Cheap as possible Nav-with-AIS setup

[BalticVicing]

I have cheap (7€) rtl-sdr dongle in my laptop. AIS works great.

I am waiting for my cheap (18€) Orange Pi computer to arrive. Im planning to build AIS-receiver that will send AIS data over wlan to my other devises. It will use very little power.

[Reefmagnet]

I've got a PI3 with dAISy hat. When ordering the daAISy, there was an option to add adapter cables for a few bucks extra, so I grabbed the adapter for a 259 plug. The antenna is a small vhf antenna mounted to the stern radar pole (above the radome). The PI mounts adjacent to the VHF radio, which has a mast mounted antenna with the idea being that the antennas can be easily swapped across units in an emergency. When I tested the difference in AIS reception between both antennas the mast mounted got to about 32 nm out while the stern mounted got to around 20, which is more than enough for me, too.


The PI pumps the AIS onto the NEMA network using WIFI and USB adapter using OpenCPN as the relay, from memory.

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by BalticVicing

I have cheap (7€) rtl-sdr dongle in my laptop. AIS works great.

I am waiting for my cheap (18€) Orange Pi computer to arrive. Im planning to build AIS-receiver that will send AIS data over wlan to my other devises. It will use very little power.

neither rtl-sdr nor orange pi are very power efficient.


It would use less than half the power (watts) to run a raspberry pi with openplotter and moitessier hat.

the moitessier hat:

1) dual channel ais receiver
2) gps with glonass support
3) inertial sensors - can be used for autopilot just add a motor controller
4) barometric pressure

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by fgd3

I tried the dAISy and found I needed a dedicated VHF antenna for it. I mounted the antenna on a bulkhead below decks. AIS range is about 20 miles. I don't see the need to know about vessels farther away than that. Search eBay or Amazon for a cheap antenna, 4' whip, for around $20. I think you'll need an adapter to make the antenna fit the dAISy, if I remember right. By unplugging the dAISy you can use the antenna as an emergency spare for your VHF radio, but the below deck mounting I used will reduce range quite a bit.


Fabbian

If you want dirt cheap antennas.

I have been making omnidirectional VHF band antennas for years now out of scrap cable and alloy pipe. simple maths to do the length calculations. My masthead digital TV antenna is one of these and the biggest cost was the coax.

[Trackskinz]

I recently bought a bought that has an ICOM MXA-5000, which from what I can tell is an AIS receiver only. The has an old computer with MaxSea (trying to get it working on a toughpad) and I have Open CPN on another laptop. Can I transmit as well as receive with the ICOM?
If not, would one of these be sufficient? https://www.thegpsstore.com/Standard...bc8d2082b2eae5

I intend to go offshore (Bahamas and Caribbean) in the next 1-2 years.

This is all new to me...

[verkerkbr]

Here at home in my office an RaspberryPi 3b+ with Openplotter software.

Ais reception with an RTL-DSR dongle (around € 10,-) and an old VHF antenna.

Calibration for the RTL-DSR dongle is build in the OpenPlotter software.

Running for almost 1,5 years.

For the power consumption of the RTL-DSR dongle I use an aktiv (powered) usb hub.


Bram

[nohal]

Originally Posted by Trackskinz

I recently bought a bought that has an ICOM MXA-5000, which from what I can tell is an AIS receiver only. The has an old computer with MaxSea (trying to get it working on a toughpad) and I have Open CPN on another laptop. Can I transmit as well as receive with the ICOM?
If not, would one of these be sufficient? https://www.thegpsstore.com/Standard...bc8d2082b2eae5

I intend to go offshore (Bahamas and Caribbean) in the next 1-2 years.

This is all new to me...

ICOM MXA-5000 is only a receiver. And so is the ICOM GX2200 you mention.
You may try to go back to the beginning of this very thread for more information.

[Ocean Sky]

Originally Posted by GILow

Cheap is relative but in terms for bang-for-your-buck I am very happy with the Matsutec HP-33A Class B AIS transponder I bought recently.

It has NMEA input and output so it is flexible plus it’s a decent little GPS gadget as well.

Early days yet but I am growing to really like it.

Does this connect to your lap top/open CPN?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Ocean Sky

Does this connect to your lap top/open CPN?

Sorry, not sure about that. I have a computer-free boat.

But I’d bet it does. The NMEA side seems to work fine with my plotter so I assume it is standards compliant.