I am thinking of buying a Navtex receiver - out of date ?

basic said:
I installed one last year and its a very good back up when anchored in out of the way places, or places with poor vhf reception. Costs nothing to run, minimal battery drain and it's always there. Suspect those who don't use are marina hoppers.
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I am sure we are a Marina hopper , our season start in early March and end in late December in the last six year between our winter Marina stop over we see zero Marina .
We have now sailed the whole of the Atlantic Coast , most of the Med including North Africa , since 2009 we travel seventeen thousands miles .
There not been any time in that time that we not been able to find weather info , VHF or Internet , our ICS Nav 6 looks very petty in it little place and the little red light help when I get up for a P in the middle of the night .
The only part of it I would find handy these days , would be the log if for some reason , I haven't keep my up to date .
Maybe the OP would like to tell us all where he sails and how far off shore he goes then maybe he can be advise better .
Has I said , if he feel happier have one , then he should buy one .
 
There are many vhf dead spots on the coast of France. Mostly but not exclusively up some of the lovely rivers where one may chose to anchor. Fine if you have a smartphone but if not Navtex is the answer.
 
SteveSarabande said:
Waste of time unless your way offshore and out of VHF range
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We came down the full West Coast from Orkney to the Clyde. With 2 different mobile phones we frequently had Zero connectivity. Internet weather - Zero. VHF does not penetrate hills well. Navtex works well most of the time, and you don't have to wait up for it! The hype of widespread 2G or 3G services is pretty much a myth as far as I can see. Might be OK on the South coast, but not so much up here.
 
It seems to me the reason the OP want a nav text is for weather reports.
Every one should have a forecaster before deciding if they going out on the water , let alone leave port .
nearly everyone has access to Internet , Marinas have them posted . TV , the local news paper , radio and VHF and if the worst comes to the worst I sure the GC will still give you a report . just to mention a few .

weather forecaster isn't what it use to be you can get a very reliable three day forecaster now . Reliable enough for you to decide if it safe to go out in the size of boat you own for a few days .
So for the sailor who sail at the week end or on annual holiday there never a reason for. Going sailing without a forecaster , anyone who does is just asking for Trouble .
If you sailing off shore for days on end then it would be useful , how ever most off shore sailor now have Internet of one sort or another where weather forecaster can be downloaded .
I am guess the OP is a leisure sailor In which case he be better off putting his money into some thing he really need .
But hey it's his money to spend how he likes .
 
sailaboutvic said:
nearly everyone has access to Internet , Marinas have them posted . TV , the local news paper , radio and VHF and if the worst comes to the worst I sure the GC will still give you a report . just to mention a few .
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You might have missed this bit from the post...

"Will I get info anchored in an out of the way anchorage or must I be near some WIFI or Cellnet aerial"

Also there are all the nav warnings which can be very useful and not so easy to find, like..


ZCZC EA14
WZ 851

ENGLAND, SOUTH COAST. PENZANCE SOUTHWARDS.

ABANDONED FISHING GEAR MARKED BY THREE PINK AND ONE GREEN BUOY REPORTED 49-59.8N 005-33.6W.
NNNN
 
GHA said:
You might have missed this bit from the post...

"Will I get info anchored in an out of the way anchorage or must I be near some WIFI or Cellnet aerial"

Also there are all the nav warnings which can be very useful and not so easy to find, like..


ZCZC EA14
WZ 851

ENGLAND, SOUTH COAST. PENZANCE SOUTHWARDS.

ABANDONED FISHING GEAR MARKED BY THREE PINK AND ONE GREEN BUOY REPORTED 49-59.8N 005-33.6W.
NNNN
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GHA thanks for that comment , yes Nav warning are importing bits of info but most are related to shipping and don't apply to small boats .
Taken you:re example ,
{ ZCZC EA14
WZ 851 ENGLAND, SOUTH COAST. PENZANCE SOUTHWARDS.
ABANDONED FISHING GEAR MARKED BY THREE PINK AND ONE GREEN BUOY REPORTED 49-59.8N 005-33.6W.
NNNN }

After reading this , assuming this apply to the sea area you need to sail through .
would you just keep away from that sea area even if it meant sailing 10 miles out of your way , just in case you come across it ?
or would you sail through keeping a good look out ? which you should be doing anyway . In which case you would had seen the pink and green buoy .
Nav text isn't going to stop you hitting anything but Our eyes will .

Your second point .

{ "Will I get info anchored in an out of the way anchorage or must I be near some WIFI or Cellnet aerial"}

Unless you are going to sit in an anchorages for more then a few days if you had a good long range forecaster before hand you should still have a good idea if it wise to haul up your anchor or not . So Thats not really an agreement for having one .
but let's say you found this lovely anchorage which you are enjoying so much that you decide to spend a week which we do now and then .

No cell net aerial no wifi one stage further you can't pick any thing up on your VHF .

Do you not have a radio ?
Most will go ashore to buy bread milk or what ever else their may run out off before leaving for the day sail , it would be very strange not to find a cell net signal or wifi in any town or a news paper .

The only time I have found my ICS useful is every time we crossed biscay although if
half way across we read that we was about to be hit by a F8 Nav text or no Nav text it Wasn't Going to help us .

The OP is asking is it worth his while to buy an Nav text ( his while not your or mine ) he hasn't given enough info for any of us to answer that question but has I said in my last posting , if he a weekend sailor he be better of spending his money else where .
An SSB is not worth the power it use to most of us but it a very useful peace of kit for and ocean sailor .
 
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sailaboutvic said:
GHA thanks for......
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You might not like it in your opinionated world but for not much money and very little power a navtex can be a useful piece of kit, in Northern Europe anyway, cross Biscay maybe less so.

