# Using a Tempest on a boat

**URL:** <https://community.tempest.earth/t/using-a-tempest-on-a-boat/28108>\
**Category:** Tempest Owners\
**Tags:** tempest\
**Created:** [March 24, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/using-a-tempest-on-a-boat/28108 "2026-03-24T01:47:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dbh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/dbh/32/7068_2.png) [@dbh](https://community.tempest.earth/u/dbh)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/using-a-tempest-on-a-boat/28108/1 "2026-03-24T01:47:18Z")

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Is it possible to connect a Tempest unit to a marine network, perhaps via UDP –\>\> Ethernet or UDP –\>\> NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000?

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**Author:** ![bandl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@bandl](https://community.tempest.earth/u/bandl)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/using-a-tempest-on-a-boat/28108/2 "2026-03-24T16:28:55Z")

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The [Weatherflow UDP Protocol](https://weatherflow.github.io/Tempest/api/udp/v171/) and the NMEA protocols have different data formats for weather data, though they share the UDP transport layer. You need to have a device on your boat network running something like a [SignalK](https://signalk.org/) server with a [WeatherFlow Protocol converter](https://github.com/motamman/signalk-weatherflow) to do the necessary protocol translation. If you’re comfortable doing a bit of tinkering on your own, it may not be too bad.

(Edit: my fault; that github package is not a direct protocol converter, but instead fetches the data from weatherflow’s API. It would only work if you have a network connection, and your station registered where the boat is currently located. However, it does give you [the framework](https://demo.signalk.org/documentation/Developing/Plugins/Weather_Providers.html) to build your own protocol converter, if you’re so inclined).

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**Author:** ![dbh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/dbh/32/7068_2.png) [@dbh](https://community.tempest.earth/u/dbh)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/using-a-tempest-on-a-boat/28108/3 "2026-03-24T16:45:29Z")

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Thanks, that gets me started. Appreciated.

Weatherflow Tempest does expose its data via UDP on a local LAN w/o having to go over the net to their API. I was already beginning to look at SignalK.