Inexpensive AIS Receiver

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

Your boat, your choice but you are missing the point. AIS Transmit shows your boat's name to everyone around you. They can track you, watch out for you and contact you if need be. It makes the boating experience so much easier and safer for everyone.

I understand that you are confident in your abilities, that you would never be distracted, asleep or busy doing something else. But people fail and AIS Transmit allows both vessels to be actively engaged in collision avoidance.

Here in the med, more than half of the boats have AIS Transmit and it is just fantastic. I would say, it is even more useful than radar (although I like the additional safety of radar). I would encourage everyone to transmit.

MV Ithaka

Not quite.

I said I don't have the need for an AIS Transponder yet, (an AIS Receiver is good enough for now or charts and GPS) but I do plan to get one before I venture out for weeks at a time or sail offshore over night.

I've found some pretty nice AIS units also for when I do decide to install one. The new technology is pretty nice even for this dated model.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3718201

I enjoyed getting my AIS Receiver (SH GX2200 VHF/AIS/GPS) hooked up to my Raspberry Pi powered Chart Plotter so hooking up an AIS Transponder will also be fun.

Data gets routed via NMEA 0183 from the SH VHF thru a 232 USB adapter to the Raspberry Pi Computer. Now to my Laptop w/Windows 10.

Plus I was an IFF Transponder Tech at one time and they are sort of similar. No WiFi back then though as it was in the 1970's and for aircraft.

Actually I was at a Ground Radar Facility so we had the Interrogator that communicated with the Aircraft Transponders with Mode 3A, Mode C, etc

[Tudorsailor]

I think posters ought to give their sailing area before giving their opinions. In the Solent (UK) I understand that there are so many AIS signals that it makes them almost worthless.

I sail in the eastern Med and would not be without the AIS transponder. No guarantee that one will not get run down by a fast ferry, but makes it much less likely!

I used to have a back-up Quark receiver onto a PC but it never worked as it should. I have binned it and now use a dAISy 2+ as my back-up receiver.

TudorSailor

[GarryForder]

I purchased, and installed, one last year and it did what it said on the box. I have interfaced to my Garmin Chart-plotter through the 0183 interface, (for info I have both 0183 & 2K installed), plus I get backup onto my iPad running Imray Navigator. The only problem I had was the connection to 0183 backbone had to be reversed from what was shown in the installation manual, otherwise a very good, cost effective unit.
I sail around the Ionian most of the summer, and it’s quite a busy ferry area, so nice to be aware of them for sure.

[tomusa]

Thanks Gary, that is exactly the response I was looking for. I was worried that it might not be all as advertised but apparently it is completely legit.

[GarryForder]

Any problems installing let me know

[Richfind]

It is a receiver it does not transmit.

[Polar Opposite]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Meanwhile, out of 25 responses, how many addressed the OP request about the equipment and its price??

I wish you lived closer to me. We'd be drinking and sailing buddies.

[BobMc]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Agreed these days there’s zero point in a receiver

Absolutely. Doesn't do much good if the other boats can't "see" you with the identification info. The receiver alone isn't totally worthless, but it isn't nearly as useful as a full transceiver.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by BobMc

Absolutely. Doesn't do much good if the other boats can't "see" you with the identification info. The receiver alone isn't totally worthless, but it isn't nearly as useful as a full transceiver.

Having an AIS Receiver in the Chesapeake Bay is a blessing.

It helps you "see" all the shipping traffic before you see them this makes crossing their path much easier with more time to prepare.......

We have to cross the first shipping channel just 4-5 miles out when sailing North from Norfolk/VA Beach so a Quick check before leaving your slip gives you lots of information you wouldn't have without the AIS Receiver

[col50]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

To see ships avoiding you miles away is a reassuring aspect of transmit ais

To see ships not avoiding you is a reassuring aspect of an AIS receiver.

[TomM]

Originally Posted by thomm225

At the time of this video I still was using a Raspberry Pi 4 computer and 19" HDTV as a monitor. Now I'm using my laptop

Miller Lite?

[sinnerman]

Originally Posted by thomm225

The point is the OP doesn't have AIS at all so having AIS Receive is a big first step and a big improvement on having no AIS at all......

Just here a few years ago I would have no idea I was on a near collision course with a tug about 5 miles away without my AIS Receive data which I have coming into my laptop chart plotter via NMEA 0183 and a USB 232 adapter from a SH GX2200 VHF

At the time of this video I still was using a Raspberry Pi 4 computer and 19" HDTV as a monitor. Now I'm using my laptop

Another nice thing about having a VHF with AIS receiver is that the installation can be done in about 5 minutes as you are using the same VHF antenna as before.


The NMEA wiring might take you some time to research but the hardware install easy quite easy

Thomm225:
On this video are you using OpenCpn as the program? Also (pardon my ignorance), what is "OP"?
thx
cheers

[sinnerman]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

Why not get a transceiver instead?

-Chris

I remember in a navigation course I took, where it was stated that most commercial ships do not monitor the Class "B" transceiver signals that recreational vessels use.

They only monitor the commercial Class "A" signals.

Hence the Class B transceiver may indeed be of little use.

[Slovak]

You could have your ~$200 AIS cake, and have it transmit too.

I've written before about MAIANA™: The Open Source AIS Transponder. It's a self-contained transponder unit with GPS, easy to mount, easy to connect. Available in USB, NMEA 0183, and NMEA 2000 versions for $200-250 (depending on version and shipping). Excellent support.

No affiliation, just a VERY happy user.

[Subtandard]

Originally Posted by tomusa

Hi,

I ran across this AIS that seems to combine quite a few features in one box and I was wondering if any of you have had any experience with it. It is a Quark-Elec QK-A026 viewable at:

https://www.quark-elec.com/product/q...-gps-receiver/

The price looks reasonable. Any comments appreciated.

I have been using the older QK-A022 for a couple of years and am quite happy with it.