AIS Application for ipad?

[SailPenelope]

I don't know if the ipad app would be the same as iphone but I use ShipFinder Free. No cost. It's always worked well for me, but then I've had internet (I guess) when I needed it......shipping lanes near Los Angeles. I could identify the ships before I could see their hailing port and I was able to call them on the radio (was escorting a swimmer at the time......highly un-maneuverable). It worked. Price is right! Give it a try.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by capttman

I use ship finder works real time not dependent on cell towers. Works off the GPS in I phone or I pad.
Just wish there were an app to transmit my location

AIS information is transmitted over VHF. Unless your Ipad has inbuilt, or is connected to a VHF AIS receiver, it MUST be getting the AIS info through a cell tower.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

AIS information is transmitted over VHF. Unless your Ipad has inbuilt, or is connected to a VHF AIS receiver, it MUST be getting the AIS info through a cell tower.

Yes - and from a website staffed by volunteers, There could be a time delay.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

If there was a cheap useful way of getting the AIS onto the iPad then its fine, but none of the AIS units have Bluetooth or WIFI bits in them.
It's got to happen soon. Someone has to bring it out... It should be cheap.

Mark

Vesper Marine and Digital Yacht both have multiplexors that transmit wireless and have built in AIS receive (Digi Yacht) or send/receive(Vesper).

Not cheap but not that expensive either.

If there is a next boat it will almost certainly have one of the vesper boxes

Vesper Marine thingy

Digital Yacht thingy

[Zeb]

XB-8000 - AIS Transponder with WiFi

Not affiliated merely find it interesting and thought it might be applicable.

[Tomm0]

Now I have a class b transponder, so don't get me wrong, but what's with all the dissing of online AIS apps?

I used to use marine traffic, which I find is NOT delayed (maybe it depends where you live). I use it because it is in my pocket, one my wife's iPad, or wherever else I want it. When I'm trying to time a crossing of the shipping channel here in our bay, I can select a clear passage using marine traffic, roughly.

Better still, there was another app which calculated CPA, would give you configurable CPA alarms, and had other tricks: Boat Beacon. It also transmits your position (no, not to the ships... But to other online users). This was a much more functional app, and if you're not going to get a real one, this is the app I would recommend.

I used to leave the app running so people could see where I was using marine traffic online (makes the wife feel better to know where I am) and it was nice to look up the boat location when I'd left it at anchor somewhere too... Right where I left it.

Oh, and for the dinosaurs who still complain about electronic charts being worse than paper, wake up and smell the GPS signal. As someone who charted courses for submarines using paper charts, I can chart ... But I'd rather not, and I sure cant do it as fast and accurately as my plotter or my phone can.

[44'cruisingcat]

It's not "dissing" of these apps. It simply the facts:

They will only work where you have mobile internet access.

They work via the internet, so there may or may not be delays. You won't know.

You are accessing AIS data via a receiver who's location you probably don't know, and which might not be appropriate for where you are. ie. a ship might be out of range of that reciever, but close to you.

Yes they will work in some places. They won't work everywhere.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Factor

Vesper Marine and Digital Yacht both have multiplexors that transmit wireless and have built in AIS receive (Digi Yacht) or send/receive(Vesper).

Not cheap but not that expensive either.

If there is a next boat it will almost certainly have one of the vesper boxes

Vesper Marine thingy

Digital Yacht thingy

+1 Great bit of kit.

Vesper uses wi Fi for the pad and the alogrithims sort out the CPA of interest.

[reefermadness]

[QUOTE=Kenomac;1189994]Before I purchase an ipad AIS application at random, I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience with any of the aps available? Please, before I buy, let's hear the good, the bad, and the ugly on this. Our ipad 1 has a gps receiver built in and we've been using INavx very successfully.


I hope you're still,on the fence. AIS is important equipment. I use the iPad with WatchMate. Check a recent article at the oceantrader. co website. They had good information on using the iPad for this purpose. The URL iswww.oceantrader.co Good luck.

[Kenomac]

I ended up purchasing an AIS system from Garmin and integrating it into our vessel electronics. All of the Ipad aps require a constant internet signal which we don't have on board. AIS is transmitted via VHF radio, so basically.... it can't possibly work on an Ipad.

[GPSNavX]

AIS is transmitted via VHF radio, so basically.... it can't possibly work on an Ipad.

Actually AIS does work on iPad and iPhone. DigitalYacht makes an AIS receiver that receives the VHF signals and sends the AIS NMEA data wirelessly to the iPad or iPhone. Both Brookhouse and Shipmodul make NMEA multiplexers that will send NMEA data including that of AIS receivers and transponders wirelessly to iPad or iPhone.

[rw58ph]

You can view the AIS world wide it Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions if there is a pick up transfer station in the area. There are many areas there is not AIS transmission, especially in desolate areas and up/down the coast. True AIS is boat/ship to boat/ship.

