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Thread: Interested in a boat for 2018 TransPac

  1. #431
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    Quote Originally Posted by jamottep View Post
    I know but ... That's $275 ...
    Yep. Totally understand. My choices are driven by different circumstances -- a very different boat and what it came with. I was throwing in my .02 for what it might be worth to the general audience as much as a reply to you, Philippe. Cheers.
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  2. #432
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    Sep 2007
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    Does SailGrib manage the email and GRIB file transfer over the Iridium connection, or is third party software (e.g., SailMail, XGate, OCENS) needed to get the email and data back to the boat? I read through the SailGrib manual and it wasn't clear what the minimum software/hardware requirement is to do the data request/receipt.

    - rob/beetle

  3. #433
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    May 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by tiger beetle View Post
    Does SailGrib manage the email and GRIB file transfer over the Iridium connection, or is third party software (e.g., SailMail, XGate, OCENS) needed to get the email and data back to the boat? I read through the SailGrib manual and it wasn't clear what the minimum software/hardware requirement is to do the data request/receipt.

    - rob/beetle
    My response only applies to Android ... This video tutorial is for SailGrib (in French but with English subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucQIXCMzGRU

    My guess it's similar with qtVlm.

    Summarized:
    1. Make GRIB request in app;
    2. Go to Iridium GO Mail app and send email;
    3. Wait 5 minutes (this is where the fish and chips come in handy);
    4. Download email with IRidum GO;
    5. Download GRIB file attachments;
    6. Import in app.
    Last edited by jamottep; 02-15-2018 at 02:11 PM.

  4. #434
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    I'm on a metered bandwidth cellular internet connection on my boat here in Oahu, so I don't stream video - it's unfortunate that people think a video tutorial is a substitute for a well-written manual [one of my pet peeves!].

    I'm running an Iridium GO on board Beetle, have been for the last year, it's worked very well. I do NOT use the Iridium Mail mechanism as there are some significant issues with how the Iridium email servers are set up that make it not helpful for me to use - the big two issues are (or at least were) the ability to check email onlyl through the Iridium satellite system (can't check from any shore-based service), and the inability to receive oversize emails (e.g., a file too large to transmit to the boat becomes 'lost' on the Iridium server as the server won't send it out over the satellite and you can't retrieve the email other than through the satellite). All that was true a year ago, there's a chance things have changed since then.

    For purposes of SSS TransPac, using Iridium GO the way you're describing should work to make a request via email to SailDocs (or any other GRIB-supplying service that responds to email), and retrieve the response through Iridium Mail. Test all that out on the ground way before the race; it took me four days to sort through the capabilites of Iridium GO and figure out how I wanted to integrate it into how I manage communications on the boat. (My primary components for using the GO are the laptop, SailMail, GMail, SailDocs, Note 2 Android phone - it takes a fair bit of reading to figure out how to configure everything to play nicely.)

    I would strongly suggest that you'll want the unlimited monthly data plan if you're going to with Iridium GO; trasnferring data over the Iridium network takes a long time and if you're paying by the minute it quickly becomes expensive.

    I would also strongly suggest you'll want an above-deck antenna for the Iridium GO. The unit is fairly small, it's not at all watertight (it has multiple cable entry ports that have little rubber stoppers pressed in place that look like really good water entry points), and overheats in direct sunlight and shuts down (if you're going to use it on deck in a protected area where the sun can get to it, put a hat over the unit to shade it from the sun). Maybe the boat came with such an antenna?

    As regards using GRIB files - I don't find it helpful to visualize them on a chart, it's easier to just look at the output (provided there is a Lat/Lon grid on the display) and see where I am, and look at what the model thinks the weather will do over the next 2-3 days. If you want to do this from shore, download ViewFax through SailMail and use your regular email to request/receive GRIB files from SailDocs and look at them on ViewFax - all of this costs nothing and you have lots of information available via the web if you get stuck along the way. None of that is easy to do once you're offshore on the boat!

    Do you have polars for the boat? I don't know what a 'wave polar' is, that's a new term to me. What is one?

    I never saw the need to try and bring AIS/GPS/instrument data into the computer just for purposes of TransPac. I do that today because I'm cruising, am running cartography software (Coastal Explorer) that you don't need for Hawaii as there's not much to hit between San Francisco and Hanalei), and the AIS displays better on Coastal Explorer than on the WatchMate Vision's own screen. I suppose it would be convenient to hide down below and could see the boat instrumentation from the bunk, I'd be concerned about dropping a portable tablet onto the floor while asleep and having it get wet.

