Pharology

tarbat · June 11, 2009, 10:23:09 AM

Its interesting when several of your hobbies come together in a single event. I like watching aircraft, and ships, and I really like lighthouses.

So, when I saw on ShipPlotter that the NLV Pharos was moored just off the coast from us at the Tarbatness Lighthouse, we got in the car for the 5-minute drive up to the lighthouse.

There we also saw G-BUXS, the NLB's Bolkow Bo 105Dbs-4 helicopter. So, we started walking out to the headland, and said hello to a couple of people as they were coming towards us, only to realise it was Princess Anne on one of her many trips to the NLB lighthouses.

So, without ShipPlotter and Radarbox, we wouldn't have known about any of this. Just wish Airnav would hurry up and release ShipTrax!!

Full set of photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarbat/sets/72157619506022673/detail/

Brimon · June 11, 2009, 10:36:38 AM

tarbat I work with ships cargo & heavy lift , so get the best of both worlds!

The following picture is a typical vessel. Loaded 4 of these vessels with Wind Turbine Towers at Campbeltown last year

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/11495923.jpg

Canonjohns40D · June 11, 2009, 11:44:19 AM

Arise Sir Tarbat. Interesting result from the use of the technology, nice story.

John

malc41 · June 11, 2009, 11:46:15 AM

Fancy having a lighthouse named after you ;-)

Brimon · June 11, 2009, 12:12:03 PM

tarbat funnily enough we are going back to Devon this year for a short break & always visit this lighthouse, it is about 3 miles walk from where we stay,it is Start Point lighthouse. they do a very interesting tour for a pound.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/speedoboy/2575941650/

How far is the lighthouse from you? maybe you could run a cable & get your Radarbox Aerial on top of it!

tarbat · June 11, 2009, 12:40:06 PM

Unfortunately the Tarbatness Lighthouse is 5km from us, so too far for an antenna ;)

Strangely enough, the lighthouse isn't named after me!! But it's where we spend a lot of time looking out to sea for dolphins, whales, and other wildlife. It's well worth a visit if you're ever up this far north.

On the use of technology, I rely on Shipplotter so much to see when the various cruise ships are in port at Invergordon. Got this one earlier this week:

Quote from: Brimon on June 11, 2009, 12:12:03 PMtarbat funnily enough we are going back to Devon this year for a short break & always visit this lighthouse, it is about 3 miles walk from where we stay,it is Start Point lighthouse. they do a very interesting tour for a pound.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/speedoboy/2575941650/

Great photo!!

Brimon · June 11, 2009, 12:52:09 PM

We load/discharge quite a few ships a year at Invergordon.

Re the lighthouse : maybe get a mile of cable & some pre-amps? ;)

AirNav Development · June 11, 2009, 01:17:36 PM

When ShipTrax is released you will be able to track all this with the same common interface and with the same brand. :-)

BTW ShipTrax hardware is amazing. Many improvements that will, in the future, be applied to RadarBox II...oops no one wrote this. :-)

tarbat · June 11, 2009, 01:31:39 PM

Quote from: AirNav Development on June 11, 2009, 01:17:36 PMBTW ShipTrax hardware is amazing. Many improvements that will, in the future, be applied to RadarBox II...oops no one wrote this. :-)

Is that a hint that Ethernet output will be incorporated into RB II.

AirNav Development · June 11, 2009, 01:40:08 PM

Much more than only that. Anyway we cannot talk about it. Confidential.

tarbat · June 11, 2009, 01:41:20 PM

What would be really good is to be able to display ships from ShipTrax and aircraft from Radarbox on one combined map. A bit like COMBIPLOTTER - http://www.coaa.co.uk/combiplotter.htm

Maybe something to add to the v3.0 wishlist. It might encourage more Radarbox owners to also invest in the ShipTrax hardware if everything appeared on one screen.

malc41 · June 11, 2009, 02:05:38 PM

tarbat is that you in the little blue caravan ? :0)

Brimon · June 11, 2009, 02:33:18 PM

Quote from: malc41 on June 11, 2009, 02:05:38 PM
tarbat is that you in the little blue caravan ? :0)

No he is in the M for Mansion ;)

And the two spikes are his aerials!!

malc41 · June 11, 2009, 02:37:25 PM

Oh thats what M stands for, is this his first home or does he pay for his own repairs?

I take it that the two masts further north, take a fair bit of cable and a couple of pre-amps though

HadNav · June 12, 2009, 02:49:13 AM

I over the years have monitored a lot of radio traffic! I'd love to follow ShipTrax. I have always followed the airbands on my scanner and ships when I was at the coast, Felixstowe! My Scanner an AOR5000 +3 is up for sale.

Pharology

HadNav