NASA Navtex v Weatherman

[CPD]

I have used Navtex and quite like it. I have just bought a booat which has both fitted. WOuld someone in the know mind giving a very brief summary as to what the weatherman will give that the Navtex won't ? Many Thanks.

 

[wotayottie]

weatherman is an ssb system receiving wide area forecasts for example for the north sea or the med. works well offshore. navtex is a vhf system works inshore and is part of GMDSS giving lots of other warnings etc as well as inshore and sea area forecasts. had a weatherman when they first came out. didnt bother to replace it when I sold the boat.

 

[CPD]

Thanks for that. very interesting - will keep it . Thanks again.

 

[DaveS]

Probably not a problem where you are, but the Weatherman data does not cover some parts e.g. West Scotland, in any great detail.

 

[Gypsy]

Correction on the Navtex. Navtex is MW, 518kHz for standard English messages and 490kHz (optional HF 4209kHz) for alternative local language messages. It is a data transmission much like a Telex signal but sent by radio. The same frequencies are used by all countries so each country is allocated a number of time-slots through the day/night for their message transmission. Usually there ae only 2 slots when weather is forecast.

Being MW the reception can be affected by local geography and often hardware in ports and marinas (masts etc) but can reach 300Nm and more.

 

[Gypsy]

Just remembered I read elsewhere that since UK doesn't need a second language Tx, 490KHz is used in UK for additional inshore forecasts. Others may be along soon to tell you if they are useful since I only used Navtex in the Med. Sometimes the French 490kHz information was better than their English Tx.

 

[vyv_cox]

I am told that Weatherman gives reliable forecasts for the Med. I hope so, as I have just bought one. Navtex is also good but mostly only gives 24 hour forecasts, sometimes with a cyptic clue as to the outlook, at least in some countries. Weatherman gives five day forecasts, which as ever cannot be relied on fully, but will at least give notice that e.g. a depression is expected.