Raymarine MFD and Raymarine AIS targets missing

[sf-robert]

I find the AIS a great safety tool, and it makes sailing on a busy body of water (SF Bay) more enjoyable. If it works as it should.

I had problems with my older Raymarine AIS and the eS98 and decided sailing is better than trouble shooting so I invested in a new AIS650. To integrate it with my backup navigation system (OpenCPN) I purchased an Actisense Nema 2000 (with Raymarine STng adapter) to USB. Thought all was working fine.

Today I heard Vessel Traffic Service (I typically listen to VHF 14 VTS on the central bay) describe a vessel that I wanted to "vector". I couldn't find it at all, and in fact found NO vessels in the Anchorage 9 area of the Bay. This didn't make sense to me. I checked my OpenCPN, and there were a number of vessels in Anchorage 9. OpenCPN showed them, Raymarine did NOT.

I also heard of traffic coming into the Bay from the ocean, so checked that out on the Raymarine MFD and NO traffic in the entrance to the Bay found! OpenCPN, using the exact same data input DID find traffic. I also checked Marine Traffic, an internet tool, for the inbound traffic. I never use this for navigation, but sure enough it showed traffic coming into SF Bay in the shipping channel.

I want to resolve this asap. I posted the above on the Raymarine forum, but that could take days for my post to be "approved" and a reply received. Thought to try here.

Thanks all

[smac999]

If no ais targets are in the ray screen. You may have layers off. Are you only missing some targets. Or all?

Around here we always have 150+ targets on screen so easy to tell if on or not.

[sf-robert]

Well, I found the "problem", because it isn't a problem but an eS98 limitation. The MFD will display a MAXIMUM of 100 targets. I assume this is the closest 100 targets. My OpenCPN software does NOT have this limitation.

Was told it was unlikely this will change.

[sf-robert]

Originally Posted by smac999

If no ais targets are in the ray screen. You may have layers off. Are you only missing some targets. Or all?

Around here we always have 150+ targets on screen so easy to tell if on or not.

The AIS was working and we saw plenty of targets on both the PC and Raymarine, just not some about 9 miles away that I knew from VTS were there (and heading my way). The AIS provides data to the PC running OpenCPN and to the Raymarine eS98. The Raymarine display didn't show the targets I knew were there in the distance, but OpenCPN did. This is a limit of the Lighthouse software used on the Raymarine display.

SF Bay has more and more targets showing. OpenCPN will show them all, but the Raymarine eS98 has a limit of 100.

[skiggy]

Hi, I have to butt in at this point. Nobody should let an AIS reciever be their 'eyes', firstly though many small boats have an AIS reciever, very few have an AIS transponder so cannot be seen by an AIS reciever, secondly though 'big boats' have to have an AIS transponder fitted, the fickleness of the law says they are not compelled to be switched on though why they would not want it switched on boggles the mind. My point is do not rely on anything but your own eyes & ears, (EXCEPTIONS:depth guages and Radar when needed (fog) no choice).

[sf-robert]

Originally Posted by skiggy

Hi, I have to butt in at this point. Nobody should let an AIS reciever be their 'eyes', firstly though many small boats have an AIS reciever, very few have an AIS transponder so cannot be seen by an AIS reciever, secondly though 'big boats' have to have an AIS transponder fitted, the fickleness of the law says they are not compelled to be switched on though why they would not want it switched on boggles the mind. My point is do not rely on anything but your own eyes & ears, (EXCEPTIONS:depth guages and Radar when needed (fog) no choice).

I agree that eyes and ears are the most important tool in safe navigation, but I'll use any tool that can further assist me. AIS is only one of the tools I use for safe navigation on SF Bay (my usual cruising area). I also monitor our Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) on channel 14 when near shipping channels. VTS has tons of tools for monitoring traffic on the Bay, and I've even heard them request a ship to reboot their AIS due to problems receiving the signal -- AIS can misbehave. AIS allows me to "see" vessels around the "corner" and not yet visible to my line of sight. I like that.

There are a growing number of class B transceivers now being used on SF Bay. I see icons of sailboats all over my display. The screen is downright crowded with these. Apparently there were over 100 targets near to our boat when I heard on VTS of large vessels heading in my general direction . . . both about nine miles away. I have seen boats nine miles away many times, but not last weekend. My plan was to start a vector on them so that it would be functioning when they became visible to my eyes. But they were "missing" due to the programming of the Raymarine eS98 that limits seeing more than 100 targets.

[skiggy]

Ah well there you go then, your reciever cannot cope with all the AIS transponders now, what's it going to be like if everybody gets an AIS transponder as surely they will as they get cheaper. It will be a nightmare. I am not knocking you for having an AIS reciever, I have one myself, it came with the boat. I have to admit I use it out of curiosity more than as a tool because I sail on the Humber, said to be the most dangerous estuary in the World though I have my reservations about that, but with tides rips everywhere of 5 to 7 knots depending on neaps or springs it can get hairy especialy if an opposing wind is against the tide and the shoals shift everyday so you need to keep your wits about you and a good depth sounder, to me the most important of instruments, when I got caught out in a sudden fog I also found the radar brilliant, those two and my eyes and ears got me home safe and sound.