I'd like to add satellite weather to my grady this Spring and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for good low priced options. Was told I can't add it to my Furuno 1650 plotter and sounder and doubt I could to my Raymarine pathfinder RL70 radar unit either. At a boat show this weekend, I was told to go with a Garmin unit priced a little over a grand. Anyone add one recently?
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satellite weather unit
- Thread starter grady33
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SmokyMtnGrady
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I have a Garmin GPS Map 478..portable car/marine unit preloaded with marine charts and so forth. It has a built in XM reciever, just add the XM antenna. We have a weather package, I think it is called the Sailor or Mariner, anyway it offers weather charts, doppler radar, marine / weather warnings, wind and sea state info. The top of the line subscription offers lightening strike data. We take it on board and it has helped navigate around storms both inland on lakes and rivers and offshore. I would highly recommend having this service and I have been happy with Garmin. I would like to add the XM unit to my 4208, but the 478 gets me through with the weather and is a nice backup on the water too.
georgemjr
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I haven't gotten it yet, as I am waiting for the latest version, rumored to be out this April. Get the Ipad, add Ivanx GPS navigation software and satelitte weather. For that same 1K, you will have a backup GPS and Sat weather, and an Ipad to boot. There is a thread over on the tips/modifications about this, including a sailor that sailed across the atlantic with his Ipad...
SmokyMtnGrady
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Not to be critical of the IPAD idea, Buttttt, the IPAD aint water proof splash proof and is likely not built to withstand the vibration and poudning a boat can give electronics. Marine electronics are and I am not sure I would chance ruining an IPAD being in rough seas....just sayn...
georgemjr
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They make mounts and waterproof cases. It made it across the Atlantic without incident. I will be using it as a back up and for weather as well as a GPS for when I go flying (another great app it has). To each his own, I find it to be a very reasonable back up for both boat and airplane while also providing me with a tablet computer for 1k. I'll let you know if I have any trouble with mine from the pounding during the summer.
I have an xm unit w/1920 navnet vx2 plotter. it is nice but only for weather; thunderstorms and storm fronts. It really sucks for the sea temps. Any sea surface company will tell you how unaccurate it is. Trust me from experience i chased the break last year almost all the way to the norfolk and still never found it. According to the screen it was in the Washington-where??? It is not totally worth the price.
ocnslr
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Marie said:I have an xm unit w/1920 navnet vx2 plotter. it is nice but only for weather; thunderstorms and storm fronts. It really sucks for the sea temps. Any sea surface company will tell you how unaccurate it is. Trust me from experience i chased the break last year almost all the way to the norfolk and still never found it. According to the screen it was in the Washington-where??? It is not totally worth the price.
We have used a Garmin 478 with XM weather for several years. We have the Master Mariner package and I have to say that it is "totally worth the price". To use the Mastercard commercial, the value of missing one, or two, or whatever thunderstorms is "priceless". Our unit has shown us far more weather info than all other sources and allowed us to safely get from A to B while avoiding bad storm cells. It has also allowed us to stay out and fish, when we could clearly see where the cells were headed.
This doesn't even address the ability to get 'close-to-real-time' updates from the weather buoys.
Never bought it for SST info. Lots of free, and paid, services to provide that info.
Sorry if someone told you it had any value for SST. And Sirius wx is not any better. But the answer is simple - cancel your XM service.
Brian
Master, Oceans, Steam, Motor or Sail - 1600-Tons
Chief Mate, Oceans, Unlimited
Commander, USN (Ret)
Tashmoo
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I have Sirius through my Raymarine C120. The weather screen is on my default page as a small 1/4 window so that I can see as soon as a storm starts to bubble up. When you leave it on all day it collects the previous updates and allows you to put the weather map into motion over time to see how the weather is progressing. With this feature I have literally been able to positioned myself between two storms when off shore and not able to get away from the weather.
Be careful with XM/Sirius I have a seasonal package since we are buried under snow for four or five months out of the year and when I reactivate off of hold they try to gab me every year for an activation charge. Tell them to pound sand, once you subscribe and put it on hold for the winter they are supposed to automatically reactivate it in the spring which never happens, you have to call them to reactivate but I never pay the activation fee.
Be careful with XM/Sirius I have a seasonal package since we are buried under snow for four or five months out of the year and when I reactivate off of hold they try to gab me every year for an activation charge. Tell them to pound sand, once you subscribe and put it on hold for the winter they are supposed to automatically reactivate it in the spring which never happens, you have to call them to reactivate but I never pay the activation fee.