Working Clipper Navtex around the Forth?

[JumbleDuck]

I have a Clipper Navtex which has never, in the four years I have owned it, displayed more than random gibberish as received on screen. I have tried various suggestions, like leaving it on for a long time to recharge its battery and doing an all-four-buttons system reset, but nothing persuades it to tell me anything useful. Before I start rigging up a power supply and aerial to test it, I wondered if anyone near Edinburgh (Port Edgar? Anstruther?) with a working system might be willing to plug my unit into their power supply and aerial to see what happens?

 

[Seajet]

I bought one of those, fitted it all up and got exactly the results you describe; took it back to Marine Superstore the same day - not only did they refund me with no quibbles, they seemed to be expecting me !

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I have a Clipper Navtex which has never, in the four years I have owned it, displayed more than random gibberish as received on screen.

Just assume that the random pattern of guff on the screen is predicting the raindrops pattern on your windows and you won't often be mislead. On the other hand, if you want a Navtext that just works, get a Furuno.

 

[NormanS]

Mine works fine, but I'm on the other side of the country, but if you're going to be in the Oban area, PM me and we can check it out.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Just assume that the random pattern of guff on the screen is predicting the raindrops pattern on your windows and you won't often be mislead. On the other hand, if you want a Navtext that just works, get a Furuno.

It does look a bit like a raindrop-simulation screensaver. I'm not sure that I want Navtex quite as much as the three hundred quid a Furuno seems to cost (and thanks for the tip) but I might be willing to spring thirty quid for a new NASA antenna if that's the problem with this one ...

 

[AngusMcDoon]

but I might be willing to spring thirty quid for a new NASA antenna if that's the problem with this one ...

That's usually the problem, especially if it's the type with the tubular white antenna that is designed to leak.

 

[doug748]

That's usually the problem, especially if it's the type with the tubular white antenna that is designed to leak.

If you do have the tubular thing, it is worth opening it up and gently drying with a hairdryer. Sunshine on it is good, if you can find some in your neck of the woods. Also check for any tracks on the PCB that have bridged due to corrosion. I gave mine a blast of WD40.

Following a tip on here I have now housed my aerial below decks.

 

[Strathglass]

I have a Clipper Navtex which has never, in the four years I have owned it, displayed more than random gibberish as received on screen. I have tried various suggestions, like leaving it on for a long time to recharge its battery and doing an all-four-buttons system reset, but nothing persuades it to tell me anything useful. Before I start rigging up a power supply and aerial to test it, I wondered if anyone near Edinburgh (Port Edgar? Anstruther?) with a working system might be willing to plug my unit into their power supply and aerial to see what happens?

Yes, it should work in the Forth. I am over at Dalgety Bay and both Clipper Navtex and the Clipper weatherman can be used between Limekilns and Inverness. Usual problem is the aerials.

Quite happy for you to bring your bits over and plug them into my aerial. I will not be free for a couple of weeks as I am on antibiotics and have a trip to the dentist next Thursday. I should be down at the boat most days after that.

 

[Bilgediver]

It does look a bit like a raindrop-simulation screensaver. I'm not sure that I want Navtex quite as much as the three hundred quid a Furuno seems to cost (and thanks for the tip) but I might be willing to spring thirty quid for a new NASA antenna if that's the problem with this one ...

Why not get about 30 ft of bell wire and run it up the mast and connect it to the navtex antenna socket centre pin. Switch on and leave it for 24 hours at least. If something happens then think about spending all those beer tokens for a posh antenna.

 

[SteveSarabande]

Have you set it up properly. You need to activate it for the local stations and the types of transmissions you want to receive.

 

[Billjratt]

The wire aerial already mentioned is worth a try - or the backstay through a small capacitor to block DC voltage, but you should also be aware of the effects of local interference, whether from your own equipment or something nasty near by.
If it's the latter, there is a nice government man who will help you as it's illegal.
I thought there was a screen showing a received signal spectrum available, have you tried that?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Why not get about 30 ft of bell wire and run it up the mast and connect it to the navtex antenna socket centre pin. Switch on and leave it for 24 hours at least. If something happens then think about spending all those beer tokens for a posh antenna.

It's no longer on the boat, and I could certainly try that at home. However, I live at the bottom of a fairly steep-sided valley with rotten radio reception which is why I would rather experiment with an antenna which is known to receive signals.

Have you set it up properly. You need to activate it for the local stations and the types of transmissions you want to receive.

I think so. I spent some time ploughing through the manual and, as I recall, told it to show me anything it could from Portpatrick or Ireland, which seemed the appropriate ones for the west of Scotland. I'll certainly check, thanks.

I thought there was a screen showing a received signal spectrum available, have you tried that?

Didn't find that, but it may be there. It's serial number 125, which I suspect is fairly early.

 

[srm]

+1 for Furuno. I ran Furuno and NASA NAVTEX sets side by side on the West Coast of Scotland with both set to recieve everything on the international frequency. About 20 messages on the Furuno for every one on the NASA set.
However, NAVTEX is not designed for habour use and the signal soon gets lost in some coastal areas. The Furuno set does not get much and somedays nothing at home in Stromness Marina, but that's the same as the professionally installed full spec set we used for training MN officers in the college just along the water front. See Frank Singletons excelent web site for more info about NAVTEX and other marine weather services.
http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Home