Recommendations for AIS setup, Australian boat

[barnakiel]

We have sailed about 50k miles before the AIS and then we used the AIS on our four most recent Atlantic crossing. My observations, from our perspective are these:


- get one,
- get an active one,
- get the new variety one (SOTDMA 5 Watt vs. older CSTDMA 2 Watt).


Otherwise, depending on your boat size and layout, (and on how many people there are on one watch), I would recommend:


- get a unit that is dsc capable (ais unit to initiate a dsc call over vfh),
- keep your primary or secondary display/interface at the helm.


We do not have all of the above aboard our ship, unfortunately.



In our boat, the typical scenario is this:


1) our ais spots a ship,
2) we check on the ais data (cpa, tcpa),
3) if found offensive, we request our ais to call the offending ship on dsc vhf.


At times, they will not respond, not even to Safety or Urgency kind of dsc call. Then we swear at them on Ch 16, voice, no scrambler. This old method seems to be more consistent than any newer technology. But I do admit, modern MSC panamax container carriers respond to dsc calls within 30 seconds and confirm our signal at 5/5 and our radar visibility at nearly 10 miles (our topsides are 2 ft and the only reflector is our 30 ft tall alloy mast). It is only the smaller, less professional / fishing / sailing craft that seems to keep substandard watch.



Our primary device is a SH vhf/ais (passive ais) combo connected to a wifi router plus a mobile device in the cockpit (display only on the mobile devile). This is 2013 technology.


I want an active SOTDMA 5W ais / vhf combo one for our future crossing.


Number of close shaves on our last crossing: 2.



May there be some future crossings. Time will tell.


Cheers,
b.

[waxy]

Vesper makes a great product. I just wish I spent the extra money on the XB-8000 with the option to connect via WiFi.
My old E80 chartplotter can't handle the data from the AIS and radar at the same time. I now have the AIS connected via USB to a laptop down below running openCPN. It works but it's not very convenient.
I've been trying to figure out how to add wifi capability to my XB-6000 so I can at least have the AIS data on my iPad in the cockpit.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by waxy

(...)

I've been trying to figure out how to add wifi capability to my XB-6000 so I can at least have the AIS data on my iPad in the cockpit.

See the images attached. This is a s/h router, priced USD 1 (one USD) in local s/h shops. I actually got a spare one, free. No, these are not ipx7. ;-)

The only limitations are:

1) the router must sport a USB port and,
2) be on the OpenWRT list (of which there are hundreds).

Kplex is the program that does the ais/wifi function. Ais data gets in via the USB port (pictured). Plain serial data. If your ais does not output usb signal, plain serial signal can be fed via a USD 10 dongle available at any local gadgets store.

The one pictured (black) works now, uses 0.1A at 12v (power lead visible). It feeds all ais, gps, dsc and SeaTalk data to our mobile toys.

The white one (pictured) is my next pick: 0.1 at 5V (!!!). TP-Link, model 3020. S/h shop, at a whooping 10 USD (new unit, boxed).

OpenCPN or any other app package can display the wifi data on your mobile device.

You gain unlimited number of ethernet ais / data links in the process (for your PC, networked plotters, e.t.c.)

I have actually built my own ais plotter app for our mobile devices as I wanted a stand alone ais tool with some options not available from what is available online and free.

I will try to post a pic of my ais solution in a minute.

Cheers,
b.

[frank31]

I use a Standard Horizon GX2200 which displays AIS. Added a yakker from yakbitz, $75, it sets up a WiFi network. And an iPad running iNavx for a larger display.

Works well for me on Lk Michigan dodging the occasional freighter.

[barnakiel]

I am posting two screenshots of my homebrew ais App.


It collects and displays ais data from that homebrew ais / wifi / USD 1,00 router mentioned above.


The app is built with free AppInventor tool from MIT, available online or offline. There are plenty of similar (better) ais able apps at the store (G Play).



OpenCPN ais screen has the better info, as it decodes the name and plenty of other data too. It also previsualises the crossing situation like my app does. But it does not show cpa/tcpa/brng/cog/spd trends. Basically, I wanted a standalone with no map overlay nor any other distractors.


Ais to wifi is very simple to get.


It is a bit harder to get your phone or tablet call the other ship via dsc though.


And without being able to call the ship dsc right from the plotter screen you are losing possibly the second most desirable feature of your ais toys.


See and be seen! Hugs to all,
barnakiel

[barnakiel]

I have also this advice to potential ais wifi pixel peepers:


Make sure you have an ais stream that contains your ais unit's OWN gps data (not forwarded data).


Otherwise the wifi stream contains no tag of ANY SORT that would tell your mobile device that the ais unit is off / broken / younameit.


Think of it, a wifi gps will be sending updates every x seconds, even if you are not moving (no updates = something wrong). But a wifi ais may be sending nothing (when there are no ships in range) or again nothing (when the ais unit fails in any way).



