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Roberto.Ritossa - 29 Jan 2022

Hello Dick,
yes Winlink is my main email system on board, via Airmail for the Satellite phone, and Vara (after many years with Winmor) for the radio. 
Odd view I know but I do not like gribs that much, I tend to keep them for areas where there are no other options, or for example to supplement the absence of t+24 forecast chart from the US for the Eastern north Atlantic. Oh, current data with Rtofs :)
I use email mainly for text bulletins, weather charts that are not sent via fax (like say jet stream) or those that could not be received because of bad propagation. Position reports of course.

Among the equipment for weather related comms, an interesting instrument I came across recently is the WIBE (from Wetterinfobox, a German company): it is a standalone receiver which can be configured to automatically receive a daily personal schedule of weatherfax (UK, US, Germany, Canada, etc), RTTY, Navtex, synop etc. Power draw is minimal it can be left ON 24/7, it will receive and save all scheduled documents, one can then turn on the PC and look at them whenever one wants; just tried it a few times, hopefully it will allow to avoid waking up at 0600 for the early morning charts  :)
regards
r.