Silverado
Well-Known Member
I now have a properly useable Navtex at very little cost. I have just installed a Silva Navtex and for the first time I have a properly legible and useable system.
I wasn't aware that it was possible to link the Silva Navtex S15 aerial only to a laptop until a friend told me about it. I have done it now and am very pleased to say that I now have a very legible and useable readout.
The laptop needs a simple programme, you need a specially supplied switch which offers 490 or 518 kHs, this is plugged into a 12v supply and into the serial port on a laptop/PC and after that Bob's your uncle. These items come as part of the package.
I mounted the aerial (which is quite large by Navtex standards) in a large void in my transome and I'm up and running for about Eur110.00. The aerial is deliberately clear of any electronic device and I am receiving very clearly stations from up to 500 miles away with full legibility.
I also can copy and paste the result into Word to save it and print it off if I desire.
A lot of people find Navtex hard to use and especially hard to read because of poor reception, size of characters and its ofter a jumble of nonsense. This I find is not the case any more, now I have something useable. My boat is in the Med so I really need this type of forecasting in English language.
Has anyone else tried this system and how are you getting along with it?
I wasn't aware that it was possible to link the Silva Navtex S15 aerial only to a laptop until a friend told me about it. I have done it now and am very pleased to say that I now have a very legible and useable readout.
The laptop needs a simple programme, you need a specially supplied switch which offers 490 or 518 kHs, this is plugged into a 12v supply and into the serial port on a laptop/PC and after that Bob's your uncle. These items come as part of the package.
I mounted the aerial (which is quite large by Navtex standards) in a large void in my transome and I'm up and running for about Eur110.00. The aerial is deliberately clear of any electronic device and I am receiving very clearly stations from up to 500 miles away with full legibility.
I also can copy and paste the result into Word to save it and print it off if I desire.
A lot of people find Navtex hard to use and especially hard to read because of poor reception, size of characters and its ofter a jumble of nonsense. This I find is not the case any more, now I have something useable. My boat is in the Med so I really need this type of forecasting in English language.
Has anyone else tried this system and how are you getting along with it?
