Recording weather forcasts

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pcatterall

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I posted recently about getting weather info while in the med especially when out of Wi-Fi/4G range.
Many thanks for your answers on that.
I will invest in a Navtex but also plan to get forecasts from the VHF and broadcasts such as radio Monaco.
Being hard of hearing (and challenged in the memory department) I know that I will not be able to jot down information supplied in French (or read what I have written)
Even in UK me and crew would be arguing about what was said within 5 minutes of the broadcast ending!
The cunning plan is to get a simple tape recorder so that we can replay, translate and digest at our leisure.
Does this make sense, does anyone do this? (( no; I don't want a Roberts recording radio ( I threw the last one away))
Any suggestions on a simple cheap recorder?
many thanks
 
pcatterall said:
I posted recently about getting weather info while in the med especially when out of Wi-Fi/4G range.
Many thanks for your answers on that.
I will invest in a Navtex but also plan to get forecasts from the VHF and broadcasts such as radio Monaco.
Being hard of hearing (and challenged in the memory department) I know that I will not be able to jot down information supplied in French (or read what I have written)
Even in UK me and crew would be arguing about what was said within 5 minutes of the broadcast ending!
The cunning plan is to get a simple tape recorder so that we can replay, translate and digest at our leisure.
Does this make sense, does anyone do this? (( no; I don't want a Roberts recording radio ( I threw the last one away))
Any suggestions on a simple cheap recorder?
many thanks
Click to expand...

a digital dictafone is probably the answer. should be loads to choose from on ebay/amazon etc.
 
yes +1 for the voice recorder, I have velcro-ed mine beside the radios (vhf and ssb), it is voice operated so one can leave it there and it starts when the bulletin begins (or when the kids scream).
With very long bulletins (not your area but for example the US voice bulletins), the turn counter is nice, it allows to roughly locate the relevant part :) I'd say the recorder is almost essential, those bulletins can last 40 minutes and with that mechanical voice it is difficult not to fall asleep after ten minutes :D
.
PS Monaco radio bulletins are both in French and English (when they remember to broadcast the English version, that is)
 
duncan99210 said:
Why bother? The NAVTEX forecast will be there for you to refer to on screen. It'll be identical to the voice forecast, down to the mistakes in translation.
Click to expand...

Not always, It depends on the regions.
Navtex are Offshore bulletins, every broadcaster takes its bulletin from a Met Office.
VHF radio for example in Spain, France etc are Coastal bulletins.

So what you receive on Navtex in Spain and France is not the same as you hear on the VHF, they are different bulletins, one for offshore areas the other for coastal areas.

Italy instead has the same bulletin both in Navtex and VHF.
If you receive Monaco Radio on HF for Italy areas (or even VHF in a tiny western corner), it will be a different offshore bulletin, issued by Meteo France.

Greek Navtex +VHF has bulletins from the Greek MetOffice. If while in Greece you receive the Eastern Med bulletin from Monaco Radio on HF it will encompass Greek areas but it will be from Meteo France.


So in some cases VHF and Navtex are the same, in other cases you get coastal on VHF vs offshore on navtex, in other cases you get offshore bulletins on both HF radio and navtex but from different forecasting sources.
 
Pye_End said:
Many more yachts carry VHF sets than Navtex.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the OP has said he will be fitting NAVTEX, hence my response. From the forecasts I've heard and received on my NAVTEX in the areas he's concerned about, they seem to me to be exactly the same: broadcast and NAVTEX. In any event, I find that Grib files in the areas concerned are much easier to understand and more accurate than the very board brush forecasts from the coastguards.
 
duncan99210 said:
Yes, but the OP has said he will be fitting NAVTEX, hence my response.
Click to expand...

Apologies missed that bit - was particularly interested in the recording answers as I don't have NAVTEX and recording would sometimes be handy.

An app or dictaphone that could also slow down a recording would also be handy to make foreign languages easier to understand.
 
In the 1980's Hitatchi made a Car Stereo which had a Cassett Player. But it would also "Record" Thus I was able to record the Radio 4 Shipping Forecasts.
Perhaps someone still makes something similar today.
(If so I want one)
 
pcatterall said:
I posted recently about getting weather info while in the med especially when out of Wi-Fi/4G range.
Many thanks for your answers on that.
I will invest in a Navtex but also plan to get forecasts from the VHF and broadcasts such as radio Monaco.
Being hard of hearing (and challenged in the memory department) I know that I will not be able to jot down information supplied in French (or read what I have written)
Even in UK me and crew would be arguing about what was said within 5 minutes of the broadcast ending!
The cunning plan is to get a simple tape recorder so that we can replay, translate and digest at our leisure.
Does this make sense, does anyone do this? (( no; I don't want a Roberts recording radio ( I threw the last one away))
Any suggestions on a simple cheap recorder?
many thanks
Click to expand...


I really do encourage you to bite the bullet and grasp the internet nettle. Read about GPRS. Learn how to use it. Do some homework on getting and using a 3G dongle. Practice using GPRS over here.

It really is worthwhile. I say this as an 80 year old.
 
franksingleton said:
I really do encourage you to bite the bullet and grasp the internet nettle. Read about GPRS. Learn how to use it. Do some homework on getting and using a 3G dongle. Practice using GPRS over here.

It really is worthwhile. I say this as an 80 year old.
Click to expand...

Thanks Frank,................ we do use an internet dongle in France and it has been great. There will be occasions though when we are out of range ( I do have a booster) I just want to be as prepared as I can.
 
I do not know where you will be. I cannot speak for North Africa. but we spent 10 years in the Med and were only out of Internet access on a couple of occasions. We did not have a dongle at the time, much of our time was before sG became the norm.

I can still, and occasionally do use GPRS. Data volumes are low per euro compared to 3G but I used it with my UK cell phone. It did not cost an arm and a leg. I use that if I do not have a 3G dongle. If that fails, then it is back to NAVTEX and VHF.
 
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