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rtofs grib support? - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: rtofs grib support? (/thread-866.html)



- r.brake - October 16, 2009

If there is a wish list for functions we Atlantic sailors would love to see the ability to download rtofs grib files directly out of MacENC. The files display nicely when loaded showing current dir/speed and depth contours when contours is checked.

For gulfstream crossing weather planning it would be nice to be able to download larger grib files as well when hooked up to highspeed internet before departure. Polar Navy's Polarview grib request mechanism has a nice ability to download 3 or 6 hour increments out to 14 days.


- macsolve - October 19, 2009

I'd like to be able to get weather files from grib.us from within MacENC also, if possible.


- GPSNavX - October 19, 2009

How does the grib.us data differ from what SailDocs provides?



- FF44 - October 19, 2009

Each 3 hours for 7 days : wind, contours, precipitation
[image]http://membres.macdk.com/ff44//gribussample.jpg[/image]


- GPSNavX - October 19, 2009

Saildocs (which uses the same GFS model) has wind, precipitation, temperature, pressure. Contour is not a data, but instead how the data is presented. It is true SailDocs is on 12 hour increments instead of 3 hour. The big advantage I see with SailDocs is the email delivery function. One can even setup it up to automatically send a new GRIB file on a selectable frequency.

http://saildocs.com/


- FF44 - October 19, 2009

You are right : pressure, not contour, I was wrong.
And actually you only can request Grib.us files with UGrib application with... a PC !

However precipitation are not shown with GPSNavX/MacENC, may be a "small" wish ?


- GPSNavX - October 19, 2009

GPSNavX 5.50 and MacENC 7.20 does support display of precipitation rate and can request such GRIBs from Saildocs.


- macsolve - October 19, 2009

You can download a grib.us file via the web interface, non Ugrib PC application neeed. I haven't examined it yet but was hoping it would be fairly easy to automate the download by supplying coordinates somehow, as long as it would be allowed by them (not sure who's behind it)


- FF44 - October 19, 2009

Yes I know that. But in Ugrip you have a view more readable of all wind, pressure and precipitation data.
[image]http://membres.macdk.com/ff44//ugribview.jpg[/image]
I'm not sure to well understand the same precipitation file in GPSNavX/MacENC
[image]http://membres.macdk.com/ff44//gpsnavxview.jpg[/image]
It is not really clear, as if I zoom the chart to have a smaller scale view.


- GPSNavX - October 19, 2009

Apples and oranges, one is available GRIB data (i.e. wind, pressure, temperature, precipitation) and the other is presentation of the data.

Big difference, UGRIB does not overlay a marine chart. While nice, the UGRIB presentation (color shading) would obscure a marine chart.





- FF44 - October 19, 2009

Of course, yes, indeed Wink


- r.brake - October 20, 2009

You can get 3 hour intervals through Saildocs. The following request is a long range forecast that works fine with a highspeed connection:

send gfs:12N,60N,130W,50sW|1,1|00,03..300|PRMSL,WINDS

it will never work of course through sailmail

The original post was just me being lazy and liking the ability to just define a box instead of looking up L/L parameters etcWink

The rotfs part comes from looking at the following rotfs file:

send rtofs:44N,18N,80W,50W|0.1,0.1|0,12..144|

In that you'll notice two huge eddies between Bermuda and ST. Thomas that relative to gulfstream speeds could be what, maybe 4-5 knotts. The grib window in MacENC is geared for windspeed but it would be nice to have a surface speed scale of some sort tied to the current arrows if possible. Thirty years of running that route and I've never seen eddies that big in that area!

Cheers, Robert


- GPSNavX - October 20, 2009

For the next release(s) I am adding more control to the GRIB menu for Requesting GRIBs.


- littlechay - October 20, 2009

Can I suggest that the GRIB request control menu offer the following features.

Ability to request a GRIB centred on the current map/chart centre, you can accept this as default or enter a centre position of your own.

Radius, or diagonal size as most GRIB bots seem to use, typically 600, 1200, or 2400 miles.

Checkboxes for the models required, pressure, 500mB height, precipitation, wind, wave height, temperture etc. etc.

selection box to request GRIB, GFS etc..

method to select the gird spacing for the data with defaults based on the selection of GRIB, COMAPS etc..

Think that's about it.

Cheers
Chris


- littlechay - October 20, 2009

I would like to see precipitation presented as shading. It would then be possible to present three layers of data clearly; Wind barbs, pressure isobars, and precipitation all at the same time.

As far as I can see it is possible to email request a grip with the three levels of data however there seems to be a limitation in MacENC to display only two. Given the current method of displaying the precipitation data this understandable.

I don't see the issue that shading would obscure the chart, the current method of displaying precipitation does that anyway, as surely most users will not leave weather data on the chart all the time. Generally you look a weather on large regional scale and navigate at much more detailed level.

With the multiple layers displayed it would be nice to be able to turn the layers on and off via the menus.......

My 2 cents anyway; and I suppose you could look at point about displaying precipitation as shading as a feature request from at least two people now Smile

Cheers
Chris