Talbot
regular
Reged: 23/08/2003
Posts: 12442
Loc: Stavanger, Norway
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I recommend that you go to http://www.franksingleton.clara.net/ which provides 90% of the answers to the questions you are asking.
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"Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors - and miss."
Robert A Heinlein
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whipper_snapper
regular
Reged: 09/08/2006
Posts: 1438
Loc: Kenya
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Quote:
do you suggest its possible to connect to the sangean and prompt the printing from that unit
Yes, that is possible with appropriate (free/cheap) software and a PC.
But all this is taking you a long way from your satphone request and I suggest you think carefully before being swayed by the radio hams around here!
Satphones are simpler and far more reliable means of communication than HF radio. They are probably also cheaper because although they cost per minute of use, they are much quicker and simpler to install and use.
I suspect that many, me included, look on HF radio mainly as fun to play with!
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Captainslarty
regular
Reged: 12/08/2007
Posts: 2012
Loc: Currently La Coruna Spain
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There are over 1000 wefax stations in 80 countries around the world. why do you think that you cant get detail for your area ? no worries. - even in mid ocean. no two way system needed.
add navtex for coastal regions too.
The other point is that interpreting synoptic charts IS childs play.. it doesnt take long to master it. HF Fax listings and info
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PM me for info re SSB's etc. Bought, sold, repaired, fitted and optimised.
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whipper_snapper
regular
Reged: 09/08/2006
Posts: 1438
Loc: Kenya
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Sorry, but that is simply not true. For example, the schedules suggest wonderful coverage of the Indian Ocean, but I have listened for them literally 100's of times and never heard the Kenyan station and the SA stations are very rarely audible and never stick to schedule.
I can get great wx fax from germany, UK, Canada and USA but its no use to me at all!
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webcraft
regular
Reged: 08/07/2001
Posts: 4256
Loc: al shop for local people
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Iridium Motorola 9505 is fine. Get a fixed external aerial - much less hassle - and away you go. Check it out before you leave though - we had problems with the USB to serial cable at first and had to get another one.
Downloading a five day GRIB for a 600 mile radius will take 2-3 min (these are the wind only GRIBs, no isobars or precip, but you don't need them). Get them from GLOBALMARINENET . We used the WINDPLOT software available as a download from the same site. The demo bversion worked fine for us, so we never actually purchased it.
Easy and reliable - Iridium phones seem to be fairly bombproof, but I would take a spare laptop as a backup.
For voice, the more minutes you buy up front the cheaper it is. There are loads of suppliers of airtime, so check them all out.
- W
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Comprehensive UK sail cruising website
BlueMoment - blown away into the blue . . .
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Troutbridge
regular
Reged: 19/03/2007
Posts: 333
Loc: Cruising, mon, cruising
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Zed, I have an Iridium system on board. My service provider is Sailamail and the system seems to work just fine. I prefer it to the system I used to have because I can get weather on demand with an email request. I also have an SSB transceiver which is handy for 'social purposes' and could be used to get weather info.
If you're not a 'radio enthusiast' I'd suggest the satphone route is the way to go. As far as interpreting synoptic charts are concerned, if you download wind information it's fairly self-explanatory. Anything else(pressure gradients, frontal systems etc) is a bit of a black art. For those who think differently all I can say is when I had to pass a met exam for my commercial pilots license (many years ago, I've just retired) the ground school syllabus devoted about 30 hours of lectures to weather systems. On the other hand maybe all airline pilots are thickos & radio enthusiasts are bordering on the genius level. 
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Some see the glass as half full, some see it as half empty. I see it as too damn small.
http:/blog.mailasail.com/troutbridge
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Lemain
regular
Reged: 31/01/2004
Posts: 5546
Loc: Fiumicino canal (Rome, Italy)
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I have sat phone (Mini M), amateur HF/MF, marine HF/MF, and a Pactor 3 modem. I use the HF radio (via Winlink or Sailmail) to get my gribs and other docs including single page html files as text-only via saildocs and other weather via email from Buoyweather. I always manage to get through on either Winlink or Sailmail so I save money and never use the Mini M for data. I seldom bother with synoptics in the Med as they are almost impossible for to base a forecast on unlike Atlantic weather.
I agree with your general advice for non-techy people and would add that a SSB transceiver is not cheap, neither is Pactor nor the $250 annual sub to sailmail! You can make quite few satphone connects with the money you will have saved.
Whichever way you do it, the ability to send and receive emails at sea or secluded anchorages is very useful as you can get weather 24/24. Another benefit is being able to send faxes via Interfax, with just one email. I often book a marina berth with a fax sent by the radio as they tend to ignore emails but put faxes on the top of the pile.
Definitely check out Frank Singleton's site. If you don't understand anything, email him, he is very helpful and as a professional forecaster and long-term cruising yachtsman, he knows what he's talking about.
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My daily blog on the current financial crisis is at:- http://davidscompass.blogspot.com No PMs for now ybw1.20.lemain@spamgourmet.com
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ZED_NIVEL
regular
Reged: 21/10/2005
Posts: 110
Loc: Göteborg (SWE)
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To Trouthbridge: ohoy that was a good debate. Thanks all for this analyze and to WhipperSnapper who have been monitoring my project from another Forum as well + Troutbridge: I go for your advices; why should i become a radio amateur at my age (57)having no time for all that incl not only comptence but also formal certificate? and yes - i think also you are both correct and also very emphatic to my situation! Maybe not the money has so much infludence for me as the simplicity and knowing that the right Sat system ( either 2 sat phones on the low orbit system or 1 Iridium) - i think i start to understand this and also what you already pointed out:
Also WhipperSnapper: You use it all and have the experience obviously + gives clear and friendly info: Yes its sound to get the adequate for the NOW. Even if I some time even go around the world - upgrade for that IF IF and IF that ever happens, ( probably it will be the system covering almost the whole trip from Africa to Carribean)
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ZED
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Good Question Forms Good Process
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ZED_NIVEL
regular
Reged: 21/10/2005
Posts: 110
Loc: Göteborg (SWE)
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To WhipperSnapper: ohoy that was a good debate. Thanks all for this analyze and to you who have been monitoring my project from another Forum as well I go for your advices; why should i become a radio amateur at my age (57)having no time for all that incl not only competence but also formal certificate? and yes - i think also you are correct and also very emphatic to my situation! Maybe not the money has so much influence for me as the simplicity and knowing that the right Sat system ( either 2 sat phones on the low orbit system or 1 Iridium) - i think i start to understand this and also what you already pointed out:
You use it all and have the experience obviously + gives clear and friendly info: Yes its sound to get the adequate for the NOW. Even if I some time even go around the world - upgrade for that IF IF and IF that ever happens, ( probably it will be the system covering almost the whole trip from Africa to and in the Carribean)
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ZED
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Good Question Forms Good Process
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demonboy
regular
Reged: 11/10/2004
Posts: 742
Loc: Think bird eaten at Christmas
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We dloaded a grib file using UGrib, which we used for a delivery from Turkey to Malta. We arrived in Malta last night and I have to say the grib file was pretty much spot on for the three or so days we were at sea.
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Follow The Boat Log: Late Summer, 2008
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