NAVTEX reception

[SVB]

Folks,

I am in the process of fitting a NAVTEX (PC version).

Our boat is moored at the top of the Hamble (Eastlands, past Swanick & Jolly Sailor).

After fitting it on Sunday I could not get the system to work. I have had to come home to resolve a Vista drivers issue for my USB / Serial adapter and I now think I have got past all the obstacles Bill Gates has thrown at my door so I now have a 'virtual' serial post via USB working fine.

Before I travel back to the boat to test the new arrangement, can anyone confirm whether (weather? – sorry /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) they have reliably received NAVTEX at the top end of the Hamble or will it only really come to life further into the Solent?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[nimbusgb]

I get reception in the middle of East Sussex. Remember that navtext transmissions only occur during short periods of the day and you need to set your decoder to accept messages from the transmitter most relative to your area.

Navtext Schedule

 

[Hurricane]

I assume that you have the NASA PC engine.

The only set up you need to do is decide what frequency you want it to watch. The NASA system lets you decide which times to switch from 518khz to 490khz and back etc. Niton is your local one and from memory, it doesnt transmit much weather info on 518 - but it did seem to do the inshore forecast on 490.

Anyway, the trick with the NASA one is to leave it switched on and power up your PC into it when you get to the boat. Download the data that its collected and then sort using the filters - once masteredm, its quite a good system.