[mcerdos]

I am thinking about adding a Pactor modem to my SSB. With a Pactor Modem, will I be able to access sites such as PassageWeather.com to download grib files? Or, am I just able to get the weatherfax type files at specific times like a weatherfax?

Thanks,

Mark

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[Bill-Rangatira]

I am thinking about adding a Pactor modem to my SSB. With a Pactor Modem, will I be able to access sites such as PassageWeather.com to download grib files? Or, am I just able to get the weatherfax type files at specific times like a weatherfax?

Thanks,

Mark

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i would suggest getting grib from email just need to determine which file to get

 

[mcerdos]

i would suggest getting grib from email just need to determine which file to get

How would I get someone to email it to me? Is there a service?

Thanks

Mark
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[Bill-Rangatira]

yes you using noaa grib or other source?
if noaa you can email a request for the file they will pack it up and send an email back

 

[aeventyr60]

How would I get someone to email it to me? Is there a service?

Thanks

Mark
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Homework for you:

Winlink Weather Sites/ Franks-Weather | The Weather Window

 

[svzephyr44]

More homework. You can avoid the cost of a pactor modem by using RMS Express.
http://www.winlink.org/RMSExpress

 

[chuck5499]

You did not say if you were a ham or not. If not get it it is not that difficult.

I am not an electrical guru and can some days attach the right wires together with out blowing something up.

We use our pactor for the grib files as a second look at the weather, the limited email to our kids, and shiptrak to put in our daily positions.

When we sailed across the atlantic we used it and hit winlink stations in Halifax and Florida until a couple of days outside of Horta. We used it this past summer hitting stations in Switerland, Bulgaria, and Russia to get wx grib files when we did not have internet. We also used it to update our locations on shiptrak.

If you do not get your ham you can sign up and pay for sailmail that does about the same thing only you have to pay for it.

Is it worth it? In our opinion yes but then others may disagree.

 

[Minnewaska]

I can't wait for satellite technology to become less expensive. It would be pretty cool if the DeLorme Inreach could download a grib file.

 

[mcerdos]

More homework. You can avoid the cost of a pactor modem by using RMS Express.
http://www.winlink.org/RMSExpress

This is very cool. I had no idea. I am no a HAM yet, but planned on getting next month. I'm assuming that I would connect the PC to the SSB and run this software?

Mark

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[mcerdos]

Homework for you:

Winlink Weather Sites/ Franks-Weather | The Weather Window

Very helpful. thanks for the home work

Mark

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[SVAuspicious]

I'm a little late to the party here.

I am thinking about adding a Pactor modem to my SSB. With a Pactor Modem, will I be able to access sites such as PassageWeather.com to download grib files? Or, am I just able to get the weatherfax type files at specific times like a weatherfax?

If you can connect to e-mail by any means (HF/SSB through Sailmail or Shipcom over Pactor, HF/SSB through Winlink over Pactor or WINMOR, or a satellite phone connection) you can get gribs. The easiest way is to use Airmail software on you computer to generate Saildocs requests. See Home Page for more information.

Airmail also supports weather fax reception. The synoptic charts you get from weather fax are demonstrably better than what is available in grib format.

Winlink Weather Sites/ Franks-Weather | The Weather Window

Frank Singleton is one of the least appreciated resources of the cruising sailor. Outstanding depth and breadth of material.

More homework. You can avoid the cost of a pactor modem by using RMS Express.
http://www.winlink.org/RMSExpress

RMSExpress is client software that supports both Pactor using an SCS modem and WINMOR using a software modem. WINMOR is only supported by Winlink and requires a US General class ham license or above, or equivalent ham license in other countries. WINMOR operates at about the speed of Pactor II.

I can't wait for satellite technology to become less expensive. It would be pretty cool if the DeLorme Inreach could download a grib file.

There are good reasons why HF/SSB is part of GMDSS and satellite phones are not. Iridium and Globalstar keep applying and keep getting turned down.

 

[Minnewaska]

.....There are good reasons why HF/SSB is part of GMDSS and satellite phones are not. Iridium and Globalstar keep applying and keep getting turned down.