So there is no way of telling the difference between an existing wifi connection with no ships around (no ais data in the stream) and an existing wifi connection with a faulty or switched off ais unit attached. For there is no 'null' ais packet generated by ais units. There is no ais 'handshake'.



When your ais unit generates its own gps data (not forwarded), the ais stream will possibly contain this data. This way you are getting some early indication when and if the ais unit disconnects or disappears for any reason.


Cheers,
b.

[ccannan]

Barnakiel, Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by barnakiel

This a s/h router, priced USD 1 (one USD) in local s/h shops.

s/h = ?, secondhand

Originally Posted by barnakiel

The one pictured (black) works now, uses 0.1A at 12v (power lead visible). It feeds all ais, gps, dsc and SeaTalk data to our mobile toys.

The white one (pictured) is my next pick: 0.1 at 5V (!!!). TP-Link, model 3020. S/h shop, at a whooping 10 USD (new unit, boxed).

Are you sure about the power consumption numbers?
The TL-MR3020 specs indicate it needs a 5v/1A power supply, which I understand doesn’t equal consumption, but have you measured the consumption?

[conachair]

Originally Posted by ccannan

Barnakiel, Thanks for sharing.


s/h = ?, secondhand



Are you sure about the power consumption numbers?
The TL-MR3020 specs indicate it needs a 5v/1A power supply, which I understand doesn’t equal consumption, but have you measured the consumption?

Also worth having a look at a raspberry pi running openplotter - costs a bit more and uses a little more power but extremely powerful and easy to set up. And should be very much future proof should you want to add wifi sensors or whatever. Signalk built in.
https://docs.sailoog.com/openplotter-v1-x-x/

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by ccannan

Barnakiel, Thanks for sharing.


s/h = ?, secondhand



Are you sure about the power consumption numbers?
The TL-MR3020 specs indicate it needs a 5v/1A power supply, which I understand doesn’t equal consumption, but have you measured the consumption?

I say s/h or sh, I mean second hand.

All our wifi stuff comes either free (garbage cans in the marina) or else from shops that sell things that other people no longer need. I think you call it Salvation Army pick up in the USA. You buy stuff per pound or per batch and single units sell at 1 USD or thereabouts.

1 USD is the black one. The TP-Link one (white, tiny) is new boxed also from a s/h shop, USD 10 and two years' warranty. I bet you can get them at ebay too.

Re: POWER. See picture attached.

Our ship is 12 Volt wired. I should have said more clearly that I meant 0.1 A @ 12 Volt. 12x.1=1W. The rated max Wattage of this unit is 1.25W, the voltage is 5V.

Some users mod the router to accept direct 12 Volt, but I did not bother as a simple resistor outlet creates 5V usb power out of 12 Volt cigarette plug at no cost. Cable cost zero - chop off then solder from what I found on skip.

In brief then : consumption 0.1 Amp at 12 Volt.

b.

[clownfishsydney]

We have a GME AIST120 with splitter on our yacht and a Matsutec on our power boat (6.2 metre). The GME is linked into chartplotter and also to our laptop running OpenCPN. Has worked perfectly for last four years. The Matsutec is linked into our chartplotter. Not as good reception, but I suspect this is more related to aerial on yacht being 18 m off water and on power boat only 3 metres.

[HankOnthewater]

Gilow, do you want more options?
I have the same plotter as you have (in the cockpit), and an AIS (Nauticast B300) is connected to that and displays all I need and want to know, and alarms appropriately. It has a separate VHF aerial.
https://www.nauticast.com/en/cms/b300.

This model is now superseded, but the link shows also the updated model.
Factory support (in Austria of all places) was good and they changed the MSSI number remotely (via my laptop) and updated the software at the same time.

This AIS is also connected to a laptop downstairs, running windows 7 and OpenCPN.

[GILow]

Thanks mate. I’ll add that to the list. [emoji846]

[Fred Taute]

Another vote for Vesper - I have the XB 8000 installed recently, and got it to interface with NMEA 0183 to Ray equipment, and when the Raymarine plotter died, also got it going over NMEA 2k. It can also act as or interface with any wi-fi router on board, and provide data to mobile equipment - I can view AIS targets on an iPad running iNavX. Very cool.

[wmgysi]

Originally Posted by BigAl.NZ

I have the vesper XB8000. Very happy with it.

It has no display, but you can output to the app on a smart phone or opencpn via USB.

I think it also outputs NMEA.

Had all the alarm functions you could want.

It also works wireless like Wifi. I run two windows based laptop/tablet and very happy with vesper service via email. Circumnavigating on Princess Del Mar

[ccannan]

[QUOTE=barnakiel;2689667]Re: POWER. See picture attached.

Our ship is 12 Volt wired. I should have said more clearly that I meant 0.1 A @ 12 Volt. 12x.1=1W. The rated max Wattage of this unit is 1.25W, the voltage is 5V.

In brief then : consumption 0.1 Amp at 12 Volt.[\QUOTE]



Thanks for the explanation. The picture is worth a thousand words. I’m looking for one now.