Seen This?

[Cotillion]

I may be a bit late and you all know about it but I was impressed by the new bbc weather site, particularly the synoptics.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/

kim

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[snowleopard]

new to me. like the easy-to use synoptics as you say.

looks like some good sailing early next week on the south coast.

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[Fill]

It's very impressive, especially windspeed for Solent: 19 becoming 65.

I think I'll check the lines again!

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[Joe_Cole]

An interesting site but they need to do some homework on it.

I looked at the inshore forecast and it gave me all the information I needed except the time the forecast was issued. Was it todays or yesterdays?
Then I looked at the coastal observations at Dartmouth. "4/W". Force 4, 4 MPH, 4 knots?

It looks as if somebody is more interested in the presentaion looking good than being practical. Once it's sorted out though it will be good to have all that info on one site.

Joe

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

have you posted your comments to the beeb?

I am sure they will take comments from the users of this facility seriously, I think it is a step in the right direction but things could be better. I just presumed it meant the Beaufort scale, but you are right it needs clarification.

I would like to see clickable maps, and also as a broadband user the ability to see full scale maps, I am fed up of having to use a microscope to view online synoptic charts.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

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[Joe_Cole]

No I didn't. I looked, but couldn't find where to give the feedback. After about 35 seconds of extensive searching I gave up!

I hope they do sort out the detail. Potentially it's a great site.

Joe

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I have tried to give feedback, but I am not sure it worked, I listed points made on here so far and a few others > But I am not sure that it went through or not, it is one of those awful html forms. Why can't we just send email.

here is my message >>

Dear Sir,

I would first like to congratulate you with respect to your marine weather section which has recently appeared on the BBC site. It is definitely a step in the right direction, a one stop shop so to speak.

I would also like to make some observations and possibly some suggestions that you might take onboard.

1. You have not it seems dated nor timed the inshore weather forecasts, I trust the BBC but as a skipper I would be crucified in court if my weather forecasts were presented from my passage plan without dates and times.

2. A two pronged of even three pronged approach to presentation.

a. At home I have broadband as much of the population now do. At home I would like to see large format charts, and proper synoptic charts. At present the charts are just too small to be of any use, can these be made clickable or downloadable. Can we have more detail on the larger charts, such as wind, pressure figures or even the geostrophic wind scale in the corner, etc?

b. On the boat I can use my laptop to obtain on-line forecasts but have nothing like the bandwidth required to use your site in its present format, I would like to see a text only facility for this situation.

c. As is for standard dial up connections this site presently is probably fine; Okay I realise this means more work for your web team to present up to three independent formats of presentation, but surely much of this could be automated.

3. Please make the forecast areas clickable from the map, it does look like it should be, it is not intuitive to scroll down the page to find areas by text alone, have both to enable people who switch off graphics on their browsers.

4. As you have included sea area such as Portpatrick, Niton etc. You could be the first site as far as I know to also give out notices to mariners from these stations. There is no one presently including the navtex information on line. As my vessel is two hours from home it would be nice to have this information prior to leaving rather than wait for it once I get onboard. For those without navtex it might prove invaluable and also an incentive for them to purchase such receivers on board their own vessels for the future. At present, many new to the sport do not understand the potentials of such equipment.

I hope this helps some, I will be bookmarking the site and hope you take on board some of my suggestions. Well done for what so far seems a superior service to many sites presently available.

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<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

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[Joe_Cole]

Well done!

but I must take issue with you over one bit.......
"At home I have broadband as much of the population now do"............If only. Out here in the sticks we've only just got a STD exchange! It will be donkey's years before we get broadband. /forums/images/icons/mad.gif




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[bob_tyler]

Out where? Your profile is conspicuously empty

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[snowleopard]

i think they have a few bugs to iron out yet, like the fact that you click on Wedensday (sic) and get tuesday's chart!

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[RPC]

Have you seen the weather page on this site?

Blue Water Cruising Site <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.onpassage.com>http://www.onpassage.com

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

brilliant, at last full sized charts without having to download through HF.

Good Link

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

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