jim@sea
Well-Known Member
I also listen to Radio Atlantic which gives the Irish Shipping Forecast. Useful for the Irish Sea. On Long wave 250 where Radio 4 is 200.
Coaster
Well-Known Member
I bought a Nasa Navtex some time ago. It never worked properly. After wasting a lot of time I finally threw it away.
With hindsight I should have bought a Furuno.
However, as we never do passages of more than 150 miles, I now manage without Navtex.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
What an admission of defeat! Did you take it up with your supplier? Did you follow the instruction manual? Did you install it in accordance with the instructions? Do you often buy things and then throw them away?
Coaster
Well-Known Member
Yes, I did take it up with the supplier. I spoke to Nasa on three or four occasions. They put me in touch with their 'software developer', a pleasant chap to whom I spoke several times and emailed rather more. It was all to no avail.
My income depends on the amount of time I spend working. At a rough guess, the time spent mucking about with this hopeless product would have bought several Furuno units.
It's a question of economics. I don't consider it important enough to make it a matter of principle.
HughJames
New Member
Camelia, thank you for completing the survey and for your comments. The question simply seeks to identify those employed within the sector, and those who are leisure sailing enthusiasts.
And Angus, sadly my local harbourmaster doesn't quite do it for me... He looks too much like Captain Birdseye.
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
To Pye End (I still have not got usedto this new forum)
It really all depends on what kind of sailing you are doing. If it is only day sailing or short coastal hops, then you really only need VHF. Going off-shore then NAVTEX comes into the essential category. It is a component of the GMDSS. On a number of occasions in my cruising around France, Iberia and the Med I have found that NAVTEX has been my only source of weather information. It is also an easy way of hearing NAV warnings. NAVTEX has its faults and is 1950s technology but nobody has yet come up with an affordable alternative.
But, BBT R4 is the same text as NAVTEX forecasts. As long as the BBC use 200 kc, I guess that will continue. After that? Maybe we will all be able to afford something like Inmarsat satcoms. That really is the only technically feasible replace for NAVTEX
It really all depends on what kind of sailing you are doing. If it is only day sailing or short coastal hops, then you really only need VHF. Going off-shore then NAVTEX comes into the essential category. It is a component of the GMDSS. On a number of occasions in my cruising around France, Iberia and the Med I have found that NAVTEX has been my only source of weather information. It is also an easy way of hearing NAV warnings. NAVTEX has its faults and is 1950s technology but nobody has yet come up with an affordable alternative.
But, BBT R4 is the same text as NAVTEX forecasts. As long as the BBC use 200 kc, I guess that will continue. After that? Maybe we will all be able to afford something like Inmarsat satcoms. That really is the only technically feasible replace for NAVTEX
Last edited:
Searush
Well-Known Member
Take care . . . there are others on here that look like that too . . .
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
never, since the intro of the web. TBH I rarely go more than 12 miles from the shore so I dont want to know what the deep sea forecasts are.
Birdseye
Well-Known Member
Pye_End
Well-Known Member
Frank, I think this is the crux of the matter - NAVTEX will become the much more needed post R4LW as there will be very little other choice.
Many sailors don't neatly fit into one of the two categories of inshore and offshore - sailing across the North Sea every few years, for example, can be comfortable with a LW radio and the expense of NAVTEX not currently justified.
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
I am, basically, a coastal sailor. My longest passage was 3 day with a fair number of 24 hour to 48 hour ones. NAVTEX has been basically a back-up for weather. Occasionally it has been our only source of forecasts.
More importantly is that it is a source of NAV warnings. We have tried to listen on vHF to French, Spanish, Italian, Croatian etc MRCCs read out warnings in two or more languages, NAVTEX always in English is far easier.
davidej
Well-Known Member
As I have posted already, i hate my navtex- but that is probably my fault for buying el cheapo.
Several of my friends speak very highly of the NASA Weatherman. As I understand it, it receives German weathe rforecasts -Europe wide, I believe - and displays them in a really user-friendly way. I don't think it give nav warnings.
Any thoughts, Frank?
Several of my friends speak very highly of the NASA Weatherman. As I understand it, it receives German weathe rforecasts -Europe wide, I believe - and displays them in a really user-friendly way. I don't think it give nav warnings.
Any thoughts, Frank?
DaveS
Well-Known Member
I looked at this a year or two ago and there were significant gaps in areas covered - including the West Coast of Scotland, which I was particularly interested in. This may have since changed.
Leighb
Well-Known Member
When we are cruising, and in harbour/at anchor it is a tradition at about 17-50, to switch on the LW radio, pour the drinks, put out the nibbles and listen to the Shipping Forecast. The general weather forecast that follows (unless there is cricket on 
) is also worth listening to. We may or may not listen to the 6 o'clock news and then switch off.
We also have Navtex and of course the CG regular VHF Inshore forecasts for our area. We don't have any internet access on board as yet. SWMBO now has an iPad which will be aboard this season and it may provide access to Internet forecasts depending on WiFi access.
) is also worth listening to. We may or may not listen to the 6 o'clock news and then switch off.We also have Navtex and of course the CG regular VHF Inshore forecasts for our area. We don't have any internet access on board as yet. SWMBO now has an iPad which will be aboard this season and it may provide access to Internet forecasts depending on WiFi access.