Tracking Support

PREPARE FOR POSITION REPORTING 

(PACIFIC POSSE 21) participants will have free access to upload and show positions on the PredictWind tracking map.
Preparing for position reporting includes the following steps:

  1. Create/confirm your PredictWind account
  2. Select your position reporting device
  3. Set up your device and collect necessary information
  4. Send all required information email it to registration@pacificposse.com

 

  1. Create/Confirm Your PredictWind Account 

Each participant must have a PredictWind account.

  1. Send all required information to the Communications and Tracking via the Pacific Posse tracking registration form

If you do not already have one, create a PredictWind account. It is free to create this account >>.

  1. Select Your Position Reporting Device 

Depending upon the device that you will use to report your position, the reporting will be automatic or manual:

  • • Iridium GO! – Automatic
  • • inReach – Automatic
  • • Email – Manual
  •   Offshore App manual

 

  1. Set Up Your Device and Collect Necessary Information 

Once you have a PredictWind account and depending upon the device you will report your position, you will need to perform some setup tasks.

Iridium GO! 

The Iridium GO! needs to have GPS Tracking activated and setup. This can be done with the PredictWind Offshore App on a Windows or Mac PC, or an iOS or Android device. You only need to do this step once.

Before proceeding, ensure that the PredictWind Offshore app is installed on the platform of your choice (PC, Mac, or iOS). To download the app, follow the directions at https://www.predictwind.com/grib-files/.

PredictWind Offshore App on a Windows or Mac PC 

  1. Open the Offshore App on your PC/Mac and make sure you are connected to your Iridium Wi-Fi.
  2. Go to PredictWind Offshore in the top left corner > select Preferences.
  3. Click on ‘Iridium GO!’
  4. Enter ‘guest’ as your username and password (this should not be changed).
  5. Click ‘Verify Settings.’
  6. Turn Tracking ON and GPS ON.
  7. Click on ‘Apply Changes.’
  8. Once these settings are saved, GPS tracking messages will be sent automatically every hour even if the PredictWind Offshore App is shut down. You will need to keep the Iridium GO! turned on for the GPS tracking messages to be transmitted. The tracking messages are sent via SMS, so there are no additional charges on the GO Unlimited or GO Plus airtime plans.

 

PredictWind Offshore App on an iOS or Android Device 

  1. Open the Offshore App on your iOS device and make sure you are connected to your Iridium Wi-Fi.
  2. Select Preferences from the main menu.
  3. Tap on ‘Iridium GO!’
  4. Enter ‘guest’ as your username and password (this should not be changed and will be in there as the default).
  5. Click ‘Verify Settings.’
  6. Turn Tracking ON and GPS ON.
  7. Click on ‘Apply Changes’
  8. Once these settings are saved, GPS tracking messages will be sent automatically every hour even if the PredictWind Offshore App is shut down. You will need to keep the Iridium GO! turned on for the GPS tracking messages to be transmitted. The tracking messages are sent via SMS, so there are no additional charges on the GO Unlimited or GO Plus airtime plans.

 

inReach 

  1. Log in to your inReach account at inreach.garmin.com
  2. Go to the “Social” tab
  3. Ensure that “MapShare” is toggled on, and is not password protected
  4. Copy the URL or your MapShare page
  5. Activate tracking on your device. The tracking interval should be four hours at most.

 

POSITION REPORTING WHILE UNDERWAY

While under way, you need to report your position at least twice per day and, preferably four or more times per day. The process for reporting your position depends upon the device that you will be using to report your position.

  1. inReach 

Ensure that Tracking is turned on, and that the tracking interval is six hours or less

  1. Iridium GO! 

Once you have setup up Interval Tracking using the PredictWind Offshore app you are tracking. Ensure that the Iridium GO! is powered on at all times.

  1. email 

Send an email with your position four times each day. Use the format described above.
You can send your GPS position via email to tracking@predictwind.com and your position will be displayed on your GPS tracking page. As this is a manual process, it should be done regularly during the day so friends/family can check your progress.

The format of the email to be sent to tracking@predictwind.com as a single line in the body of email.

Subject: (leave blank)

PredictWind Login Email Lat Long

example of GPS update email as single line in body of email.

Email Format
Emailformat

Latitudes and longitudes can be sent in any of the formats below, with a maximum of two digits after the decimal point.

+-179.99 # degrees
+-179 59.99 # degrees minutes
+-179 59 59.99 # degrees minutes seconds

NSEW markers can be placed in any of the following positions:

W179 59 59.99
179W 59 59.99
179 59 59.99W
179 59W

NOTE: For the GPS position report email to be received and processed correctly by our server, it must be in plain text with no signatures.

BACKUP DEVICE CONSIDERATIONS

If your primary communications device fails, please notify registration @ pacificposse.com .

If the device that failed is your tracking device, please start sending a message from your backup device at least four times daily. Send the message to registration @ pacificposse.com and include your boat name and position in the message.

If your backup communications device is an SSB radio without email capability, please notify us registration @ pacificposse.com .

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