small boat satellite weather, expensive toy or ?

cdavisdb · #1 03-01-2011, 08:58 PM

Recently discovered satellite weather for boats like ours. Pricey, but offshore access to weather radar, vhf and hi seas forecasts, etc, would be mighty handy for Bahama trips.

Anybody got any experience with these, reliability, reception, repair, etc?

CaptLloyd · #2 03-01-2011, 11:00 PM

I have used the satellite weather on the big boats, and the most useful tool is the weather radar (it's nice to know when a nasty squall line is heading your way). However, the radar coverage stops east of Freeport. You still get the marine forecast, but you can usually get that at the dock every morning.

BTW, while in the Bahamas, ignore the NOAA VHF coastal forecast, pay attention to the SW Atlantic offshore forecast.

Lloyd

Bushwacker · #3 03-02-2011, 01:07 AM

Connor, I have it on my Garmin GPSMAP 640, and it works well, although I didn't realize the radar coverage didn't go past Freeport. Remember me calling you on the VHF when we were anchored out over at Cayo Costa the morning before we ran up to Terry's? I could see all that rain coming and was trying to get us moving so we could stay ahead of it! You thought it would blow over, but I was trying to tell you it looked pretty solid!

Had the boat out today and got back to the dock just before the rain started. The front was up around Jupiter/Juno and it showed up real well, although the light stuff that came over the dock did not show up. Harry has the same thing on his GPS 376 that he uses on his motorcycle . . . said it's real handy for figuring out detours to avoid need for donning rain suit! Denny

ct9amr · #4 03-02-2011, 09:40 AM

How much does this run you guys?
I have a Garmin 4000 series that I would love to have this on.

cdavisdb · #5 03-02-2011, 06:24 PM

I think I remember about $1600 for a minimal system, + 100/month when you are using it. You can spend a lot more. Talk to Boat US for an overview.

When you are far out in the Bahamas, is there any problem getting satellite reception? Radar would be fabulous for crossing the stream, if nothing else. My short wave picks up the offshore forecast, but reception isn't great,they talk so fast, and you get only one shot at it. It is very hard to really get the whole thing. I don't dock except for fuel every few days, so, if I can't pick it up myself, its not much use. Having it in writing and be able to study it would be priceless when things are iffy.

Bushwacker, I was very impressed with your system. Somehow it did not register that it might be available in the Bahamas. Any repair problems?

The price makes me groan, but two summers back access to that kind of info through the marina office saved a trip for me. The weather service was freaking out about dime size hail and 60 knt winds in some of the numerous boomers coming through. Weather radar showed us a nice clear path across the stream on a day when only a fool would have tried it otherwise. That is worth a lot.

Connor

Rich · #6 03-02-2011, 10:31 PM

If you have a Garmin 4000 series you would need the XM satellite receiver/antenna GXM 51.

GXM 51

Then you would need to subscribee to XM WX Satellite Weather service. $50 initial fee than any where from $30 - $50 a month for subscription.

http://www.xmwxweather.com/marine/da...ce-pricing.php

Bushwacker · #7 03-03-2011, 01:12 AM

Connor,

You can get a GPS with weather radar for less than $1600. I bought the Garmin 640 when they first came out in early 2009, and found it on-line for $1000 when list was $1200. I think even West Marine has now offered them for $1000, so you might be able to find them on line now for less than that. The XM antenna (GXM40) was $223 from Amazon. A side benefit is that you also get XM radio; both the marine and auto mounts for the 640 have a port for a 1/8" audio cable so you can connect it to any audio device with an Aux in port and tune in any of the satellite radio channels on the GPS. They have 3 different subscription packages, all of which have Nexrad radar. I got the Fisherman package because it has wave heights, but they're in 3' increments and that's a little too course to suit me. Although I did make one crossing in 6-8' seas, I'm no longer young enough or dumb enough to do that again in a 20' boat, even if it's a SeaCraft!

(NOAA weather radio said seas 2' or less, winds 10 kts or less! The wind speed was correct, but it shifted from NW to N to NE as we came back from West End, and you know what that does when it's blowin' against the stream!) The Sailor package displays the wind barbs over the chart indicating direction and strength(Beaufort scale), and I think that might be more useful for Bahamas runs. I believe both packages have buoy reports, which could be very useful if there is one nearby. Or for about $80/mo instead of about $40-45, you can get the Master Mariner package which has everything. You also have the option of turning the subscription on for only 3 months at a time. The XM website explains all the details of the various packages.

I did have a problem with the first unit when it was only a few months old - the touch screen became non-responsive and I pushed on it hard enough that it cracked! However Garmin sent me a whole new unit, no questions asked, and I got to keep the original marine and auto mounts, so now I have auto mounts for both the car and truck! Other than that one problem, I've been very happy with the 640.

Garmin's customer support is about as good as it gets. My buddy Harry has 3 different GPS units and has been to the Garmin plant in Olathe, Ks. and said it's a very impressive operation. They've rebuilt the 376 unit he uses on his motorcycles about 3 times, for a very nominal fee. Denny