We are having some weather here in Alabama today and while checking the weather channel I saw an ad for Sirius WX. It looks good with a laptop and a gps it shows real time weather near the reciever including radar. Anyone on this board using Sirius weather?? I was considering getting satellite radio as the local selection often sucks. Coverage??? Can you use this forcasting in the Bahamas and Mexico...far at sea??
- Status
coverage
From what I understand about sat. systems, there is only one true global system right now and that's very expensive stuff. All other stuff is limited to near (max of 100 miles but maybe 30 is more accurate) land and most of them are only for North America. The only place to find out for sure is to call them but press to make sure you are talking to somebody who truely understands what they are talking about and when you talk about offshore, you mean very very far from land.
From what I understand about sat. systems, there is only one true global system right now and that's very expensive stuff. All other stuff is limited to near (max of 100 miles but maybe 30 is more accurate) land and most of them are only for North America. The only place to find out for sure is to call them but press to make sure you are talking to somebody who truely understands what they are talking about and when you talk about offshore, you mean very very far from land.
It says on the sirius marine weather link
that SIRIUS Marine Weather subscribers are able to receive SIRIUS Marine Weather from anywhere within SIRIUS's satellite footprint, which blankets the 48 contiguous states, and international waters extending hundreds of miles into the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. I have heard people that sailed to Bermuda and somewhere in the Caribbean were able to get satellite radio stations so I assume one could get their Marine Weather feeds. Like Franklin says though the further you get away from the Continental US the less chance for coverage. Below is the link for Q&A on the Marine Weather service from Sirius I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think Sirius Marine Weather with work with a Laptop, I think its only works with Raymarine's E-Series chartplotters I looked at this and it does look slick, but I don't have an E Series Chartplotter, nor the desire to rewire a whole new helm station so instead. I am investing in a good amplifier made for cellular data (not to be confused with Cell Boosters only made for Voice) and an Antenna (if I really want I can get a high gain antenna for my mast and really get some serious coverage). This thing connects into my EVDO Verizon card and really boosts coverage and then I just go to any real time NEXRAD weather website and get all the real time radar or weather. http://www.maximumsignal.net/
that SIRIUS Marine Weather subscribers are able to receive SIRIUS Marine Weather from anywhere within SIRIUS's satellite footprint, which blankets the 48 contiguous states, and international waters extending hundreds of miles into the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. I have heard people that sailed to Bermuda and somewhere in the Caribbean were able to get satellite radio stations so I assume one could get their Marine Weather feeds. Like Franklin says though the further you get away from the Continental US the less chance for coverage. Below is the link for Q&A on the Marine Weather service from Sirius I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think Sirius Marine Weather with work with a Laptop, I think its only works with Raymarine's E-Series chartplotters I looked at this and it does look slick, but I don't have an E Series Chartplotter, nor the desire to rewire a whole new helm station so instead. I am investing in a good amplifier made for cellular data (not to be confused with Cell Boosters only made for Voice) and an Antenna (if I really want I can get a high gain antenna for my mast and really get some serious coverage). This thing connects into my EVDO Verizon card and really boosts coverage and then I just go to any real time NEXRAD weather website and get all the real time radar or weather. http://www.maximumsignal.net/
I like it real well
The Good ======== I use Sirius weather on Long Island Sound via my Raymarine E-80 chartplotter. It comes in real handy dodging late summer thunderstorms, and when it is raining, being able to predict when it will stop! Nothing like having crew couped up down below asking "when is it going to stop" ... being able to provide an answer, and on queue, having it do just that. I only have time to sail on the weekends. I credit Sirius with allowing me to sail 2 extra trips last season, and I only had it for 1/2 a season. The Bad ======= This thing is absolutly useless for understanding wind. Most of the coast guard maintained weather buoys on long island sound are defective, so you cannot see what is happening in real time, and the general wind forcast is woefully ... general.
The Good ======== I use Sirius weather on Long Island Sound via my Raymarine E-80 chartplotter. It comes in real handy dodging late summer thunderstorms, and when it is raining, being able to predict when it will stop! Nothing like having crew couped up down below asking "when is it going to stop" ... being able to provide an answer, and on queue, having it do just that. I only have time to sail on the weekends. I credit Sirius with allowing me to sail 2 extra trips last season, and I only had it for 1/2 a season. The Bad ======= This thing is absolutly useless for understanding wind. Most of the coast guard maintained weather buoys on long island sound are defective, so you cannot see what is happening in real time, and the general wind forcast is woefully ... general.
