Navtex reception - W coast Scotland

[Cloven]

I am considering fiiting a navtex receiver. Has anyone experience of how good the reception is on the West coast of Scotland - Mull/Oban/Hebrides area?

Thanks for any replies

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[Budgie]

My experience has been that reception is poor in that area, especially on 490. On advice from ICS I linked the aeriel to the uninsulated backstay and improved reception, but I haven't been out west since doing this.

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[claymore]

I asked this question about 2 or 3 years ago and was dissuaded from buying one because most people said they don't work very well. If I see anyone with a navtex, I still ask and still get fairly negative responses.
To be honest the Clyde coastguard broadcasts are so frequent and fairly accurate that I don't think the information could be bettered really.

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Claymore<font color=purple>
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[Kantara]

I installed Navtex last year - and I still haven't received a full message from Portpatrick. However, the good news is that I never get an error from Malin Head - just a shame that it doesn't cover where I sail - which is precisely where you are asking about.
I understand that the Niton transmitter (which I believe is in England) transmits the North France broadcasts - maybe we should try to persuade the Coastguard to try transmitting the Scottish area information from Malin Head!
Chris

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[Shanty]

I've been using a NASA receiver on the West Coast for the past 3 seasons. I've found the reception mainly good, but a bit unpredictable. It seems to be very location sensitive - we were in Ardfern for a few days this summer. On the North end of the visitors pontoon, the reception was excellent. Half way along the pontoon, the reception was lousy.

When its working, Navtex is far more convenient that CG or BBC broadcasts, but don't rely on it as your sole source of forecasts - it will let you down.


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[Mariner]

When we were on the west coast around three years ago we never had any luck recieving messages in the Oban/Sound of Mull area. Same system now works fine on the south coast with no modifications.

Gary

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[Skallagrimsson]

Indented coasts

NAVTEX reception seems to be a problem anywhere with an indented coastline. I live in Norway, and off the coast NAVTEX reception from Norwegian transmitters is excellent. Also, if on the west coast of Norway, I regularly receive messages from Cullercoats. Once I enter a fjord, however, everything is lost. Protected waters, I guess.... I sailed in Scotland last year, and the problem was the same. Good reception in outer Hebridees, and nothing as we approached Fort William. I have an ICS receiver, which is good, but has no printer. The screen is very good, though, and considering that it is relatively cheap (compared to other electronics), I'm happy to have bought it. I don't have to rely on knowing when weather is broadcast on the radio, and (speaking norwegian) I can read and re-read the forecast - a great boon when in France, Finland and other places with unintelligeable languages.




<hr width=100% size=1>Skallagrimsson