Navtex - Scottish West Coast

[claymore]

I was looking at some navtex software and receiver which will run from my laptop.
Has anyone any experience of the reliability/strength of signals up the west coast?

regards
Claymore

 

[extravert]

I used Navtex up the Scottish coast (and the rest of UK too) and the reliability was OK but not marvellous. It certainly worked much better, almost faultlessly, in open water with land on the horizon than it did close to land or in harbours. We always got something but sometimes the text had rather a lot of errors. I don't think it was ever unreadable, but it can take only 1 character wrong for a lat/long to be useless.

Perhaps the strangest example of poor reception was in Portpatrick harbour. We could see the aerial on top of the hill but got no reception. I almost persuaded a crew member to run up the hill and get a printout from the man typing it in, but she just didn't quite fall for it.

I think on balance it is worth having. The dual frequency ones are useful because they can pick up inshore waters forcast which is likely to be more relevant to us.

 

[claymore]

Thanks for that
I may have a go!

regards
Claymore

 

[HaraldS]

Used Navtex the last two seasons on the Scotish West coast and reception was always just fine. It was actually quite useful there, as opposed to where I am now.

www.taniwani.de

 

[Spacewaist]

Its fine - a darnsight better than Radio Four's unsocial hours schedule - and leaves a trace if you missed the broadcast whilst imbiobing ashore. Reception can be a bit of a challenge if you are surrounded by hills. That said, the Scottish Coast Guard broadcasts are somehow "better" than I am used to in the Solent.

Possibly this is because you dont get the incessant radio drivel from local imbeciles:

"Solent Coast Guard, Solent Coast Guard, Solent Coast Guard,
"This is Radio Check Dick Head,Radio Check Dick Head,Radio Check Dick Head,
"Lobotomy please."

Lawd help us! Oh....Buy a Navtex!

A pontification from the Panjandrum of orotund bloviation AD2002

 

[seahorse]

Hi Claymore, I'm thinking along the same lines. I've downloaded some software to lookat but i'm undedcides about a RX. What are your thoughts?

 

[claymore]

Hello Seahorse
The stand I got the information from is Marine Computing International
www.marinecomputing.com
Their PC NAvtex programme looks really good and has plenty of useful features - I liked the Outlook style user interface and the fact that it collects and stores messages so I can go into them when not using my navigation software.
The chap on the stand said that I should experiment with antenna position before fixing it permanently which I thought was good advice.

I think I'm right in saying that the 518Khz receiver gives weather forecasts nav warnings etc whilst the 490Khz receives inshore waters forecasts.

I don't know whether I'm doing the right thing - the Coastguard forecasts are what I use at the moment and with several channels coving different areas - North Mull, West, East , + Ardnamurchan etc we always get clear broadcasts - sometimes my shorthand is a bit hard to understand so I thought a written message that I could analyse a bit more scientifically might help!


regards
Claymore

 

[seahorse]

Re: Navtex many thanks Claymore,

Hi Claymore, I've don quite a bit of diving & sailing on the west coast & know the area well, I live on the east coast.
I'll look 4 the site U mentioned.

 

[Bergman]

The real trick is in the aerial.

You need the longest bit of wire you can get. If Claymore is a ketch try up mizzen and across to main mast head.

From home (N Yorks) I can recieve most of Zone 1 stuff, but that on a big aerial.

Any half way decent SSB receiver will do, The NASA one seems popular or try E-Bay for 2nd hand comms receiver.

I use Mscan Meteo Text and Meteo Fax for weatherfax. Will also receive telex (RTTY)

May find some blank spots NW Scotland if close inshore behind mountains but no reason otherwise for problems