WeatherFax ...

[rgleason]

Is there a way to connect a simple sound cable from radio output to android mic input?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Has anyone used HF Weather Fax for marine.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hi.wefax&hl=en

Comments?

I have it on a tablet and have used it just for fun. It does work.

Not as well as a Pactor modem, however.

Nonetheless, very useful to have something which is zero install, zero cables, zero futzing. Will be useful to a lot of sailors.

[rgleason]

Please note, that Sean implemented Export to Kap, in April 2014, which contains Lat/Long and posiition information. Oddly, I never realized this change. Thank you Sean!

It make s the plugin even more useful, because Weatherfaxes can be saved as Kap so that the Lat/Long Wizard no longer needs to be used to reload as an overlay on the chart.

The next step would be to have an option under preferences to have Weatherfax_pii save weatherfaxes as Kap with the same name, automatically. This would make reloading say 3 hours later, very much easier.

The purpose would be to compare the forecast to the most recent one. There will be other uses too for overlays.

[rgleason]

Littlechay (Chris) has provided a new Tutorial link for Satellite Overlay and comparision with Grib file, using WxtoImg, OpenCPN and Weatherfax_pi. This is a step by step detailed tutorial. It illustrates an excellent use for Weatherfax_pi for overlay of Satellite Images.

There are new links provided in the User Manual
Weatherfax_pi under External Plugins
Advanced Features > Satellite Overlay

Chris's direct link

Thank you Chris!

[Paul Munnik]

Hi,
I am getting the massage “Failed to configure capture” after choosing Control – a in weatherfax.
Any idea what is going wrong or am I forgetting something.

[rgleason]

Sean, I thought you'd find this interesting
EzWind
BebinkaSoft (Free nautical software)
EzWind (Wind prediction software for Windows)


This dovetails with Weatherfax

"With an HF radio a computer and software to decode the incoming signal you can receive Fax images on board. Most cruising yachts have this capability. You receive a Surface Analysis Chart. These show the centers of low and high pressure, the fronts and a series of lines of equal pressure called isobars. Unfortunately in most cases wind arrows are not shown.
Can’t figure out what winds to expect?
With EzWind it’s simple. No knowledge of meteorology required"

Also his Cheap Alarm System http://www.bebinka.net/misc/ais_alarm/index.htm

[rgleason]

Sean, I have tried building the Weatherfax plugin and running it and I have tried downloading version 5001 from the Opencpn Downloads and nothing seems to work.
I have tried it on 4.2 , 4.2.1 and 4.4.

Any suggestions as to what the problem might be?

o.ini

9:51:14 PM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\weatherfax_pi.dll
9:51:14 PM: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\weatherfax_pi.dll
API Version detected: 113
PlugIn Version detected: 105
9:51:14 PM: Opencpn language reload for: en_US

9:51:14 PM: Loading catalog for: opencpn-weatherfax_pi
9:51:14 PM: Loading catalog for opencpn core.

9:51:37 PM: PlugInManager: Deactivating PlugIn: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\weatherfax_pi.dll

[rgleason]

I've tried building with opencpn.lib from 4.4 and no luck.
Does anyone else have troubles running weatherfax in Windows?

[nohal]

Rick...
No, I see no problem, apart from the GUI not being exactly Windows 10 ready, with the released version (Which didn't change since February so it is not very likely that it magically stopped working now)

Pavel

[rgleason]

Pavel, thanks. I've got it building now using another computer setup and having reinstalled the prerequisite files again it seems to build using Sean's repos.
I will try the other machine later, (it might have a problem with darn Norton!).

I'll upload this beta to file thingie after I use it a bit.

Sean, there are a couple of things that would be really nice.

Weatherfax now exports Kap and Opencpn will read and display a Kap directory of weatherfaxes.
You just cannot turn them on and off, etc.
It would be very nice if Weatherfax would provide a simple system to export selected "retrieved" files to Kap (containing lat/long pairs) and allow the user to reference those files, by turning them on and off, sorting by date, and having a user select and delete feature.



Here are some images of Opencpn with a Chart Directory of Wx-fax KAP files and a Chart Group defined for KAP
The two problems are Kaps as read through Opencpn Charts do not have transparence or controls for transparency.
and, there is no easy way to select which ones to show or turn on or off.


Once again thanks for a great plugin!
I am going to be adding and adjusting some things to the NOAA Boston Xml.
If there is anyone else who has noticed some necessary changes, please send the xml code needed and identify what sections it should replace.

[rgleason]

Weatherfax_pi: Sean's Repository, current version, master.
If the user installs the plugin and opens the Preferences Menu, the plugin will not work after that.
Workaround: Uninstall the plugin, delete the plugin file, copy opencpn.ini to a copy, then edit the opencpn.ini file removing all weather_fax settings. Save the file. Start Opencpn and check that there is no weatherfax_pi under options. Close Opencpn and install weatherfax again.

DON'T OPEN THE PREFERENCES MENU AGAIN until this is fixed.

[seandepagnier]

rick,

Could you please post the differences of the two ini files? Did you try removing the options 1 at a time to determine which one is a problem?

[rgleason]

Sean, I did not try that. I was just trying to figure out how to get the plugin started again, because I had my laptop not able to use weatherfax too. Then I found a Win tablet worked, and then it stopped. I thought I had gone into Preferences. I uninstalled and built a new version and installed it and it worked. Eventually I worked my way to something happening when you go into Preferences, that messes up the opencpn.ini file.

I'll attach the current opencpn.ini and the one that doesn't work.

[seandepagnier]

The biggest difference I see is:

-DialogPosX=32767
-DialogPosY=32767

Which suggests that somehow the window position got banished 20 screens away where you could never see it.

[rgleason]

Perhaps should have thought of that, but that is what happens whenever I hit the Preferences button. Hitting the preferences button does that.

Now that I know it, I can bring it back by
Bring Misplaced Off-Screen Windows Back to Your Desktop (Keyboard Trick)

Bring Misplaced Off-Screen Windows Back to Your Desktop (Keyboard Trick)


Note: For keyboard savvy people, you can just alt-tab to the window, use Alt+Space, then M, then Arrow key, and then move your mouse.

This should work on any version of Windows. It’s really amazing how many people are not aware of this little trick.

Update: Note that you can also right-click on the taskbar and choose to Cascade your open windows, which will often help bring the windows back onto the screen.

But it would be better not to have to do this.
Thanks Sean.