System possible configuration?

[Sir_Crabs_A_Lot]

Ok, got it. I have since found that the dAISy inventor posts under the name astuder and I've read a lot of his posts.

What follows is the setup I'm going to go with. First, the dAISy + antenna now, and next year the cheap VHF + antenna when the cabin on my boat is finished so I'll have somewhere to put it.

Thanks to all who responded!
Ryan

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by Sir_Crabs_A_Lot

Ok, got it. I have since found that the dAISy inventor posts under the name astuder and I've read a lot of his posts.

What follows is the setup I'm going to go with. First, the dAISy + antenna now, and next year the cheap VHF + antenna when the cabin on my boat is finished so I'll have somewhere to put it.

Thanks to all who responded!
Ryan

Personally, I think you are making a mistake.. You seem to have put the AIS as a higher priority than the VHF. There is no way an AIS device should be installed before a solid and reliable VHF radio. Seriously, that is a big mistake.. Buy a sold VHF radio and good cable with antenna. Then if you have money down the road, add the dAISy and another antenna.

Just my opinion.. but after 3 years of cruising, there is no way I would have AIS before a solid VHF radio (a handheld does not count).

[Sir_Crabs_A_Lot]

Originally Posted by travellerw

Now.. I will quickly talk to you about DSC.....The second type of DSC call is not for an emergency, but for general use. One radio calls another radio directly (the recieving radio rings like a telephone). You don't have to verbally hail on 16 (or any other hailing channel). Instead you just select the boat you want to talk with from a menu and ring them. None of the other boats in the area know you even called a boat. On some systems you can actually do this from the plotter screen using the AIS data (e.g. Click on the boat, select "CALL"). Unfortunately I don't think OpenCPN supports this functionality.

I believe you are right about OpenCPN not supporting that functionality. I cannot find anything in the manual about it.

But from the OpenCPN Manual: "OpenCPN does NOT show Ownship (i.e. AIVDO message) as an AIS target or in the target list. AIVDO is processed only in the main navigation thread. The only true way to monitor the output of a transponder, is with a separate AIS receiver."

I believe this means that the Other Ship would be able to "ring me", yes?

So that would be an arguement to do it with Option #4 above, I think.

[nohal]

Originally Posted by Sir_Crabs_A_Lot

I believe you are right about OpenCPN not supporting that functionality. I cannot find anything in the manual about it.

But from the OpenCPN Manual: "OpenCPN does NOT show Ownship (i.e. AIVDO message) as an AIS target or in the target list. AIVDO is processed only in the main navigation thread. The only true way to monitor the output of a transponder, is with a separate AIS receiver."

I believe this means that the Other Ship would be able to "ring me", yes?

What do you mean by "ringing"?

Keep on mind that AIS and DSC are two completely different technologies and have nothing to do with each other. The only things they have in common is use of the MMSI number and that both operate on VHF frequencies.

AIVDO contains information an AIS transponder (which you do not plan to have at all) sends on the NMEA 0183 bus with some of the information it also (usually) transmits over the radio. But it does not mean at all that it transmits anything. As it provides info in it's majority derived from what a GPS provides, OpenCPN handles it as such.
That your transponder produces an AIVDO NMEA message is not enough to assess your AIS transponder is working correctly - that is what the manual tells you.

[skipperearly]

As I understand Sir_craps_a_lot he means with "ringing" initiating a selective DSC call.
e.g. you click on a AIS target (either in the AIS target list or on the chart) and call this MMSI selectively through some menu option. - would ideally require also some basic text input option to create the sms style message. I dont know if there are NMEA sentences for such behavior.

I curretly have no AIS targets in view so cannot test, but I cannot recall that this function is available in Ocpn - others may know better.

[nohal]

Originally Posted by skipperearly

As I understand Sir_craps_a_lot he means with "ringing" initiating a selective DSC call.
e.g. you click on a AIS target (either in the AIS target list or on the chart) and call this MMSI selectively through some menu option. - would ideally require also some basic text input option to create the sms style message. I dont know if there are NMEA sentences for such behavior.

I curretly have no AIS targets in view so cannot test, but I cannot recall that this function is available in Ocpn - others may know better.

Such a function is not available in OpenCPN as there is no standard for such a function and where existent, it employs proprietary communication protocols between the MFD and radio.

I would understand the same as you if he talked about being able to "ring" someone else (that was on the table earlier), but now he talks about some situation where other would be able to "ring" him...

[Sir_Crabs_A_Lot]

Skipperearly, I think I have a good grasp of OpenCPN, but am still learning the in's and out's of AIS and DSC. I think I will pursue the design of my system locally in the Seattle area.

There is no need to insult me.

Sir_CRABS_A_Lot

[rgleason]

Do a search for SART or DSC in the manual. YourVHF if properly connected will send DSC distress calls to opencpn. These distress calls are similar but different than SART distress calls, but nevertheless handled by Opencpn.
Pavel will have more information.
I believe your dAISy will receive these distress calls so you don't need to connect your VHF for that purpose, to receive dsc distress calls and get them into opencpn.


Sorry about the comment.

[stevead]

“Such a function is not available in OpenCPN as there is no standard for such a function and where existent, it employs proprietary communication protocols between the MFD and radio.”

Not entirely true.

For NMEA 183 there is a standard sentence for initiating a DSC call, that I know is supported by Icom VHF radios. There is a feature request in flyspray specifically for this feature.

Similarly there is also a NMEA 2000 PGN for achieving the same.

[rgleason]

True Stevead, there are 3 feature requests in Tracker

DSC Allow different talker ids
DSC Support Position Request and Position Send
DSC Support Initiate Call

You can register in Tracker and vote for them.


Also see
SART in the Manual DSC has a similar distress that Opencpn recognizes


DSC Buddy and Distress

[Moo]

Originally Posted by stevead

“Such a function is not available in OpenCPN as there is no standard for such a function and where existent, it employs proprietary communication protocols between the MFD and radio.”

Not entirely true.

For NMEA 183 there is a standard sentence for initiating a DSC call, that I know is supported by Icom VHF radios. There is a feature request in flyspray specifically for this feature.

Similarly there is also a NMEA 2000 PGN for achieving the same.

True, sort of, and there has been quite a bit of discussion about it on other parts of cruisersforum. This chap has done a lot.

continuousWave: Whaler: Reference: Data Interface in Digital Selective Calling Class-D Radios

It certainly works from my Vesper AIS to my ICOM and from TimeZero with my Icom.