[Vlad70]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I ended up purchasing an AIS system from Garmin and integrating it into our vessel electronics. All of the Ipad aps require a constant internet signal which we don't have on board. AIS is transmitted via VHF radio, so basically.... it can't possibly work on an Ipad.

You can, and You have many choice

Garmin AIS has NMEA 183 out, just look in internet for NMEA to WiFi router
You can find good equipment from DigiTalYacht, or ShipModule, or cheap from vYacht Yacht automation. Last - cheap, but done by individual enthusiast personally on request, You can't find it in online shops.

correct connect and You can use many software on iPad/iPhone

Remarks - many of this device build it's own WiFi network on board, but if You request instruction from manufacturer - You can connect it to Your present onboard network - for example if You share 3G or WiFi extender internet onboard. In this case Your device - and work in internet and receive all NMEA information

manufacturer do this for easy installation process and to avoid user errors, but if You experience with networks, they send instruction, I have it for some of equipment, but not for all. Ask manufacturer before purchase.


About software:
1) MarineTrafic, mAIS and etc - exactly not online product, some time up to 2-3 hours delay. And - not work offshore
2) program like AIS radar - just for test Your equipment work correctly
3) best choice - iNavx or iSailor or some other chart software, when use it You can see real situation relation with chart

Personal opinion - don't buy Garmin WiFi :-)

[zboss]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned using old B&N/Amazon ereaders for stuff like this. I must be able to install "boat beacon" on it.

The digital ink screens use far less power than an ipad, are completely readable in direct sunlight, have touchscreens, they are dirt cheap used, battery lasts forever (new one has an 8 week battery life!), and you can put android on them.

The newer ones are backlit so you can read them at night.

http://hackaday.com/2012/09/17/turni...ather-display/

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Vlad70

You can, and You have many choice

Garmin AIS has NMEA 183 out, just look in internet for NMEA to WiFi router
You can find good equipment from DigiTalYacht, or ShipModule, or cheap from vYacht Yacht automation. Last - cheap, but done by individual enthusiast personally on request, You can't find it in online shops.

correct connect and You can use many software on iPad/iPhone

Remarks - many of this device build it's own WiFi network on board, but if You request instruction from manufacturer - You can connect it to Your present onboard network - for example if You share 3G or WiFi extender internet onboard. In this case Your device - and work in internet and receive all NMEA information

manufacturer do this for easy installation process and to avoid user errors, but if You experience with networks, they send instruction, I have it for some of equipment, but not for all. Ask manufacturer before purchase.


About software:
1) MarineTrafic, mAIS and etc - exactly not online product, some time up to 2-3 hours delay. And - not work offshore
2) program like AIS radar - just for test Your equipment work correctly
3) best choice - iNavx or iSailor or some other chart software, when use it You can see real situation relation with chart

Personal opinion - don't buy Garmin WiFi :-)

Kinda sorta...

There's real VHF AIS... and then there's the possibility of viewing AIS transmitter locations on a cellular or Wi-Fi device... and those are sorta two diferrent things.

AIS signals transmitted or received with an AIS VHF transceiver can be repeated onto any number of devices via NMEA 200 (or 0183), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. and it can also be transmitted to an Internet "site" and then further relayed from there.

That's not really the same as an "app" on a cellular or Wi-Fi device... which essentially becomes a display device for viewing the original (real) AIS signal's location. The device can receive via Bluetooth, onboard or distant (within reason) Wi-Fi, Internet, etc.

Marinetraffic.com is just such an Internet repeater. My AIS transmits, a volunteer receiver up or down the Bay receives and repeats to Marinetraffic.com. I can use an onboard laptop or device to access Marinetraffic.com, and view my signal's location. (And of course other AIS receivers can view my location on their marine nav devices.)

But the Internet thing doesn't always work, certainly not enough for me to rely on. I'm transmitting right now, and as usual Marinetraffic.com has no clue about that (I just checked). My signal is slightly hidden from the two nearest volunteer receivers, because of my current location, so they can't repeat it to the website.

And if we had to depend on a Wi-Fi access point (i.e., not cellular), we wouldn't usually be able to view Internet stuff while underway, even with our onboard Wi-Fi range extender.

FWIW, we've compared Marinetraffic.com displays received via cellular devices to our own AIS data on the plotter display... and it's not too bad... sometimes. More often, the local receiver/repeaters apparently can't see all the nearby signals I can see on our plotter. (Six boats near us are transmitting right now, none visible on the website.) And it's worse when one of the nearby receiver/repeater stations is down (which seems to be common around here) -- in that situation, Marinetraffic.com becomes (at least temporarily) useless.

An onboard AIS transceiver solves all that for us. We've chosen to display the signal locations on the existing chartplotter. Given that we have an onboard chartplotter, we haven't found it necessary to leap through any hoops to also display AIS transmitter locations on tablets and smartphones.

Observations only.

-Chris