With the advent of powerful weather-routing applications on our tablets and smartphones, as Weather4D and SailGrib WR, at really affordable prices, Routing democratizes for boating. The quality of these applications already seduced the amateur sailors, and even some high-seas professional riders, but also a growing number of leisure boaters. Riders use the routing in the essential interests of performance, achieve the fastest route from one point to another, so leisure boaters are more focused on getting safer and more comfortable routes. For them, the concept of speed is used primarily to avoid periods of bad weather, and the optimized route to escape from areas where sea and wind conditions can be dangerous. The routing is also used in this : even in powerboating, you may try to avoid too much wind speeds or wave heights to ensure ypur crew comfortable and serene trip. But what credit grant routing ? Read more …
Label : GRIB
IsatPhone 2 the new Inmarsat satellite phone [Update-2]
The war is open between the two leading operators worldwide satellite phone. After the announcement of GO! by Iridium (¹), this is IsatPhone 2 by Inmarsat.
Inmarsat will deliver its new mobile satellite phone on March 24 next. IsatPhone 2 target the high end market of satellite telephony. Described as "a fine device combined with a feeling of high quality", it has additional options and more features than the previous model IsatPhone Pro (²), such as GPS tracking, emergency button or the receipt of calls with the folded antenna. Read more …
Weather4D still makes greater finesse
With the basic 1.3.3 and PRO versions 1.3.9 delivered in November, Weather4D had replaced the GRIB files fine grid from Great Circle by its own files based on the U.S. model WRF (¹), computed under his own steam. These files covering Europe, Greece, Canaria, Azores, Greater and Lesser Antilles, offer a resolution of 0.1 ° (6 NM) up to 96 hours by 1 hour steps. The data provided are the same as the GFS model (¹). At the same time, Annual subscription price has been reduced from 60 up to 30 €.
With the introduction of new ways, the next updates that have just been submitted to Apple Store will provide more details. Olivier Bouyssou explains :
« FYI, App4Nav uses 6 different servers, 2 for the calculation of WRF model and 4 for distributing GRIBs : 2 for the U.S. and Asia region 2 for Europe. At this time 8000 GRIBs are distributed per day and triple during the season… "
This now enables to provide, for the French coasts, including Corsica, ultra-fine grid to 0.04 °, that to say 2,4 NM. It also adds to the GFS and WRF files new data evaluating wind gusts. Read more …
Weather4D PRO 1.3.3 improves routing
Improvements…
No respite for this application : two and half months after joining the currents in the routing calculation, this latest version provides significant advances on this function. Improvements provide greater accuracy in the calculation of optimized route and new settings allow to fine-tune.
… and two good news :
They relate to current, follow the guide… Read more …
iNavX 3.6.1 with high-resolution GRIB files
Since version 3.6.1 iNavX provides overlay of GRIB weather files in high resolution from theyr.com. This English website owned by Kona Ltd company is the developer of the application GribView I mentioned in a previous post (¹). An active account on x-traverse.com must be open, and done subscription to one of the Theyr subscriptions.
Actually x-traverse.com website allows two subscriptions :
IsatPhone Pro versus Iridium (continue)
As promised in my post on 15 July, here are the results of the comparative test conducted aboard "Prince d'Oc" for our trip from Port Leucate to Dubrovnik.
Thanks to the loan of a full IsatPhone Pro, with cradle and external antenna (big thanks to PYG @Voilier_xhosa, who sent me all this from Belgium), and the presence of a similar facility Iridium on board Olivier's boat : Iridium 9575 with fixed external antenna Sailor, we were able to test in real use.
Prince d'Oc en route to Croatia
IsatPhone Pro versus Iridium, choose which ?
I just read, in the last issue of Voiles et Voiliers dated May 2012, a comparative Inmarsat-Iridium that leaves me unsatisfied. Quite interesting on the form, it has many approximations on the bottom, and does not allow the reader to form an opinion on elements of accurate and quantitative comparison. On the other hand, no offense to Francis Xavier Ricardou, software solutions for Mac have long existed and are well proven : just to see the number of participants provided with Mac or iPad at ARC 2011. I will try to contribute complementary, I hope, inform potential buyers. Read more …
Navigation with iPad trainings : a complete solution
With Weather4D PRO and Iridium Mail, associated with a satellite phone Iridium, we now have a complete solution, reliable and low cost to receive, display and manage GRIB files in open seas with iPad.
iNavX and Navionics cartography also provide a complete navigation solution, supporting files transfers with Weather4D PRO : GRIB, routes, tracks, that allows simultaneous display in both applications.
These solutions, fully complementary and mutually consistent, were tested on more 2800 NM in the automn during a crossing from Canaria to the Caribbean, on board Catana 47 " Gust ", token place in ARC rally 2011. In addition, Olivier Bouyssou was able to improve his Weather4D Pro application "over time", correcting, adding and optimizing daily development onboard. Read more …
Weather4D PRO 1.0 includes routes from iNavX
The new application Weather4D PRO for iOS (iPhone / iPad), developed by Olivier Bouyssou, was submited yesterday to Apple. It provides advanced features associated with GRIB files for demanding users. It comes in addition to Weather4D app which was promoted as one of the best apps in Apple AppStore for few weeks.
This Pro version, quickly available, will provide following features :
GRIB files management :
- Import, sharing (export ), copy-paste, folders filing, history, request from SailDocs by email
Routes management :
- Route import in KML format from iNavX or other apps, overlay route display with forecasts, boat progress with forecasts scrolling, route settings (heading, speed, date, etc. ...).
Iridium satellites tracking :
- Prediction of transition from Iridium satellites to optimize the connections to run queries GRIB files. Automatic updating of ephemeris and parameter setting coverage (rising, timing). Read more …
Iridium - iPad connection – is coming out !
Router WiFi AxcessPoint of Iridium
I dont like to advertise products or features before they are available, but in this case the subject can guide choices or postponements of purchase among potential users.
Iridium announced on last 7 September the creation of a free service called Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web app which will be available before the end of the year 2011. This will be a mail and web compression service, hosted by Iridium, specifically designed to optimize data transmission with the new WiFi router Iridium Iridium Mail. Read more …