As can an SSB receiver now and then with a tablet or smart phone , especially in the North Sea and baltic.
 
ICS 6 is very good as it will also give instrument displays if linked and properly set up.

Uses almost no power and works on MW frequencies. The 6 listens to both the local and English language versions and although it will sometimes pick up the forecast for the Adriatic when I'm in the Solent it can be very useful especially if the weather is changing fast and you've overslept and missed the forecast on LW or coastguard VHF.

Got a gale warning once (which we missed due to being asleep) and managed to get home before it really kicked in, so I'd vote for it, especially as I can't always get internet access.
 
GHA said:
You might not like it in your opinionated world but for not much money and very little power a navtex can be a useful piece of kit, in Northern Europe anyway, cross Biscay maybe less so.

As can an SSB receiver now and then with a tablet or smart phone , especially in the North Sea and baltic.
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I Through that's what we was all doing , given our option or am I not allowed to have one .because I disagree with you ?

Once again the OP is asking if it worth his while to buying a Nav text . For all any of us know he may be a day sailor on the Norfolk boards .
 
Navtex is a nice to have rather than a got to have for most folks doing most cruising. However if you routinely cruise outside of VHF or Internet range then I'd say it becomes a should have rather than nice to have. It's worth remembering that it works in the MF band so the transmission ranges are generally good (we've had messages from the Baltic and UK in Greek waters) but the data arrives slowly, hence often partially corrupted messages.
We don't use it much at the moment as we are only doing day hops round the Ionion but on longer trips it comes into its own, confirming forecasts or warning of sudden changes in the weather which might lead you to divert to a safe haven.
 
816swim said:
I am thinking of going to the Soton Boat Show and buying Navtex.

Am I out of date?

Does it work off the normal VHF or do I need some sort of satellite dish?

Will I get info anchored in an out of the way anchorage or must I be near some WIFI or Cellnet aerial - you know, the technology that slips in that little catch-all 'ASSISTED... " like I and many others got caught out with the early iPhones and AGPS etc.

Please, bring me up to date before I spend. !
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No you are not, Navtex might be the only means outside of SSB radio to receive weather forecast whilst out of the range of Coastguard VHF.
Navtex can be received beyond 500 miles and with good condition of RF propagation over 1000 miles from the broadcasting station.
Navtex work on Long Waves and thus they require a long wave antenna. A receiving antenna can be a simple and cheap ferrite rod that however is sold at a premium by most manufacturers that encapsulate it in plastic and attach a suitable cable to them.
 
It is true that reception in a marina can be difficult, especially if the antenna is low on the pushpit. Some battery chargers can create quite nasty RF noise. If you own an SSB or HAM radio you will realize that noise in a marina often is at 5 at times reaching 8 on a scale 0 to 9.
The orientation of the boat can make a difference. I noticed that noise is reduced by about 3 points if I berth bow to rather than stern to as my backstay antenna has more distance from the main potoon.
 
One also needs to think in terms of redundancy and therefore of two independent systems if you like:

1/ Fixed electronics which are built for the corrosive marine environment and run off the boat's 12v system - eg VHF radio, AIS, NAVTEX, etc.

2/ Shorebased consumer-electonics like smartphones, which - although there are apps for all manner of useful 'marine' uses - are vulnerable to being broken/lost/drowned, and have previously given me (and also occasional crew) irritating charging problems!

As a weekend Solent sailor, my smartphone (now a Sony Xperia 3 which has waterproof ports and non-usb charging contacts) provides a huge amount of forecasting information, and the VHF squawks out Met Office inshore forecasts on a regular basis. If I visit a marina, the same forecasts will usually be posted on a noticeboard complete with synoptic chart(s). But cruising cross- and down-channel (and hopefully in future round-Britain and beyond), I prefer to get into the routine of using and knowing the boat's systems as my primary sources, and this includes the NAVTEX reciever.

My boat originally came with a NASA Target NAVTEX. When the old antenna recently went plop, I upgraded the whole thing at marginal net exchange cost to the Target Pro-Plus v2. Same display and menu-system, which is a bit clunky, but it works... just have to re-fit the fecker! :D
 
816swim
Would you be kind enough to tell everyone what type of sailing that you do , so you can be better advise of it is worth your while to invest in an Nav text .
 
haydude said:
No you are not, Navtex might be the only means outside of SSB radio to receive weather forecast whilst out of the range of Coastguard VHF.
Navtex can be received beyond 500 miles and with good condition of RF propagation over 1000 miles from the broadcasting station.
Navtex work on Long Waves and thus they require a long wave antenna. A receiving antenna can be a simple and cheap ferrite rod that however is sold at a premium by most manufacturers that encapsulate it in plastic and attach a suitable cable to them.
Click to expand...
Navtex is MW http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Navtex-Reception-Problems-And-Cures
S
 
I have a PC on board. I sail generally in the med - currently in the Adriatic. May sail to Cyprus and Israel in the Spring. Maybe ARC in another year
Rather than a standalone Navtex it would be cheaper to get a USB Navtex that plugs into the PC. Is this a good idea or not?

TS
 
tudorsailor said:
Rather than a standalone Navtex it would be cheaper to get a USB Navtex that plugs into the PC. Is this a good idea or not?
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Be aware that Navtex transmissions happen at fixed times, often inconvenient ones, so the receiver really needs to be running 24 hours a day. For that reason I wouldn't want something that needs the computer to be switched on to work. However, something that can still receive with the PC switched off, and record the data for later inspection via the computer, would be ok if that's what you prefer.

Pete
 
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