ELECTRONICS BY GLENN HAYES
Weather Tech
Check the forecast while on the water.
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TOP PHOTOS BY GLENN HAYES; BOT TOM PHOTO COURTESY OF GARMIN
t’s always a good idea to check weather conditions prior to heading out on the water, and now it’s easier than ever to do so both from home and while aboard. Information-packed apps can give boaters weather forecasts and details while within cellular coverage. There is also the trusty onboard radar that can warn of nearby storms and rain. And then there are other less-utilized options that can work in conjunction with your onboard multifunction displays, even while away from cellular signals. Multifunction display add-ons Manufacturers such as Garmin, Navico (Simrad, Lowrance and B&G), Furuno and Raymarine offer devices that can show weather information right on your multifunction displays, overlaid on existing electronic charts. This is accomplished through a small satellite receiver and a subscription through SiriusXM. One of the newest and most comprehensive weather receivers available is Garmin’s latest offering for onboard weather, the GXM 54 Receiver. No bigger than an external GPS antenna, this small receiver is mounted where it has a clear view of the sky. It can be flush-mounted to a flat surface or utilize a standard VHF antenna mount. Connected via an Ethernet cable, it displays a multitude of weather graphic information overlaid on the charts of many of Garmin’s newer displays. This information includes weather radar and lightning information, sea surface temperatures, wave height (with period and direction), as well as marine weather zone forecasts and wind forecasts. Subscription rates and packages vary. One package also includes 140 channels of music, sports and news, all accessible through the GXM 54. SiriusXM receivers are also offered by Simrad, Lowrance and B&G, utilizing the Navico WM-4 receiver, as well as Furuno’s BBWX4 receiver and Raymarine’s SR200. Navico’s WM-4 requires the use of a Shakespeare SRA-50 Galaxy SiriusXM antenna along with the WM-4 module. The module has a network connection, power and antenna connections, and audio connection. Once interfaced to a compatible Navico display, weather overlay is possible with all of the weather features offered by Garmin’s GXM 54 mentioned above. According to Navico, Fish Mapping will also be available later this year. Furuno’s BBWX4 and Raymarine’s SR200 utilize the same SiriusXM InfoLINK module
and Shakespeare SRA-50 antenna as the Navico module, each working with its own line of current displays. The same SiriusXM subscriptions apply to all these units, and the subscriber has several options to choose from. There is a Marine Inland subscription for $14.99 per month (at the time of writing). Data included in this subscription are storm cell attributes, weather radar, lightning strikes, tropical storm tracks with wind fields, alerts services, weather watch boxes and five-day local weather forecasts. Next is the Marine Coastal subscription that includes Great Lakes wave height, period and direction, among other marine observations and forecasts. There is also a Marine Offshore option and the Fish Mapping mentioned above. Service is available for the continental U.S. and its coastal waters up to 150 miles offshore, and coverage extends to southern Canada. There is a great option to seasonally suspend service for up to six months with no additional cost, so if you’re not using your boat or it’s in storage you don’t have to pay for a service you won’t be using. Other options There are other weather options available to boaters, from simple apps for smart devices to more complex systems like global weather fax equipment offered by Furuno. Custom forecasts and weather data ordered and delivered through online providers is another option. Raymarine’s new multifunction displays and software can now take advantage of its built-in Wi-Fi and can utilize the GRIB Viewer Weather App. This app uses weather information offered with a subscription to Theyr Weather, a global maritime market weather information provider. Data is downloaded via smartphone hotspot, marina Wi-Fi or other Wi-Fi network. Weather data provided includes forecasts, wind speed and direction, marine sea level pressure, precipitation, air temperature, wave height/direction/period, sea surface temperature, NEXRAD radar and more. All of this data is available on a Raymarine chartplotter running Lighthouse 2 or 3, and monthly or annual subscriptions are available. With all the equipment available to boaters today, a cell phone is no longer the only option for accessing weather information and forecasting. ★
(Top and middle) Garmin display with SiriusXM Weather. (Bottom) Garmin multifunction displays showing weather data.
GLENN HAYES is a marine writer and photographer whose background in the marine industry and in marine electronics spans almost three decades and many thousands of miles at sea traveling the world. He can be reached at HAYESSTUDIOS.COM .
LAKELANDBOATING.COM
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OCTOBER 2020
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