Which Navtex?

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Pavalijo

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I am leaning towards fitting Navtex, given that the NASA Target Pro can be picked up cheaply.
Then I read that this unit has reliability issues - based on threads in this place.
The ICS Nav6 is designed for panel mounting which is no good for me - I need to mount in a trunion.
I have seen an Alden AE-2000 on eBay - can anyone advise whether this is a decent piece of kit? I have never heard of Alden and searching on here and Google yields no useful results.
Are there any other options without going to the thousand pound Furuno end of the market? I want something with an inbuilt screen, not PC/laptop based.
Many thanks in advance,
Paul
 
The ICS unit is one of the better ones in my limited experience. Can you not make some sort of mounting for it? Just an angled piece of plywood would do. Or two short lengths of angle, a strip bent into a U-shape and a couple of nuts and bolts would make the trunnion you're after.

Pete
 
Thanks Pete, that is certainly an option but if the Alden unit is ok then that would be easier.

Thanks also Sandyman - but I think that unit is also panel mounted and the same comment applies. Still, there is a space where a box can be made up and I haven't ruled that out yet.
 
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NASA are rumoured to be working on a new Navtex receiver which can transmit text via bluetooth to a phone or tablet.
 
Pavalijo said:
Thanks Pete, that is certainly an option but if the Alden unit is ok then that would be easier.
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I've never heard of it before either - but my first impression is that it seems aimed more at ships than yachts. The screen is 8" which makes the whole thing fairly large for something that isn't really a "primary" instrument, and the included antenna is 4 feet long which I know I would struggle to mount anywhere sensible.

I can't find a manual anywhere to read about how it operates - in particular I wanted to check whether the message filtering works on receipt or on display. The blurb doesn't actually mention filtering at all, but I assume it's provided.

One of the things I like about my ICS navtex is that it provides a very good configurable display of NMEA0183 data (which in my case is being bridged from the Seatalk network) providing a chart-table repeater of just the bits I want, for no extra space. Obviously whether this matters for you depends on where you're putting it and what kit you already have.

I wouldn't rule out the Alden, say for a motor-sailer with a "shippy" indoor wheelhouse with plenty of panel space, but it would be good to get hold of a manual to find out more about it.

Pete
 
I last considered fitting Navtex about 10 years ago and had the same choice then - says something about the state of the market if there are not new devices coming on. Of the 2 I thought the ICS was vastly superior. At the risk of falling into the usual forum trap - are you sure you really need one these days?

For the ICS you should be able to buy a cheap ABS box from an electronics supplier (Farnell, RS, Maplin etc) to convert it reasonably
 
bedouin said:
At the risk of falling into the usual forum trap - are you sure you really need one these days?
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I'd second that - I have it on Ariam, at least partly because the display part of the system was going very cheap on the for-sale forum (I then had to buy the receiver box new). I do use it, but it's really not necessary and I doubt I would bother if starting again. However, I sail in the Channel, where we're only out of mobile Internet range for a few hours during the crossing - during a cruise along the UK or French coasts or among the Channel Islands, with the notable exception of the river Yealm we have pretty much continuous Internet coverage. But the OP's location says Scotland, and I hear that signal is a lot more patchy up there, so maybe Navtex still makes sense?

Pete
 
The ICS unit is by far the best looking product, with a great screen and the ability to display lots of other data. With the optional bracket it would be your best choice.
 
temptress said:
Where are you going to be sailing? I would say don't bother with a Navtex. In Europe you can get forecasts via 4g on your mobile phone... Further afield they do not have Navtex....
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Much of the West of Scotland is in Europe (for now) but not all parts experience so many as 4G.
 
Navtex reception on the West Coast of Scotland is mostly excellent. We get it from both Portpatrick and from Malin Head.

I use it to get the Inshore Forecast, where it's much more dependable than occasional phone or Internet. Can't rely on CG, as just when you really want it, they're often "Casualty Working", and don't broadcast it.

When we do have phone or Internet, XC Weather is good.
 
Thanks for the interesting replies during my absence this afternoon.

I need to change my location ("heading south from Scotland"). We are now in Southampton and plans are Atlantic coast of France next year, north-west Spain 2018, then to Portugal and on to the Med.

I am not sure yet how I will sort out mobile data - 3 At Home worked well this year for the month in Southern Ireland but the 2 month limit rules that out for a full season in France. I wondered about a simple voice contract and rely on wifi in cafes and marinas for data - and then with the fact that navtex is available for little over £200 got me thinking that it would be useful - especially as I have no idea how good mobile data coverage is in these areas. Then I read the reviews on NASA Target Pro and the cost increased.

Certainly I don't want a 4 foot aerial - thanks for pointing that out. There is a good deal of useful information here for me to investigate further. Perhaps I need to pose the question on the liveaboard forum to establish the best way to acquire mobile data and how good the coverage is. Certainly there are areas we sailed around in Scotland with no signal!

So I will investigate the mobile data and navtex options further before taking the plunge but this thread has certainly helped.

Paul
 
Pavaligo I have a ICS Navtex, it has been very good and as has been said the screen is very good and the ability to display any other NEMA data is very useful. I no longer use it as my sailing is only very local on the South coast of UK. Unfortunately the the old Ariel unit which was external and seems to house all the guts of the system has failed due to water ingress. The later Ariels have a simple ariel on deck and the electronic guts in a sepaerate unit which is mounted below. The new areiel etc can be connected to my ICS unit and last time I enquired it cost about £250, so you could consider making me an offer for the screen unit and you would have a good Navtex. Hope this does not infringe any rules. You can PM me if you like.
David MH
 
Pavalijo said:
...............Certainly I don't want a 4 foot aerial - thanks for pointing that out. There is a good deal of useful information here for me to investigate further. Perhaps I need to pose the question on the liveaboard forum to establish the best way to acquire mobile data and how good the coverage is. Certainly there are areas we sailed around in Scotland with no signal!

So I will investigate the mobile data and navtex options further before taking the plunge but this thread has certainly helped.
Paul
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Smartphones are a PITA as they tend to take over your life, when what you really want, when cruising, is to leave all that domestic shore based trivia behind.

I'm sure your plan of using WiFi in port plus Navtex is a workable for your plans over the next few years. But there is no getting away from the fact that internet weather sites do assist planning and marina WiFi is often not worth bothering with. Even so it is doable.

Is the NASA Target Pro that bad? I have had a couple and the problems seem to be mainly concerned with water getting into the active aerial. You can solve that by hiding the aerial below deck, still works great in the Biscay area.
 
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