Yes! ...and no...
I have the XM-Radio version using WxWorx which has been around a bit longer and is extremely similar. The good news: I've been able to receive the data feed (and listen to Sirius music) everywhere from the great lakes, all the way up to Labrador and out into the Bahamas. And yes, the ability to "see" storm activity far over the horizon has been wonderful and allowed us to dodge some good poundings. The bad news: The NEXRAD radar that allows you to see the storm activity only covers the Continental US. So, even though you can get the signals here in Nova Scotia, or down in the Bahamas, you can't see the storm activity outside of the US. They also don't have the canadian marine forecasts. Its possible that the SIRIUS folks have the canadian data (there are a lot of sources for it, including canadian doppler radars) but in the carribean, and more than 50-100 miles off the US coast, there simply aren't any doppler radars installed so the system can't send the imagery to you. I find the systems to be great for knowing what is happing "now" but short on forecasting. Knowing what is happenning now and will be coming my way is helpful, but I find other sources much more useful for planning and forecasting.
I have the XM-Radio version using WxWorx which has been around a bit longer and is extremely similar. The good news: I've been able to receive the data feed (and listen to Sirius music) everywhere from the great lakes, all the way up to Labrador and out into the Bahamas. And yes, the ability to "see" storm activity far over the horizon has been wonderful and allowed us to dodge some good poundings. The bad news: The NEXRAD radar that allows you to see the storm activity only covers the Continental US. So, even though you can get the signals here in Nova Scotia, or down in the Bahamas, you can't see the storm activity outside of the US. They also don't have the canadian marine forecasts. Its possible that the SIRIUS folks have the canadian data (there are a lot of sources for it, including canadian doppler radars) but in the carribean, and more than 50-100 miles off the US coast, there simply aren't any doppler radars installed so the system can't send the imagery to you. I find the systems to be great for knowing what is happing "now" but short on forecasting. Knowing what is happenning now and will be coming my way is helpful, but I find other sources much more useful for planning and forecasting.
C Series also
Raymarine has announced that they have sat receivers for the C Series chartplotter also. It is being announced at the Miami Boat show.
Raymarine has announced that they have sat receivers for the C Series chartplotter also. It is being announced at the Miami Boat show.
Coastal Sailing Cell Phone
We have used our Verizon cell phone to connect our laptop to the internet to get the weather channel of NWS websites. But this is limited to being close to shore. We were surprised to have pretty good cell phone service from Mobile To Port Saint Joe. But coming up the Tenn-Tom waterway we lost cell phone service several times and the weather from the VHF radio was pretty useless. The NWS VHF weather drives me crazy with the time they spend talking about the weather next week!!!! They have trouble getting tommorow's weather right. Does anyone believe them when they say it's going to be warm and sunny seven days from now???
We have used our Verizon cell phone to connect our laptop to the internet to get the weather channel of NWS websites. But this is limited to being close to shore. We were surprised to have pretty good cell phone service from Mobile To Port Saint Joe. But coming up the Tenn-Tom waterway we lost cell phone service several times and the weather from the VHF radio was pretty useless. The NWS VHF weather drives me crazy with the time they spend talking about the weather next week!!!! They have trouble getting tommorow's weather right. Does anyone believe them when they say it's going to be warm and sunny seven days from now???
I use my Verizon
phone with broadband service to get my weather data. I have a Motorola Q and also have a third party software that turns my Q into a high speed USB modem for my laptop. I tried satelite music on my boat but dropped the service as I found my iPod a better mix of music. Never did try the weather but my guess is that it is like the weather chanel and you'd have to wait for your area to come up in the que. I prefer to log onto NOAA or any other weather site via the internet using my phone.. I use PDA Net software from June Fabrics found here: http://www.junefabrics.com/pdanet/index.php I can get online most anywhere within cell phone reception along the East coast. If your crossing the pond satelite based weather would be better..
phone with broadband service to get my weather data. I have a Motorola Q and also have a third party software that turns my Q into a high speed USB modem for my laptop. I tried satelite music on my boat but dropped the service as I found my iPod a better mix of music. Never did try the weather but my guess is that it is like the weather chanel and you'd have to wait for your area to come up in the que. I prefer to log onto NOAA or any other weather site via the internet using my phone.. I use PDA Net software from June Fabrics found here: http://www.junefabrics.com/pdanet/index.php I can get online most anywhere within cell phone reception along the East coast. If your crossing the pond satelite based weather would be better..
- Status