prv
Well-Known Member
The rest of your post suggests that Navtex isn't all that robust and reliable either
Pete
NAVTEX - is its time up - at last?
- Thread starter franksingleton
- Start date
The rest of your post suggests that Navtex isn't all that robust and reliable either
Pete
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
The rest of your post suggests that Navtex isn't all that robust and reliable either
Pete
I have never suggested it is reliable for the reasons set out in http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Navtex-Reception-Problems-And-Cures. But neither is any terrestrial radio system. The internet could be far more reliable than any current GMDSS service although I cannot be sure about Inmarsat. That is why I want URLs to be reliable so that they can be used either to view a web page or with the Saildocs text retrieval service to get GMDSS texts.
pagoda
Well-Known Member
The rest of your post suggests that Navtex isn't all that robust and reliable either
Pete
I find Navtex pretty reliable. More predictable than VHF forecasts. The biggest advantage is the the device captures the data for you. You don't need to hang around listening for a transmission. Or for that matter go ashore and walk up a hill somewhere in the horizontal rain, trying to find a functional mobile /internet signal.
Navtex is much more than just weather - navigation warnings etc are regularly sent out. Buoys out of position, lights not working at full power, VHF relays out of action. RN exercises. Try tracking that list down on a poor internet connection?
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
Your point about Nav warnings is well taken. If an internet service became the sole source of GMDSS information, as I believe it will at some time in the future, it will necessitate a change of philosophy, as I have said, from a push to a pull system.
As regards reception, one of the biggest complaints that I have had over the years has been wrt reception problems. Many have been, admittedly, due to lack of understanding of the system. However, sky wave and anomalous propagation under high pressure have also figured greatly.As regards the internet, it does depend on where you sail. From Dartmouth to the Charente, apart from cross Channel, we are rarely without the internet. In harbour, I use the local marina wherever possible. Otherwise, including on passage, I use a small Huawei dongle that works to a few miles out. There are better hot-spot devices with better aerials working to between 10 and 20 miles out. Further out, of course, I have NAVTEX. Currently, it is not a binary choice between them. it is horses for courses.
Ohlin Karcher
N/A
Absolutely! I forget it's switched on and am pleasantly surprised by the new forecast magically displayed on the screen.
My ICS-6 has NMEA input for the GPS position, and it can choose appropriate forecasts to show me.
In fact, in a way, like the Aries windvane, it's almost a member of the crew
doris
Well-Known Member
Am I missing something?
This summer going down to Spain on a mate's boat we had an Iridium connected to a tablet and had all the weather data we could need.
I have to say I never used to look at all the buoyage data on my last Navtex, just the weather so the gribs on the tablet were a huge jump up for what, a grand or so, plus a small sub.
This summer going down to Spain on a mate's boat we had an Iridium connected to a tablet and had all the weather data we could need.
I have to say I never used to look at all the buoyage data on my last Navtex, just the weather so the gribs on the tablet were a huge jump up for what, a grand or so, plus a small sub.
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
Absolutely! I forget it's switched on and am pleasantly surprised by the new forecast magically displayed on the screen.
My ICS-6 has NMEA input for the GPS position, and it can choose appropriate forecasts to show me.
In fact, in a way, like the Aries windvane, it's almost a member of the crew
Interesting. How does it do this? NAVTEX only broadcasts information for the area serviced by the transmitter.
Ohlin Karcher
N/A
I often receive info from stations a long way away from the yacht, which is of no interest but clutters up the screen.
Switching on the GPS method of choosing stations stops this.
Also, it saves me looking up the codes for my relevant stations and manually entering them.
They are all selected, and the GPS info sent to the Navtex allows it to filter out useless stations. It works very well.
It's an ICS-6 model and the instructions are free on the internet, if you are interested. It makes Navtex far more user-friendly.
GHA
Well-Known Member
Agree about weather, navtex text weather is a very broad brush & gribs imho are much more useful combined with weatherfax. But navtex nav data can be very useful and not easily obtained elsewhere even with satellite data. I've a nasa engine connected to the boat computer, being able to copy & paste in a few moments lat/long of firing zones or survey vessel or boat adrift at.... straight into opencpn is really nice to have. Nowhere near the end of the world if it isn't there but very handy when it is. If it meant scrolling through a little display for the same data it probably wouldn't get used half as much.
