Navtex Plugin

[stevead]

FFS, there's no shortage of software to decode Navtex, RTTY, SITOR or whatever useful radio transmission you can think of.

What is missing is the software to perform the natural language processing of the text into something useful for OpenCPN.

You and I can read something like

SECURITE
FM JRCC AUSTRALIA 160429Z NOV 21
AUSCOAST WARNING 261/21
DRILL RIG OCEAN ONYX/V7EB9 IN POSITION 39-12.50S 142-52.48E
2.5 NM CLEARANCE REQUESTED.
NNNN

and understand its meaning, but it's and entirely different problem to convert it into something useful for a computer to understand. And it also has to deal with any errors arising from the decoding such as

ADRIATIC SEA-IONIAN SEA, MOVING EAST A LITTLE. HIGH 11
WEST OF PORTUOZL TO 
OROWLGERIA, EASTERN PART MOVING

We all know it refers to Portugal and Algeria, but try getting a computer program to do the same.

[mgrouch]

Originally Posted by stevead

FFS, there's no shortage of software to decode Navtex, RTTY, SITOR or whatever useful radio transmission you can think of.



What is missing is the software to perform the natural language processing of the text into something useful for OpenCPN.



You and I can read something like

SECURITE

FM JRCC AUSTRALIA 160429Z NOV 21

AUSCOAST WARNING 261/21

DRILL RIG OCEAN ONYX/V7EB9 IN POSITION 39-12.50S 142-52.48E

2.5 NM CLEARANCE REQUESTED.

NNNN

and understand its meaning, but it's and entirely different problem to convert it into something useful for a computer to understand. And it also has to deal with any errors arising from the decoding such as

ADRIATIC SEA-IONIAN SEA, MOVING EAST A LITTLE. HIGH 11

WEST OF PORTUOZL TO 

OROWLGERIA, EASTERN PART MOVING

We all know it refers to Portugal and Algeria, but try getting a computer program to do the same.

In add-ons directory of BBN OS there is a script which will install text to speech app. And then you probably can script reading aloud NavTex.

It’s gonna read whatever gibberish NavTex announcement contains. The people who write it are more extreme than even train station announcements.
So for that all complaining should go to the writers of those NavTex texts.

[stevead]

Clearly I have too much time on my hands.

In add-ons directory of BBN OS there is a script which will install text to speech app. And then you probably can script reading aloud NavTex.

I don't think you understand the problem. BTW, The above solution would be a great idea for the visually impaired sailor, but I digress.

The problem is not converting text to speech, but converting text to something OpenCPN can use.

Eg. from

SECURITE
FM JRCC AUSTRALIA 160429Z NOV 21
AUSCOAST WARNING 261/21
DRILL RIG OCEAN ONYX/V7EB9 IN POSITION 39-12.50S 142-52.48E
2.5 NM CLEARANCE REQUESTED.
NNNN

to

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<gpx version="1.1" creator="OpenCPN" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1" xmlns:gpxx="http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3 http://www8.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensionsv3.xsd" xmlns:opencpn="http://www.opencpn.org">
  <wpt lat="-39.208333333" lon="142.874666667">
    <time>2021-12-02T13:19:20Z</time>
    <name>OCEAN ONYX</name>
    <desc>DRILL RIG OCEAN ONYX
CALLSIGN: V7EB9</desc>
    <sym>Hazard-Oil-Platform</sym>
    <type>WPT</type>
    <extensions>
      <opencpn:guid>5ce7ffff-05e8-424b-afd3-2b9e38550000</opencpn:guid>
      <opencpn:viz_name>1</opencpn:viz_name>
      <opencpn:arrival_radius>2.50</opencpn:arrival_radius>
      <opencpn:waypoint_range_rings visible="false" number="0" step="1" units="0" colour="#FF0000" />
      <opencpn:scale_min_max UseScale="false" ScaleMin="2147483646" ScaleMax="0" />
    </extensions>
  </wpt>
</gpx>

or

PlugIn_Waypoint waypoint;
waypoint.m_IsVisible = true;
waypoint.m_MarkName = _T("Ocean Onyx");
waypoint.m_IconName = _T("Hazard-Oil-Platform");
waypoint.m_GUID = GetNewGUID();
waypoint.m_lat = -39.208; 
waypoint.m_lon = 142.874;
AddSingleWaypoint(&waypoint, true);

which is a difficult problem space in which people with PHd's and far more intelligent than I, expend considerable effort on natural language processing, geoparsing and AI.

