Is Navtex worth having?

[Skylark]

Hi

I am considering installing a Navtex receiver but need to be convinced it is really worth having.

Any thoughts from the assembled forumites?

Thanks

Ian

Just reading through the responses, it looks like the vote is in favour.

Just to reinforce the point, there's a strong recommendation to buy Furuno. My sailing pal has the Nasa. It does everything it's supposed to but it has a small screen, it's a bit fiddly and the box looks, well, cheap and nasty, IMHO. The Furuno NX300 isn't that much more expensive (compared to the cost of owning a boat) but is so much better. I bought this product and rate it very highly.

 

[bammylovechops]

I think it is a great piece of kit and generally one of the most accurate, as said earlier you can choose what information you want and the area's you wish to cover.
Again as stated I think it good that a phone or Internet signal is not needed.
It is a handy to give guidance on the oncoming weather as to what we do or where we go.
I also agree that a paper type navtex is not needed, when the information is visible on a screen.
For info we have the NASA version with no problems at all, IMHO

 

[nimbusgb]

Just reading through the responses, it looks like the vote is in favour.

Just to reinforce the point, there's a strong recommendation to buy Furuno. My sailing pal has the Nasa. It does everything it's supposed to but it has a small screen, it's a bit fiddly and the box looks, well, cheap and nasty, IMHO. The Furuno NX300 isn't that much more expensive (compared to the cost of owning a boat) but is so much better. I bought this product and rate it very highly.

There's always the NASA pro series that display stuff on a pc screen

 

[prv]

There's always the NASA pro series that display stuff on a pc screen

...if you have a PC

Despite choosing not to have a Navtex myself, I can see the appeal of it for an unobtrusive, no attention required, automatic display of reasonably recent forecasts. I think that feature is lost if you have to drag out a laptop, plug it in, start the relevant program, etc etc.

Pete

 

[ianfr]

Thanks

To all

Thanks for all your thoughts, it does seem to be a qualified yes to being useful.

There is a big difference in price between the NASA and Furuno kit which might be more difficult to explain to SWMBO

I work with computers all day, and it it a relief NOT to have one on board

I have a work Blackberry which just about manages to get WindGuru but is very slow and cumbersome. A simple device which just displays the relevant weather forecasts without having to faff about is appealing. Bonus is the navigation warnings, in the event that they relate to where one is sailing.

Thanks again, Ian

 

[[2574]]

Well worth.....

....and I've had the Furuno model and it is great. When I changed boat I went with the ICS unit because it receives dual band Navtex on 490 and 518. The only problem with the Furuno model that I had was that it was single band and it had to be remembered to swap channels manually to receive the local and then the national broadcast. 490 is predominantly broadcast in local language with 518 predominantly English IIRC.

Last year when up the Dart at Dittisham I broadcast the inshore waters forecast to another yacht as he couldn't get a signal for laptop nor receive the CG VHF broadcast! I wouldn't be without Navtex.

 

[pagoda]

There's always the NASA pro series that display stuff on a pc screen

I think Navtex is pretty useful, coverage on the west coast of Scotland is probably better than VHF. You don't need to listen or be up at specific times... it simply collects what you ask it to - by way of a simple menu of letters.
We use a Nasa Clipper Navtex- which has a back light , scroll features etc etc - it works without any fuss at all. I wouldn't rely on PC/3g access for forecasts, and boats are not really a great place for PC's.
You may well get updates on VHF through the day?, the Navtex will keep a record for you to examine at your leasure.

Graeme

 

[DipperToo]

....When I changed boat I went with the ICS unit because it receives dual band Navtex on 490 and 518.

I has a NASA and due to some issues changed to the ICS NAV6+. This also has the added benefit of being an instrument repeater (NMEA) as well as a trip log.

There are also potential issues with Navtex reception in harbours/marinas. On the south coast I picked up everything except at Brighton and Eastbourne marinas which are shielded by buildings and walls. Also in crowded marinas. Interestingly at Shotley on the East Coast I pick up Belgium nav warnings but nothing on either frequency for the UK (probably due to many boats and large hill immediately behind the marina). The aerial is on my pushpit and I may raise it up the mast at some stage to try and improve things.

 

[Robin]

I'm in the don't bother camp. We always had Navtex over the last 20 years and when there was nothing better it was OK. no more than that. These days there is better information readily available and I'd much rather make a bit of effort to find it and have something useful.

Sure you get forecasts in English and don't have to remember to turn on a VHF or radio to find them. But you get what you pay for and most of the time that says it all about the usefulness of the forecasts. If you think a short precis of the UK Shipping Forecast or the inshore waters forecast is useful or even that accurate for sailing coastal inshore or foreign waters then fine. If you think it will ALWAYS have collected the forecast and not missed it, you will be disappointed sooner or later. Navtex also provides a mass of other information, most of which is of no interest whatsoever to small boats and you will tune it out anyway.