    For monitoring current conditions, definitely carry a barometer. A recording barograph is ideal, anything that will plot pressure over hours and produce a graph. I've got a Mintaka Duo, it's a pretty amaing little unit though rather more expensive than I imagine you'd want to spend on TransPac. A simple aneroid barometer does just as well provided you right down the pressure readings often (as in at least hourly, so you can see if the High is moving your way).

    One of my soapbox issues is the perceived value of a GRIB model output; the are very precise but are not necessarily accurate. I much prefer to use Weather Fax drawings from the weather folks, they bring their experience to the table coupled with lots of information beyond what a model produces and prepare a drawing of where the important stuff is and where they think it will go. The High Seas text broadcasts are also very helpful. If you can get those onto the boat and use them in conjunction with the GRIB data, then you're getting a pretty good sense of what is going on and what the forecast might be.

    - rob/beetle

  5. #435
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    Jan 2015
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    San Francisco Bay
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    I use SailGrib WR, an Iridium Go with external antenna and $150/month Unlimited (not really) data. Use a 10" Android tablet. (Sony makes one that is sorta waterproof.) Works a charm.

    If you are doing routing an issue is developing your boat's polars for the open ocean.

  6. #436
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    May 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by tiger beetle View Post
    Do you have polars for the boat? I don't know what a 'wave polar' is, that's a new term to me. What is one?

    - rob/beetle
    Hi Rob, thanks for sharing your perspective. I'm not sure what they are but they are a feature of qtVlm 5.7.2. There's a short description in their latest documentation. I think I understand the general idea but not sure how to implement for Double Espresso ... I have polars but my guess is they're for flat water. I haven't validated them either, i.e. adjusted them to my capability. There is an efficiency setting to take my loosey goosey trimming into account though :-)

    Boat’s behavior in waves can be defined in two ways:
    • You can specify a “Waves Polar”, that will indicate what gain or loss will be calculated depending
    on waves angle and height, i.e. which % to apply on the wind polar. Waves Polar can be defined
    for various TWS (1m waves height has more effect in very light winds). For this calculation, qtVlm
    uses first “Maximum Waves” height and direction, then if not available it will use “Swell” height
    and direction, and finally if nothing else is available, it will use “Primary Waves” direction and
    “Combined Waves” height.
    • Crossed Sea: You can define what is crossed sea by entering a minimum height and a minimum
    angle between wind waves and swell. If wind waves direction is not available (as often), then
    wind’s direction will be used instead. If such a condition is met, a coefficient will be applied on
    the wind polar.

  7. #437
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    May 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Smokester View Post
    I use SailGrib WR, an Iridium Go with external antenna and $150/month Unlimited (not really) data. Use a 10" Android tablet. (Sony makes one that is sorta waterproof.) Works a charm.

    If you are doing routing an issue is developing your boat's polars for the open ocean.
    Do you find that you use SailGrib for navigation as well? Or do you use something else for that purpose? It'd be nice to have one app for everything.

  8. #438
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    Quote Originally Posted by jamottep View Post
    Do you find that you use SailGrib for navigation as well? Or do you use something else for that purpose? It'd be nice to have one app for everything.
    I use SG for routing when racing (since PredictWind is not allowed.) I have a B&G chart plotter with a Navionics chart chip so that is what I use for naviagtion. Paper for backup.

    Note that SailGrib will ingest NMEA date over WiFi if you have an access point connected to your ship's backbone.

  9. #439
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    May 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Smokester View Post
    Note that SailGrib will ingest NMEA date over WiFi if you have an access point connected to your ship's backbone.
    I've hit a road block ... There's no wifi multiplexer that will take USB input. The VHF AIS/GPS is NMEA 0183 and the instruments are on a SeaTalk ng network, i.e. NMEA 2000. qtVlm only reads 0183. In other words I need another Actisense like device to convert before getting to the NMEA to WiFi bridge. That's now more costly than I had hoped ...

  10. #440
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    I have no experience to advise. My system is pure B&G. I use B&G GoFree WiFi which is Ethernet to 802.11. Originally had a mixture of NMEA 0183 and 2000 but have gradually migrated to pure NMEA 2000.

    Edit: My system uses Zeus 2 chartplotters. The newer latest and greatest Zeus 3 has WiFi built in. They take both 2000 and 0183 input. So, if you want a chartplotter in your cockpit or at the navigation station this could be a way to go. A Z3 is about $1.3k.
    Last edited by The Smokester; 02-17-2018 at 02:22 AM.

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