[Maelruan]

Stevead: "it would take a lot of programming effort and computing power to perform the natural language processing to geoparse something ....."

I am constantly in awe at the OpenCPN programmers who brought us the WeFax plugin, and the MULTIPSK designer who geoparses SYNOP/SHIP for display on the chart in the attached screen shot of that happening in real time just now.


It's great to see users discussing all those NAVTEX receivers and decoders. I know of a particular Marine Accident Report in which the lack of it was noted.

[Maelruan]

The attached is a continuation of the image in the last post & has both SYNOP & SHIP.

[mgrouch]

NavTex supposedly used some standardized abbreviations

Like

http://www.gmdss.org/navtex_abbreviations.html

There is probably more

https://www.jollyparrot.co.uk/blog/h...navtex-message

[Be Free]

There is a SignalK plugin that parses NOAA weather alerts and publishes them as SignalK alerts. Perhaps that could be leveraged to parse the Navtex messages or at least provide a roadmap as to how it could be done.
https://www.npmjs.com/package/signalk-noaa-weather

[Maelruan]

Would it be difficult to display Navtex messages on the main navigation screen in a similar way to the warning for an AIS target or anchor alarm?
Let's say a warning appears when a message is received from a nearby Navtex station, and clicking on the warning brings up the message.
The report for the incident mentioned earlier remarked that while there was a receiver onboard, the forecast for an imminent freak storm force 10 to 11 in June in the Bay of Biscay was missed, possibly because the Navtex receiver screen was small and there was no paper print out.
A link to the report is available if there is interest - the casualty was out of VHF range.

[mgrouch]

Does OpenCPN even have unified way to display alarms? Or it is left to plugins?

[rgleason]

Does OpenCPN even have unified way to display alarms? Or it is left to plugins?

Mike the addition of the word "even" makes this a pesky question. Why don't you post this minor item to tracker and vote for it? Or even better make a PR?

I believe OpenCPN supports alarms necessary for its own operation.
Plugins must support their alarms separately. Like Watchdog.
I don't believe the API has any messaging for alarms, but you could look.

[Thonglor]

I have the WIB3 now connected to my Windows 10 PC and it works well.

Now I'd like to use it on my Rasperry Pi 3B+. I'd like to install the program PC NAVTEX USB (Linux) from here:
https://open-boat-projects.org/en/pc-navtex-usb-linux/

I don't have enough experience to get PC NAVTEX USB to run. I manage to clone it to my SD card. And then, what do I have to do then? Can someone give some hints?

[stevead]

Why do you think that the software you mentioned, which is designed for the NASA Marine PC Navtex USB device would work with the Weather InfoBox WIB3 device you purchased?

[Thonglor]

Why? Because on
website https://bareboat-necessities.github....s.html#_navtex
in chapter 2.18 it says:

2.18. NavTex
-NASA Marine PC Navtex USB with an antenna (BBN OS comes with a program called PC-NavTex for it). ~$220
-USB Devices from wetterinfobox.com (WIB2 - NAVTEX for PC) Wetterinfobox

Both devices are connected via USB. Therefore I want to try whether PC-NavTex works.

Does it not?

[stevead]

Oh FFS.

I have the WIB3 now connected to my Windows 10 PC and it works well.

2.18. NavTex
-NASA Marine PC Navtex USB with an antenna (BBN OS comes with a program called PC-NavTex for it). ~$220
-USB Devices from wetterinfobox.com (WIB2 - NAVTEX for PC) Wetterinfobox

[mgrouch]

Originally Posted by Thonglor

Why? Because on
website https://bareboat-necessities.github....s.html#_navtex
in chapter 2.18 it says:

2.18. NavTex
-NASA Marine PC Navtex USB with an antenna (BBN OS comes with a program called PC-NavTex for it). ~$220
-USB Devices from wetterinfobox.com (WIB2 - NAVTEX for PC) Wetterinfobox

Both devices are connected via USB. Therefore I want to try whether PC-NavTex works.

Does it not?

WIB2 documentation says it is not needed to have any additional software.
It’s plugged into usb and recognized as USB memory device. NavTex messages are stored as html on it. So it might just work on raspberry pi.