mocruising
Well-Known Member
What do I have to purchase in order to turn my laptop into a weather receiving station(Navtex). I have a Furuno 1550 SSB which will Tx and Rx on the marine bands.
Laptops and navtex/SSB
- Thread starter mocruising
- Start date
whipper_snapper
Well-Known Member
An audio cable to join audio output from radio to audio input on the laptop.
Software such as SeaTTY or Meteoscan.
This will give you weather fax, text RTTY and navtex assuming your radio can receive the relevant frequencies (518KHz for navtex may be a problem).
Software such as SeaTTY or Meteoscan.
This will give you weather fax, text RTTY and navtex assuming your radio can receive the relevant frequencies (518KHz for navtex may be a problem).
Talulah
Well-Known Member
Note: MScan won't work on Vista.
Question best posted on Liveaboard forum.
Question best posted on Liveaboard forum.
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
You can use the soundcard of the PC to decrypt the wefax signals if you have one of the software packages.
JVcom is one such example and is foc - or at least the basic version is. The lead from the ssb to the computer will most likely need to start with a mono plug and finish with a stereo one.
Its a clunky and fiddly system - there are better weather sources unless you go far offshore. But if you already have the expensive kit, then make yourself up a lead and see what you think. The www will give you details of the wefax stations their frequencies and times.
JVcom is one such example and is foc - or at least the basic version is. The lead from the ssb to the computer will most likely need to start with a mono plug and finish with a stereo one.
Its a clunky and fiddly system - there are better weather sources unless you go far offshore. But if you already have the expensive kit, then make yourself up a lead and see what you think. The www will give you details of the wefax stations their frequencies and times.
ksutton
Well-Known Member
Its on the Nasa web site, via this link http://www.nasamarine.com/
Roberto
Well-Known Member
I have experienced several drawbacks in using a laptop for navtex message reception:
1.the message itself is transmitted in a very limited time, that does not leave much time to fiddle with the decoding software settings: once you get it to work the message has already ended
2.you cannot filter the message categories, that means you will receive loads of stuff and will have to go hunting through many screens before finding that weather bulletin you wanted
3.reception at navtex frequencies is far from perfect with a long wire antenna (as I suspect you may have), and
4.once decoded, many message texts are so corrupted (missing characters) that they are often useless -what do you do even if it just misses the beaufort number?
5.power consumption: compare 0.2-0.3A at most (by memory) of a dedicated navtex receiver with the power needed by the SSB+laptop and the figure is multiplied by X times
Personally, I opted for a dedicated navtex receiver with its own antenna and that suits me very well: turn it on, forget it, come back from time to time to see the weather forecast (+other info if needed)
Weatherfax through SSB and PC otoh is a lot more practical: a chart usually needs a few minutes to be decoded so that leaves you plenty of time, timetables are better respected, reception and decoding is very often much much better/easier than with navtex
not very encouraging /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
add: the above is for reception with general decoding software like seatty mscan, etc, I have never tried Nasa or other Navtex specific softwares in conjunction with the laptop
1.the message itself is transmitted in a very limited time, that does not leave much time to fiddle with the decoding software settings: once you get it to work the message has already ended
2.you cannot filter the message categories, that means you will receive loads of stuff and will have to go hunting through many screens before finding that weather bulletin you wanted
3.reception at navtex frequencies is far from perfect with a long wire antenna (as I suspect you may have), and
4.once decoded, many message texts are so corrupted (missing characters) that they are often useless -what do you do even if it just misses the beaufort number?
5.power consumption: compare 0.2-0.3A at most (by memory) of a dedicated navtex receiver with the power needed by the SSB+laptop and the figure is multiplied by X times
Personally, I opted for a dedicated navtex receiver with its own antenna and that suits me very well: turn it on, forget it, come back from time to time to see the weather forecast (+other info if needed)
Weatherfax through SSB and PC otoh is a lot more practical: a chart usually needs a few minutes to be decoded so that leaves you plenty of time, timetables are better respected, reception and decoding is very often much much better/easier than with navtex
not very encouraging /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
add: the above is for reception with general decoding software like seatty mscan, etc, I have never tried Nasa or other Navtex specific softwares in conjunction with the laptop
whipper_snapper
Well-Known Member
Although in my experience it is easier to sort messages than with a standalone, and reception seems good and consistent, I agree it is not a sensible way to get Navtex!
But great for Wx Fax and RTTY.
(But the OP didn't ask that !)
But great for Wx Fax and RTTY.
(But the OP didn't ask that !)
iangrant
Well-Known Member
very hard work but if you have plenty of time and want to read all the transmission schedules then plug the radio into the laptop audio, tune in and use jvcom.
Tip: you need to turn up the radio vol really high for it to work
read up on frank singletons page http://www.franksingleton.clara.net/home.html
I.m not sure it's woth all the work as in this day and age a sat phone and emailed gribs are instant.
Tip: you need to turn up the radio vol really high for it to work
read up on frank singletons page http://www.franksingleton.clara.net/home.html
I.m not sure it's woth all the work as in this day and age a sat phone and emailed gribs are instant.
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
Don't even think about it. NAVTEX is intended for automatic reception. It should be left on all the time and is, in any case, intended to work at sea from the fairway buoy outwards. Reception in harbour is often very iffy. In harbour or on a buoy you can get weather info in may other ways. NAVTEX can work and often will do so, but it is a bonus when it does.
You will not want to using a laptop at sea unless it is very calm. Get a good NAVTEX set. Not expensive.
See www.franksingleton.clara.net/navtex.html
You will not want to using a laptop at sea unless it is very calm. Get a good NAVTEX set. Not expensive.
See www.franksingleton.clara.net/navtex.html
mocruising
Well-Known Member
The man himself, thanks for the advice I will buy a navtex.
Talulah
Well-Known Member
Worth mentioning that if you buy a Navtex you don't necessarily have to buy one with a display. It depends what other displays you have on board. i.e. Navtex can be displayed on Raymarine C/E series.
Personnaly I prefer having a Navtex display but you may not have the room, extra expense etc
Personnaly I prefer having a Navtex display but you may not have the room, extra expense etc
Nick_Pam
Well-Known Member
I was researching this subject only last night and was very surprised to find that a Navtex engine can display onto a C80....
Sounds like a better plan for me as I can just buy the engine instead of the whole device - saves dashboard space.
What's the deal in connecting up and programming the C80?
Sounds like a better plan for me as I can just buy the engine instead of the whole device - saves dashboard space.
What's the deal in connecting up and programming the C80?
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