Do share why.

 

[aeventyr60]

Dave,

Some good homework for me too. With the RMS system one needs only to use the sound card located on the laptop to down load weather info? The connection is then down through the speaker jack on an SSB and into the laptop? We used to do this before pactor modems and sailmail and the early days of winlink, using a smaller dedicated WFX device.

 

[Delezynski]

Mark,

When we departed the San Francisco Bay area in 04, we installed a Pacotr 3, our HAM radio and small Eee PC. It worked SO GOOD!!!! It was magic, out 100 miles at sea and getting email. In the Winlink system is a catalog of all of the weather reports one could want, just open it up with an "F" key and select the report. Then use another "F" key function to find the best station to connect to and your good to go. Connected first try almost every time!!

Greg

 

[PorFin]

Backing up a step...

mcerdos, what's the make/model of your SSB?

 

[SVAuspicious]

I can't wait for satellite technology to become less expensive. It would be pretty cool if the DeLorme Inreach could download a grib file.

There are good reasons why HF/SSB is part of GMDSS and satellite phones are not. Iridium and Globalstar keep applying and keep getting turned down.

Do share why.

Satellite phones don't meet standards for life safety equipment. Even Inmarsat, which does have GMDSS equipment on commercial and military platforms and so has the infrastructure, could not get their iSatPhone Pro approved for GMDSS.

The standards provide for a lot of things from hardware function (frequency stability and signal quality over a wide range of supply voltages for example) to the communications path (including people in the loop in call centers).

From a scenario point of view every exercise I'm familiar with that uses a satphone has taken longer to SAR on scene than HF/SSB or Inmarsat/C.

Some good homework for me too. With the RMS system one needs only to use the sound card located on the laptop to down load weather info? The connection is then down through the speaker jack on an SSB and into the laptop? We used to do this before pactor modems and sailmail and the early days of winlink, using a smaller dedicated WFX device.

You can receive weather fax over HF/SSB using a cable to your laptop and software (not RMS Express - JVCOMM32 or a number of other tools). It does use your computer sound card to feed a software demodulator.

The hardware weather fax demodulators are still available but no longer necessary.

I'm just about done with a mini-webinar on getting weather information on board for both Chris Parker and Lee Chesneau. Both gentlemen plan to use my material for their Seven Seas U courses and in other talks they give.

 

[Minnewaska]

Interesting SV. Thanks. One would still think the satellite technology can and will eventually address those weaknesses.

 

[SVAuspicious]

Interesting SV. Thanks. One would still think the satellite technology can and will eventually address those weaknesses.

True enough. What satellite technologies do not have on their technology roadmap is a many-to-many modality that can easily get you help faster - HF/SSB/DSC wakes up everyone within hundreds of miles (at least) that can help you. Not only AMVER but non-participating commercial ships and recreational boats like me.

A little red button on a sat phone that beeps every sat phone within 500 miles (or some number) regardless of service provider, links to the nearest RCC, and sets up a conference call might be interesting. Until that or something functionally equivalent happens I will stay with HF/SSB.

 

[windward54]

True enough. What satellite technologies do not have on their technology roadmap is a many-to-many modality that can easily get you help faster - HF/SSB/DSC wakes up everyone within hundreds of miles (at least) that can help you. Not only AMVER but non-participating commercial ships and recreational boats like me.

A little red button on a sat phone that beeps every sat phone within 500 miles (or some number) regardless of service provider, links to the nearest RCC, and sets up a conference call might be interesting. Until that or something functionally equivalent happens I will stay with HF/SSB.

AND it is a heck of a fun hobby.

 

[Minnewaska]

AND it is a heck of a fun hobby.

I'm happy for those that dig it. I find Ham/SSB to be like nails on a chalkboard. I can do it, but I cringe at the thought.

The technology is so antiquated, it's laughable. I can stream video of my daughter onto a device the size of my wallet and speak with her live from a cafe in a third world country, half way around the globe. To do so, I tap her name on said wallet sized device and it does the rest. To make an SSB radio call or get a fax on the water practically requires an advanced degree. There is certainly nothing intuitive about it. Silly.