Satellite Radio Control

[Simonsez]

Is there any plans for a more user friendly interface to control my sirius sat radio from my MFD 12's? I have the Sirius weather/sat radio BBWX1 and use the MFD to control the stations i listen to. I have not found the way to set my favorite stations and keep them there after i shut down the system. Every time i reboot i have to search for the station i want to listen to. Can the stations be pre-set? Any info? Am i missing something in the instructions?

 

[Johnny Electron]

Simonsez,
Furuno marketed the BBWX1 and now the BBWX2 as a Sirius weather receiver. The Vx2 (when the BBWX1 released) has no way to even control audio features. The unit made for Furuno just happens to also have the ability to accept Sirius audio but it wasn’t marketed or sold as an audio unit. At the request of customers, a small audio control was added to the software on the NN3D which will control audio on the BBWX1 and BBWX2. There hasn't been any recent discussion that I am aware of to improve the existing audio control for the NN3D. The weather was and still is the focus of these units. In fact for the longest time Sirius would refuse to activate the audio on the BBWX1 and BBWX2 because they were only approved for weather. After XM and Sirius merged, they at some point decided it was okay to allow audio to be activated on these units. I will pass your suggestion to product development and we can cross our fingers.
Johnny

 

[Simonsez]

Thanks for the reply! All i really need is the ability to pre set stations, it is a pain to change stations! What are the differences between the BBWX1 and 2? Is the displayed weather a higher resolution with the newer unit? Faster refresh? I would upgrade if that is the case. Please let me know

 

[Johnny Electron]

Simonsez
The BBWX2 won’t change the refresh or resolution when compared to your BBWX1. The Vx2 displays exactly what is being provided in the downlink from Sirius (which can look a bit blocky on Vx2 and NN3D units provide some smoothing to enhance the image). The refresh is in Sirius’ control; not the unit. They transmit data at different intervals. For example North American radar is updated or sent down every 4 minutes. (Sea Surface temps is every 71 mins) You normally will see the data disappear from your screen as new data is received and then drawn again. If you turn on the unit after the data has been sent, you must wait until the next transmission before it will show up on the system. The BBWX1 has an ESN number for weather/data and an ESN number for Audio. The BBWX2 only has one ESN (used for both). The subscription service offered by Sirius is not the same for BBWX1 or BBWX2. The BBWX1 weather package is “Charter” which BBWX2 can’t use. The BBWX2 has “Mariner” or Voyager”. If you compare Mariner and Charter (same price); you get more info with Charter (BBWX1). One advantage the BBWX2 has is it is also a 4 port hub with power sync. Many folks use this for smaller installs instead of the Hub101. I see no reason for you to upgrade if your BBWX1 is working. I will say if you are using the BBWX1 with the NN3D system, you should ensure your software in the BBWX1 begins with 2010 not 2009 or 2007. If you have older firmware, it should be updated when used with the NN3D. You can find the software info shown under MENU – SYSTEM – SIRUS TAB – at the top of the screen.
Johnny

 

[Simonsez]

Thanks for the software info. My BBWX1 works good, and I will check the software (in April) when i re commission her.
Kevin

 

[rsnini]

How do I update the Sirius firmware that you talk about in the above post? I have a MFD12, Hub 101 and BBWX1.
Thanks

 

[Johnny Electron]

rsnini
If you are a Furuno USA customer, we will conduct the update on your BBWX1 for free. Just send the unit in to us with a request to have the software updated. You can also price the service with you local authorized Furuno dealer. I am sorry this is not a user upgrade and should be done by an authorized dealer or your local distributor.