 

[Elemental]

Interestingly at Shotley on the East Coast I pick up Belgium nav warnings but nothing on either frequency for the UK (probably due to many boats and large hill immediately behind the marina). The aerial is on my pushpit and I may raise it up the mast at some stage to try and improve things.

I'm at Shotley, and have the NASA unit. When it's working (currently replacing the antenna) I get plenty of signals on 518Khz. Antenna on the pushpit...

 

[Elemental]

If you think a short precis of the UK Shipping Forecast or the inshore waters forecast is useful or even that accurate for sailing coastal inshore or foreign waters then fine. If you think it will ALWAYS have collected the forecast and not missed it, you will be disappointed sooner or later.

Sure, but no-one's suggesting you keep it as your only source of information. I sail with my laptop onboard (usually not turned on, but available if needed) it has a 3G dongle and wifi. ZyGrib to download grib files and of course access to windguru et. al. I have my smartphone which can also grab info. However, the Navtex provides a convenient way of getting updates/notifications when/if things change without having to clock watch. If the unit misses a TX that I'm expecting for any reason I can then decide whether or not to investigate further.

 

[DipperToo]

I'm at Shotley, and have the NASA unit. When it's working (currently replacing the antenna) I get plenty of signals on 518Khz. Antenna on the pushpit...

Interesting... even my old NASA did not pick up anything before I upgraded to ICS. I think it may be because I am looking at the 490khz for inshore waters rather than the main shipping forecast. Do you get the 490 reports in Shotley?

Sounds like I might need to investigate that the active aerial is working correctly if so....

Agree with other forumites about alternative sources - mobile phone for the inshore waters forecast in text mode is set as one of my bookmarks.

 

[decdeb]

It's medium wave not VHF and it works to about 200 miles offshore.

On trip from Azores to Ireland we had reception & forecasts all the way. I wouldn't be without ours, even when sailing locally. No more missing forecasts as they are there to read at your leisure.

 

[decdeb]

You have to remember that Navtex is not designed as an on demand system. You get the forecast when they want to send it. This means it is only of value to you if you can either leave the receiver on 24/7 or have it switched on the day before you intend to go sailing so it can start to gather reports. It is no good going the the boat for a blast across the Solent and switching it on as you blast out of the marina. It could be 4 hours or a lot more before Niton radio comes to life. In fact I looked at the schedules on Frank Singletons pages the other day and have a feeling there maybe fewer transmissions now then there used to be...Anyone else noticed????

There are many other sources which give the same info and in fact frank Singleton now shows the current Navtex on his web pages for the different areas so you can print it out before you go....Thanks Frank!


Cullercoats..


http://weather.gmdss.org/bulletins/METAREA1.NAVTEX.CULLERCOATS.FORECAST.0800.090800421400.html

Not an issue for us to leave on 24/7. The Navtex draws minimal power

 

[Monique]

Would'nt be without it, go for the Furuno model, I have the aerial on the spreaders and get good reception everywhere so far. No more missing forecasts!

+1.

Yummy kit and very long range. Furuno 300 ....

 

[Gwylan]

A little patience installing it so you get the best signal possible. Then programming for the stations you want and it is excellent.
We have our NASA is connected to the mast via one of the stays and get great reception. Saves the cost of the aerial too!

Make sure if possible you can leave it switched on - that way you always have the most recent forecast on the machine.
Would not be without ours around the UK or abroad

 

[npf1]

I quite like the safety broadcasts. For example, when the CG broadcasts four co-ordinates for, say, cable laying underway, there's no need to frantically write them down, as you might with listening to them on VHF. Just have a look on the navtext and plot them when you have a chance.

 

[haydude]

Hi

I am considering installing a Navtex receiver but need to be convinced it is really worth having.

Any thoughts from the assembled forumites?

Thanks

Ian

Only if you sail out of VHF range for more than one day.

 

[billmacfarlane]

I've had one for about 10 years and very seldom use it. With modern Smartphones, VHF forecasts, R4 and marinas I very seldom have to resort to it for a forecast. The only time I think I'd have to use it would be on a longer distance cruise or in a remote anchorage.

 

[BlueChip]

I've had the ICS Navtex Pro for many years now, it's been faultless just sits there and does its job. I wouldnt be without it, but accept that there are many other ways of getting weather information now particularly if you've got a data phone. However I still find it really handy not to have to worry about broadcast times and coastguard VHF broadcasts which seem increasing unreliable these days as they often delay or miss them out if they are busy, the latest forecast is always on screen and its handy to see whats going on in adjacent areas.

On the ICS the built in NMEA repeater display (also Seatalk in my case because I have a Seatalk to NMEA converter) is very useful, all the instrument and Nav information is available clearly on one screen and when on passage I have the postion data displayed in big characters next to the VHF so that its always very clearly visible.
The ICS unit when used with a GPS can be programmed to only display 'local' messages this removes most of the unwanted dross, though its interesting to turn that off and see how far away stations are being received.