Navtex from HF to wifi?

[vas]

you guys are awful I should really stop visiting PBO, every visit costs me more and more money!
(last probably useless thing I bought was a Lo Kata NAVTEX thing...)

GHA,
main problem I see with all that, is that there's hardly a standard to present such info on MFDs, I mean I'd gladly work on the NASA engine (old one, no fancy BT) and convert messages to text if I could present them on my Garmins. Even better if I could get coords printed on overlays on chartplotter re shooting ranges, heavy weather condition, etc...
Seems there's not even a standard for that on N2K, let alone Garmin supporting it
I know you're generally dismissing the concept of MFDs and that's cool, but it's not what everyone needs I guess...

So I hope this old school thing with the printout works, will be fun to have it running and printing everyday what the weather's going to be like (sun and more sun I guess...)

Slightly off topic, I've got one Q re navtex transmission:
How are these frequencies propagating 200nm or so??? I'm confused and worried as for the whole of Greece there are only 3 broadcasting stations (if I got that right and there are not repeaters on each isle or hilltop which I very much doubt) one in Corfu in the west, one in Crete on the south and the nearest to me in Limnos (North East Aegean near Lesbos, a hell of a distance from me, plus a mountain or two in the middle!) I'm worried it's going to do bugger all until I'm out in the open sea...

V.

 

[GHA]

you guys are awful I should really stop visiting PBO, every visit costs me more and more money!
(last probably useless thing I bought was a Lo Kata NAVTEX thing...)

You really really need some ESP8266's and a raspberry pi running openplotter......

GHA,
main problem I see with all that, is that there's hardly a standard to present such info on MFDs, I mean I'd gladly work on the NASA engine (old one, no fancy BT) and convert messages to text if I could present them on my Garmins. Even better if I could get coords printed on overlays on chartplotter re shooting ranges, heavy weather condition, etc...
Seems there's not even a standard for that on N2K, let alone Garmin supporting it
I know you're generally dismissing the concept of MFDs and that's cool, but it's not what everyone needs I guess...

Not really that dismissive of MFD's, just haven't the space, inclination or money to have one, Pi does the same plus SO much more

Never really thought of navtex & MFD's , at a guess not a chance - just no formats or any way the MFD could make sense of the messages. With a Raspberry Pi or something and some programing you probably could send over a waypoint of fish nets abandoned at lat & long....
Might be fun to get working but not much more. Works great with the Pi on OpenCPN as you can just copy both the lat and long and paste both into a waypoint with one click - handy for quickly putting in firing ranges and the like. Paper - you're stuffed

So I hope this old school thing with the printout works, will be fun to have it running and printing everyday what the weather's going to be like (sun and more sun I guess...)

Slightly off topic, I've got one Q re navtex transmission:
How are these frequencies propagating 200nm or so??? I'm confused and worried as for the whole of Greece there are only 3 broadcasting stations (if I got that right and there are not repeaters on each isle or hilltop which I very much doubt) one in Corfu in the west, one in Crete on the south and the nearest to me in Limnos (North East Aegean near Lesbos, a hell of a distance from me, plus a mountain or two in the middle!) I'm worried it's going to do bugger all until I'm out in the open sea...

Those low frequencies can go long distances , like LW radio 2. Sometimes at twilight or in the evening they can bounce off the ionosphere and can go really long distances similar to how radio hams talk around the world.

 

[RobbieW]

....
Those low frequencies can go long distances , like LW radio 2. Sometimes at twilight or in the evening they can bounce off the ionosphere and can go really long distances similar to how radio hams talk around the world.

but those frequencies dont like obstructions and are known to work better offshore than in harbour, up creeks etc etc. In the evening and overnight I've had NAVTEX messages from 2-3000 miles away - oh and its Radio 4 on LW which meant that TMS was available almost as far as St Vincent which pleased SWMBO if not me

 

[vas]

but those frequencies dont like obstructions and are known to work better offshore than in harbour, up creeks etc etc. In the evening and overnight I've had NAVTEX messages from 2-3000 miles away - oh and its Radio 4 on LW which meant that TMS was available almost as far as St Vincent which pleased SWMBO if not me

what about antennas for them, I see NASA have an active one, but I'm pretty sure it wont work with the one I bought (hasn't arrived yet). Do you get signals from 2Kmiles with just a piece of wire hanging around the coachroof or you've got something more elaborate wired up the mast (or even use the mast as an antenna!)?
I'm asking as I'm at the stage of wiring up various kit and routing cables up to the hard top, so if I'd get an advantage, I may as well throw the right type of cable now!

cheers

V.

 

[GHA]

what about antennas for them, I see NASA have an active one, but I'm pretty sure it wont work with the one I bought (hasn't arrived yet). Do you get signals from 2Kmiles with just a piece of wire hanging around the coachroof or you've got something more elaborate wired up the mast (or even use the mast as an antenna!)?
I'm asking as I'm at the stage of wiring up various kit and routing cables up to the hard top, so if I'd get an advantage, I may as well throw the right type of cable now!

cheers

V.

I've actually got a nasa engine hooked up to an insulated backstay antenna for the onboard ham radio, so it's goodun! Antenna not quite as vital at those low frequencies, you could just try hooking up to a stay, though probably worth double checking no voltage is coming out of your receiver. And bear in mind Robbies comment, you might not get fantastic results if you're in a marina surrounded by other masts.

Wealth of info over on Franks site >
http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Navtex-Reception-Problems-And-Cures-Detailed

 

[vas]

You really really need some ESP8266's and a raspberry pi running openplotter......

I'll start thinking that you do have shares on them and this is the way that you're going to make enough money to buy a proper MFD

Honest, I've got one bookmarked and watched on ebay, but it's not cold enough for me to stay at home for a few days and find a way to persuade myself to start another project, I've got too many others open atm!

Not really that dismissive of MFD's, just haven't the space, inclination or money to have one, Pi does the same plus SO much more

Never really thought of navtex & MFD's , at a guess not a chance - just no formats or any way the MFD could make sense of the messages. With a Raspberry Pi or something and some programing you probably could send over a waypoint of fish nets abandoned at lat & long....
Might be fun to get working but not much more. Works great with the Pi on OpenCPN as you can just copy both the lat and long and paste both into a waypoint with one click - handy for quickly putting in firing ranges and the like. Paper - you're stuffed

I was very close to deciding on setting up a standalone display for EGT, and various other engine data, but starting and setting up realtime display of various values is pure hell and potentially v.ugly.

cheers

V.

 

[RobbieW]

what about antennas for them, I see NASA have an active one, but I'm pretty sure it wont work with the one I bought (hasn't arrived yet). Do you get signals from 2Kmiles with just a piece of wire hanging around the coachroof or you've got something more elaborate wired up the mast (or even use the mast as an antenna!)?
I'm asking as I'm at the stage of wiring up various kit and routing cables up to the hard top, so if I'd get an advantage, I may as well throw the right type of cable now!

cheers

V.

I'm using a Furuno NAVTEX reciever which has a small, round c. 4" dia antenna. I suspect that would turn out to be a spirally wound unit tuned for the c. 500khz of the signal should I open it up.

If I've got the sums right then a length of wire of about 3 metres (or a multiple of that), either as a whip or laid horizontally, should be about right for the frequency