Practical Sailor's gear and boat reviews take the guesswork out of your buying decisions.

Volume 31
Number 5
March 2005

Weather Receivers

Garmin's GDL series requires a subscription fee, but offers a wider range of marine weather information than Furuno's Fax 30—and it's in color.

The Garmin GDL 30 (weather receiver) and GDL 30A (weather receiver and satellite radio) overlay a smorgasbord of weather data on a display screen.

For decades, the majority of small boat mariners received weather information near shore through marine VHF radios. Though useful, the information is limited to audio reports on local wind and sea conditions, local marine forecasts, and hurricane, or other severe weather advisories.

On larger vessels, single sideband (SSB) radios are frequently installed, sometimes with a weatherfax printer or PC-based weather program to enhance weather information gathering. The more comprehensive SSB/weatherfax systems are capable of providing long-range reports and graphic displays of weather maps printed directly from the onboard printer. …

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