Navtex again

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Actually this is Navtex MkII isn't it !


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Hmm... well, not quite. Can't correct your charts from it when buoys move. Oh! just noticed tongue in cheek smiley.
 
Navtex is of apocryphal value for weather forecast, it only has 1 forecast every 24 hours, which is already 2-3 hours late when you get it.
It is, however, invaluable for SAR info and navigational warnings, especially from the more organised sites, such as the German, UK and French ones.

You really need, IMHO, at least a 5-day forecast for passage planning (unless you only daysail), the NASA Clipper Weatherman is a dedicated RTTY receiver for broadcasts from Deutsche Wettercentrale, provides extremely good forecast coverage of the Baltic and N Sea, reasonable coverage of Western Approaches and UK waters and somewhat skimpy coverage farther afield (mainly due to the forecast areas increasing in size proportionally to distance from German home waters). I use it regularly, in conjunction with other local forecasts in the Med. For most areas they publish 24-hr, 3 day and 5 day forecasts.

An alternative (and probably better) way of forecasting is to download GRIB files using SSB, a laptop and appropriate software and do it yourself.
This does demand some grounding in simple meteorology and again has a disadvantage due to the small scale of resultant forecast areas.

If you want to go down the internet route a more economical alternative could be to look at 3G cellular, rather than one of the satellite phone systems which, to download data, will be extremely expensive in airtime fees as well as capital cost of the installation.
 
I've heard a lot about GRIB files, but don't have SSB. Are they available on the net? I agree with you about the 5-day forecast even just for coastal cruising. It therefore irritates me that the Inshore Waters Forecast has changed the "outlook" to mean the following 24 hrs, and not days 3-5 as it did last year...but that's a different rant, and I don't want to hijack the Navtex thread.
 
You can get gribs delivered automatically by email. I quote from the sailmail website <<The easiest way (free) is to use SailDocs.com For information send an empty email to info@saildocs.com It is also possible to request no charge text forecasts directly from the US National Weather Service. For information, send an email to ftpmail@weather.noaa.gov and in the first and only line of the message put "help".>>
I've had one delivered without fail every day for a couple of years. Of course the advantage is that they're tiny emails.

ps if you need chapter and verse on all this stuff Frank Singleton's homepage is the place to learn all about it.
 
Whats that????

Thread is getting out of hand here..................keep calm.

Right, I have already admitted my view point not being fully proffesional.

I have a dual frequency Nasa Clipper model of NAvtex and keep it on the International band.

Thanks for the gem that the inshore forecast is on the National frequency, I shall try it next time get onto the boat.

My only reading about the Navtex system is in the instruction manual of the Nasa Clipper, and in Reeds Almanac. Thus also admit a certain amount of ignorance.

But kind of expect the system to be intuitive.

And always expect to get the answers of problems on the forum, thats why we are here is'nt it.

So do it gracefully please.

mj
 
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YOU MAY BE RIGHT, BUT I SUSPECT MOST OF US HAVE MORE BASIC KIT


DON'T THINK I HAVE THAT FACILITY. THE THING IS THAT I GET ALL I NEED AND MORE FROM OTHER SOURCES, SO MY PATIENCE WITH NAVTEX IS LIMITED. BUT IN THE INTEREST OF FAIRNESS, I'LL GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT IN THE WEEKS AHEAD.

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I beleive the proverbial "you get what you pay for" applies here.
 
Let's put an end to this Oldhand. Until I'm convinced of the value of Navtex for coastal cruising (and I will give it another try), I'll not spend another penny on it, even if there is better kit out there.
 
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