Author : Francis

Since 2009 independent IT trainer and consultant for boating. Translator of many navigation applications on iOS and MacOS. Professional in boating for over 30 years, I provide training for applications and consulting and assistance for the integration of mobile devices (tablets, smartphones) on pleasure boats.

Weather4D Training with ACM Catamaran [2022]

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After these last two years disrupted by the pandemic, I am starting my trainings all over again in partnership with ACM Catamaran.

In 2022 the Weather4D Routing & Navigation with iPad trainingsare renewed. I will manage these trainings during onboard weekend on one of the cruising school catamarans starting from the school base inHyères – Le Gapeau.

From 3 to 6 people in private cabins for these intensive training courses that have been a great success for almost ten years ! Catamarans offer you a great "classroom", the bay of Hyères a superb navigation basin "all weather", and ACM an "all inclusive" service, it's royal !

13 weekends are scheduled : next internship 30 April-1st may Read more …

Share GRIB files with Air Share [Update]

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You are more likely to have adopted the Iridium GO! for its easy way to request GRIB files, directly from Weather4D and some other applications. But some also want to transfer these files to PC to import them into Windows software (as you know, nobody is perfect !). An easy solution is available : the messaging app Air Share, compatible iOS/iPadOS (¹). [Update 30 March 2022] Warning : the app has changed its ID code on the AppStore. Read more …

Connecting USB/Bluetooth GPS with Mac M1 [Update]

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The arrival of Macs with Apple M1 processors and macOS systems 11 "Big Sur" and macOS 12 "Monterey" has caused disappointments among users of GPS connected via USB and/or Bluetooth for their navigation applications.

In USB, despite the latest driver available Prolific V.2.1.0, we had to wait for the last update macOS 12.2 to make the GPS BU-353/S4 of GlobalSat operational. The same goes for the GNS3000 (¹) in Bluetooth that was experiencing a recognized instability of the interface for connecting multiple devices, instability that unfortunately does not yet seem to be fully fixed. Read more …

MiniPlex-3 new firmware 3.4.0

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The MiniPlex-3 multiplexer has known since November 2021 numerous software improvements and changes withfirmwares (Firmware) versions 3.x.x. The latest version 3.4.0 date of 13 rd, January 2022. These firmwares are closely associated with the MPXConfig3 utility whose latest version 3.5.0 is required to proceed with the latest device update. To date, this utility can only be used with PC/Windows, the macOS version probably not being available until late February. Read more …

ECMWF weather data soon open to the public [3rd part]

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Trafalgar Hit for the flagship of European meteorology, despite Brexit and contrary to what had been planned (¹), the European Center for Medium-Term Weather Forecast will stay in England ! Even better, a new headquarter for ECMWF to be fully funded by the UK government through the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Proof that the British have gone all out to keep this European scientific center in Reading (²). Read more …