VHF AIS Plotter Autopilot Combo?

[William Longyard]

Newbie to electronic navigation. I'd like to install a smallish VHF-AIS, chart plotter, and autopilot system, preferably from one manufacturer so that the hook ups are simple, and they all talk to each other. Any recommendations? Thank-you for any help.

[continuouswave]

Originally Posted by William Longyard

I'd like to install a smallish VHF-AIS, chart plotter, and autopilot system, preferably from one manufacturer so that the hook ups are simple, and they all talk to each other.

Generally a VHF Marine Band radio and a ship's autopilot do not communicate with each other.

Autopilot operation generally needs a HEADING SENSOR for best performance. Also the heading sensor data intended for use with an autopilot is often processed by a specific dampening function to better control the autopilot helm corrections.

A GNSS receiver usually does not provide any heading data. It just provides COURSE OVER GROUND.

You should mention the size of the boat and the method of steering control in use.

Also, you should make clear if you plan to just have an AIS receiver integrated with the VHF Marine Band radio, or if you want a full AIS transceiver.

[Cat36Mahalo]

Most VHF/AIS combo radios still have NMEA 0183 so brand isn’t super important (yes more radios are coming with N2K but at a hefty premium). Autopilot and CP are best from same brand. I like RAymarine, but choose one after playing with one for a bit. Much depends on sailing style. If your over 34’ below deck is preferred to wheel autopilots.

Also get a VHF with a remote mic

[thomm225]

Not sure if you'd want to try this, but it appears there's a plugin for this in OpenCPN or Openplotter free software.

Some of us have Raspberry Pi Computers with OpenCPN/Openplotter installed on them then we have the GPS/AIS data coming in from our SH GX2200 VHF, AIS, GPS Radios thru a 485/422 NMEA 0183 to USB adapter which together create a chart plotter display on the monitor the Raspberry Pi feeds. I also have backup GPS coming in from a GPS Hockey puck to the chart plotter.

You can build one of these for around $75.00 or less if you already have a monitor and VHF with AIS/GPS.

I haven't hooked my autopilot up to this system yet but am planning to.

It appears this guy has hooked the autopilot up to his Raspberry Pi chart plotter using the pypilot software he wrote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQuBwLSMSxI

[Time2Go]

If you have a smaller boat
Standard Horizon 2400 VHF/AIS
Navlink2 NMEA to Wifi
IPad
CPT AP
Connect radio to Navlink
Run INAVX on the Ipad (AIS via WiFi)
CPT for AP
If you want an AIS transceiver
then go with Vesper and lose the
Navlink and add any VHF of your choice
Cheers
Neil

[fogmachine]

I know it sounds simple, but answers can be really complex and pricing can vary wildly. Some questions to frame a discussion:

How big is the boat?
Going offshore for a long time?
Tiller or wheel?
Do you have any existing instruments or sensors (wind/boatspeed/GPS) that you want to keep?
All commercial, or do you want some DIY computing?
Do you want to monitor the boat while ashore?
Any idea of budget?

[skipmac]

Almost all new marine electronics have an NMEA2000 connection. NMEA2000 is a marine network standard that I have found to be truly plug and play between different brands.

The only problem I found in my setup is that the Raymarine gear uses a different plug but with their adapter they are still software compatible. I have heard a rumor that Rarmarine was considering a switch to the industry standard plugs but not sure it happened.

[NevilleCat]

Do you really need the Chart Plotter to talk to your Autopilot though?
As far as I can see connectivity here is overrated.
If you are a sailing vessel you are not going to want to be down below sleeping or doing anything else and have the thing automatically make a turn when it reaches waypoint "b" anyhow...you need to be on deck adjusting sheets etc.
I agree about AIS but you will want it to be a Transceiver; most budget VHF radios that include AIS only receive it.

[mvweebles]

Hi William. Welcome aboard.

In my opinion, there are two schools of thought. Assemble some sort of DIY-build system such as the OpenCPN plus PI system mentioned here, or a dedicated purpose built integrated system. I am familiar with both, and I use both. I find the dedicated MFD based system more intuitive, especially for crew, though it is considerably more expensive.

You asked about a dedicated MFD system. I have a trawler with hydraulic steering and went with Simrad (Simrad is a brand under Navico, as are B&G - sail emphasis - and Lowrance - fishing emphasis). You will probably need to start your decision tree with the A/P. If you have a sailboat, most have quadrant steering and you'll need to figure out the best steering pilot - hydraulic ram, etc. It will probably be your most expensive component of the system.

Most manufacturers have a starter system that's relatively affordable. Some are not expandable so make sure of you intend to add displays in the future, you can do so.

The best forum I've found is TheHullTruth. They are primarily smaller boat fishing fanatics, a crowd that uses electronics heavily and are willing to spend money on them.

If I can suggest, there are really few differences between the major brands. People have preferences but in reality, there are good systems from all the manufacturers. If I were to start from scratch, I'd find a good installer or, for me since I'm a DIY guy, a small dealer with a strong reputation for follow up tech support. An hour or two of reading through TheHullTruth and maybe posting a 411 query will find one pretty quickly. I'd then work with that person to recommend the right system based on my boat and how I plan to use the boat combined with my budget. There are sometimes optional components such as heading sensors that are needed, especially if you plan to overlay chart plotter in radar

The hard part of a system is often configuring it and troubleshooting. Updating firmware can sometimes be tricky. Having a responsive tech support person is invaluable. The smaller guys seem more responsive than the factory OEMs

Best success. Sorry I didn't give a specific answer but hope this helps

Peter

[Pegu Club]

We have a 7 “ B&G Zeus II that we coupled with a Vesper AIS, all NMEA 2000, easy plug and play, works great beats the heck out of the AIS receive only on our VHF, which has a tiny view screen. The overlay on the Zeus II 7 inch is light years easier to use. Our autopilots are a monitor steering vane, and when needed a pelagic tiller pilot that is attached to the monitor.

Fair winds,

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Pegu Club

We have a 7 “ B&G Zeus II that we coupled with a Vesper AIS, all NMEA 2000, easy plug and play, works great beats the heck out of the AIS receive only on our VHF, which has a tiny view screen. The overlay on the Zeus II 7 inch is light years easier to use.

Fair winds,

Those VHF small screens are almost worthless if you are over a certain age or the sun hits them which is why the Raspberry Pi project is a simple solution.

You can get a Raspberry Pi 3B for like $50. Then a $5.00 RS422 / RS485 USB adapter.

Run the NMEA wires from the VHF/GPS/AIS Radio to the adapter then plug in to one of the Raspberry Pi USB ports.

Load up OpenCPN on the Raspberry Pi and download the charts and do the connections and you can have as large of a display as you want for a chart plotter with the received AIS.

Right now I have mine connected to a 19" display and it's nice to see the ships that are coming and going at the entrance of the bay and north about 30 miles before I even leave the dock and afterward.

The chart plotter is also nice when selecting an anchorage and moving through low water to just the right spot while watching your boat and the depth on the chart at the same time..

https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pi-.../dp/B01LPLPBS8