Weather Fax and Navigation Software

[MV]

Hello:

Can a laptop using a navigation program have a weather fax and / or satellite weather image overlaid on top of the chart? Say I am running a Mac or a PC and I am running MacEnc or Nobeltec: can the fax image from a SSB or dedicated weather receiver image be laid on top of the chart image?

Thanks

Michael

[Talbot]

Not as far as I know. However, you can overlay grib files onto Maxsea, and Maxsea will then do optimisation of course for you, but you need confidence in the grib files (i.e. not just the product of a model, but also tweaked by a forecaster adding a dose of realism.)

There is no technology that I can think of that would allow one picture (fax) to be made transparent over the other.

However there is nothing to stop you adding present position and destination onto the fax picture in order to see what will happen in the weather.

[MV]

Originally Posted by Talbot

Not as far as I know. However, you can overlay grib files onto Maxsea, and Maxsea will then do optimisation of course for you, but you need confidence in the grib files (i.e. not just the product of a model, but also tweaked by a forecaster adding a dose of realism.)

There is no technology that I can think of that would allow one picture (fax) to be made transparent over the other.

However there is nothing to stop you adding present position and destination onto the fax picture in order to see what will happen in the weather.

Ok, thanks Talbot. I appreciate your response.

Michael

[dacust]

Originally Posted by MV

Hello:

Can a laptop using a navigation program have a weather fax and / or satellite weather image overlaid on top of the chart? Say I am running a Mac or a PC and I am running MacEnc or Nobeltec: can the fax image from a SSB or dedicated weather receiver image be laid on top of the chart image?

Thanks

Michael

The short answer is I think Talbot's answer is correct. But bear with me... Here is what some packages have that gets close.

My Nobeltec computer is down right now, or I'd go check it for you. It does adjustable transparency overlays of any chart type: vector/raster, chart/photo/topo, radar. (Example, my favorite is a vector chart with a photo chart over the top at 15%) But I don't know if it does the GRIB files that way. I wouldn't be surprised at the answer going either way. If I get my machine back up anytime soon I'll check and see.

In looking at their site, they mention support for GRIB, Sirius, XM weather, but they don't mention if it's available as an overlay.

However, the faxed image would be a different story. Even if you received the image into your computer, it wouldn't be geo-referenced. So that wouldn't work.

Fugawi allows you to import images and geo-reference them. But, I can't find any mention on their site about transparent overlays. And since it saves the resultant image in a proprietary format, you can use it in Fugawi but you can't export it for use in any other program. I know this from contacting Fugawi support about this a while back.

-dan

[Amgine]

I have GRIB working as overlays on MacENC; actually that's the easiest part since the software will do everything including sending the requests - all I do is open the e-mailed grib files.

It has the ability to use satellite images as charts, maybe as overlays, but I've never looked into that. The great folx at MacENC are very responsive, and semi-official support is available via their forum at MacSail.Net.

Of course you need to realize this software is only available for Mac.