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I'm going to make a little cost comparison between SSB and Iridium for offshore weather/email and communications. Maybe someone will be able to add something to my list or correct any of my prices...

Iridium 9555 satphone w/ data kit $1495.00 US
One time activation fee $49.94 US
500 prepaid minutes (1yr exp) $725.00
x-gate software download $59.00 US
x-gate 1yr email subscription $240.00 US

Advantages:
No propagation issues (solar flares)
No install/quick install on boat
Easy to call home/other phones

Disadvantages:
Per use charges
Can't talk to yachtie friends for free
Will need to add all band receiver and multimode software
to read weatherfax. Receiver $150 US, Multimode $89 US

Grand total: $2807.94 USD

ICOM M-802 $1800.00 US (approx)
AT-140 Tuner $490.00 US
Tuner control cable $69.99 US or make your own for less
Coax from transceiver to tuner Approx $40.00 US (diy)
GTO-15 wire $30.00 US
Insulated backstay or long HF antenna $150.00 US
Copper ground plane 50' $69.00 US
Pactor 3 Modem $1400 US
VMware Fusion to run Airmail on mac $79.99 US
Sailmail Annual membership $250.00 US
Multimode software for reading weatherfax $89 US

Advantages:
No per use charges
Free communications with yachtie friends
Free communications with weather routers

Disadvantages:
Propagation issues
Installation time/expense
Have to use Windoze to run Pactor/sailmail

Grand total: $4467.98 USD

This is the first time I've ever compared the two systems. I'm sure the SSB/ham route could be made cheaper by buying some used/older equipment. Or using winlink, but in that case you would have to get a HAM licence to use the service. No commercial/business based emails are allowed on winlink to my knowledge. I haven't included the licence fee for the SSB, because I don't know what it is.

Hope others can add to this comparison.

Brennan

Hi, trying to find out what/and where I can get reasonably priced charts covering the ARC sailing area from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean and back to Europe via the Azores Island??? ..

...I am using MacENC, and should also be possible to use with iPhone/iNavX.. :o

..any help or suggestions are welcome

I'm trying to import a large number of waypoints into MacENC. However, it seems the csv file I have doesn't match up correctly with MacENC's format (two may decimals, and seems to use a different ascii character for the ° symbol. Thought I could use GPSBable, but there is no simple 'csv' file option - they all seem associated with a specific program. Can someone tell me which file option in GPSBable will match with the MacENC csv file?

Scot

A page showing chart rendering in different applications

http://journeyman.se/charts/

A South Carolina family takes over a stone crab research project which had lost its state funding.

www.stonecrabkids.com

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I tried to love iNavX today while traveling along the ICW in southern Florida. While my wife was piloting I'd look ahead to see what was coming up, etc. It's loads of fun.

But here's what I don't understand how to do. I find it the most frustrating thing about iNavX and it strikes me that perhaps I don't know how to use it. So much of the ICW charts are thin strips. You come to the end and then want to go to the next strip. How exactly do you do this in iNavX. What I found myself doing was pressing the (-) to go to a less detailed chart. Then pan that to where I think the border was...then (+) to get a more detailed chart. There are some issues:

- It's easy to "miss" and then have to start over. It tends to want to re-position the chart when it opens a new chart and makes it even more frustrating.

- It's not obvious which chart should be selected next. I don't understand why it can't just select the next most detailed chart. Why do I need that list of charts? I said "zoom in" just zoom in!


So what am I missing. How do you pan from one chart edge to the next? Surely this is a very, very common thing.

There are 2 features I would really really really love to see added to GPSNavX and I assume MacENC. (We will be finding out a lot more about MacENC in a few weeks now ENC's are available for the North Island of New Zealand, our local waters).

1st the ability to change the size the arrival circle of each way-point independently. This would solve lots of problems, some way-points you just want to be closer to than others.

2nd, a special 'Danger' way-point. These would show up on any route you plan automatically and sound a warning if you enter it's independently sizable circle.

Even better if someone can tell me this is already possible and how to do it?

AyeTides has been updated to v1.74. Updated harmonics top the list, and I have to warn you that NOAA has deleted many stations on the East Coast in their 2010 update. I'll consolidate the changes and post them later.

Bug fixes include a problem discovered at the end of 2009 that lead to inaccurate readings, and a bug when changing units that made the trend arrow incorrect. Both have been fixed.

As always, enjoy the update!

Hello All,

I have recently installed the new Simrad AI50 AIS unit on my sailboat and am happy with it.

I also use GPSNavX on my MacBook Pro and am happy with it too!

To make it really sweet, I am trying find how to connect the Simrad AIS unit to my Mac and have the info displayed on GPSNavX.

Has anyone successfully attempted to do so? If yes, can you please share your wisdom and tell me what i need to do so?

Thank you!

The following 2010 Navionics Mobile regions are available from X-Traverse for iNavX (note: requires iNavX 2.1.2 or later)

http://x-traverse.com/product/TD-NAV-1XG-MB

http://x-traverse.com/product/TD-NAV-3XG-MB

http://www.x-traverse.com/product/TD-NAV-PREM-E6-MB

http://www.x-traverse.com/product/TD-NAV-PREM-N6-MB

http://www.x-traverse.com/product/TD-NAV-PREM-S6-MB

http://www.x-traverse.com/product/TD-NAV-PREM-W6-MB