GRIB weather plugin and Xgate

[mikereed100]

I have been trying to use the "Start a Request" function on the GRIB viewer to download GRIBS from Saildocs using Xgate and a satellite phone. However, I am unable to get OpenCPN to talk to Xgate. I read through the help file and tried the suggestions, but no luck. I am running version 4.4.0 on Windows 10. As usual, I suspect I am missing something simple. This is the screen I get when I hit "Send" on the GRIB request window:

[GMN]

Hi,
This is Topher from Global Marine Networks. OpenCPN can not find an email program. You can solve this in two steps.

1- Click the email icon in XGate. Click ->File ->Options ->General and check the box that says "register as Windows Email Client". Click ok.

2- In Windows 10, click ->start menu, click ->settings, click ->system ->click ->default apps. You can then choose iScribe as your default app for email.

You may also want to try out PredictWind which comes free with your XGate subscription and works great over satellite and creates a grib file in your documents folder that you can import into a plotter program.

[mikereed100]

Thanks for the reply, Topher. I tried your suggestions, but the result is the same. OpenCPN does not seem to be finding the email client.

Funny you should mention Predict wind. The reason I am trying to get GRIBS through the GRIB plugin on OpenCPN is that I can't get PW to work with my satphone. I can get GRIBS through Saildocs and my satphone, and I can get GRIBS through PW and the internet but the PW app does not seem to be talking to the satphone. Sigh.

[GMN]

Hi mikereed100,
I am not sure what part of the process broke down for you in setting an default email program for Windows 10? But a good solution, is to use the version of Predict Wind that comes bundled in XGate for free as a part of your XGate subscription. This version of Predict Wind, is slightly different from the normal version of Predict Wind from their website, as it is the only version that works directly over satellite phones. In the PredictWind version in XGate, it gives you options for most Satellite phones, XGate, internet, and email. I would highly recommend this route in using Predict Wind.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by GMN

You may also want to try out PredictWind which comes free with your XGate subscription and works great over satellite and creates a grib file in your documents folder that you can import into a plotter program.

Thus is what I use.
Though I must say that I hand code the emails.

Also I have found that putting the GRIB request email as the only email in the Send connection requires me to reconnect to get the GRIB file.
However, I I put the GRIB file request email FIRST, then write a few other email a to friends etc, and then send all the emails together, then the GRIB file is ready for me to download in THAT connection. I.e. I don't have to connect twice. This is important because most of the time is connecting and disconnecting

[GMN]

HI,
In XGate, when you click the weather icon, it opens up Predict Wind, and then you click download in Predict Wind, you will get the option to download over Iridium Go, XGate, or Optimizer, and if you pick any of those 3 options, it will connect and download your weather in one session. You will only need to do two sessions, if you manually email out a request. I hope that clarifies things.