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Yeah, some of us have a smaller budget.
Kurrawong_Kid
Well-Known Member
Have had Navtex ICS-6 for years. Still find it invaluable. As others have written you don’t have to hang about for a forecast that you might later have missed through a distraction. The facility to pick up immediate info. re navigation hazards is particularly useful, especially if you sail on the East Coast with bouys frequently going adrift and wind farm lights becoming “inoperable”! I do use laptops for forecasts when I have a signal, but no satellite phone for offshore.
There, on the ICS-6, is an elaborate menu which allows you to select which stations you wish to monitor, either 470(?) or (520?) or both and another set of menus to select which messages you wish to consult. An additional advantage is that every new message is displayed when I go to the chart table, whilst I have to seek out the mobile phone or laptop and log in
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that; a new one to me, very interesting. What happens if you are in the western Channel. You could be nearer to CROSS Corsen and Valentina than to Niton. How does it know that you want Niton not the others? Or does it just record the nearest 3 or 4? In which case you might be downloading more than you need?
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
Again, at thr risk of being repetitive, the NAVTEX concept is good; for that reason it is an integral component of the GMDSS. The problems that I am highlighting are it’s uncertain future and reception issues. Further, in view of the use being made of the internet, the need for the internet to be a reliable source of information. NAVTEX is a reliable source of information but the medium is unreliable and the future uncertain. The internet is not quite as reliable a source of information but, for many it is a more reliable medium. Given satellite phone technology, it could be superior to NAVTEX and it could be accessible more widely than any terrestrial marine communications system. I am not seeing this as a beauty competition but as a real problem on the (near?) horizon.
pagoda
Well-Known Member
Filters are easily set on the receivers to focus on what you want. There is no need to look at non-relevant stations , or other categories you have no use for.
prv
Well-Known Member
The other good thing about the ICS-6 filter system is that it's only a display filter, not a reception filter. If you realise (normally while first setting it up and getting used to it) that you've filtered out something you actually want, you can change the settings and it will immediately appear because it was in the device's storage all along. You don't need to wait another four hours for the next broadcast.
Pete
boatmike
Well-Known Member
Well I have one and find it useful. I am now 77 and just hope it does not become obsolete before I do! When I started sailing navigation was about using mark one eyeball and dead reckoning. Weather forecasts were about staying up to midnight to hear Radio 4 Long Wave. VHF radio was a luxury........ Now we have loads of modern gismos and I welcome them all but switching off NAVTEX when the only alternative relies on having a massive budget to replace it is sad......
franksingleton
Well-Known Member
Well, I can beat you by 9 years on the age front. I go back to LW 198 kHz being Radio 2. I would certainly not like to see NAVTEX go until there is a reliable, affordable replacement. I can foresee it going, as in the USA, which is why I am trying to bring an awareness of the issue rather than hoping it will continue. IMO/WMO seem not to have given any thought, as far as I am aware, to the issue of those many small craft that use NAVTEX. Had they done so, we might have had a system with more reliable coverage, not subject to sky-wave interference, not subject to interference by ducting, of higher speeds than 100 bauds. We talk now in terms of mega-byte speeds not 100 bits. NAVTEX is obsolescent.
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Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
Easy. They probably cannot afford to buy anything to fire in the first place, so it does not matter:ambivalence:
If JC ever gets his way, there won't be any subs either, so the matter would become irrelevant.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
I do not know about Navtex, but I have had a NASA Weatherman for 16 years. I cannot recall any instance when I have received a complete transmission, whereby it has not been ruined by loads of XXX!!! in the text, making it virtually useless
Pye_End
Well-Known Member
I have the bluetooth NASA NAVTEX with the updated antenna and it has been fabulous. Really useful bit of kit.
With a VHF or LW there is always the chance of being busy or missing a forecast, but NAVTEX much more reliable.