What’s Going on with this AIS Target?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

Only downside is that the CPA alarm doesn’t work. Not a problem for us because we have a separate receiver on which it does work, but if yours is the same and it’s the only AIS you have it could be a major disappointment. I’d read some reviews before I bought it which said similar things. Fingers crossed yours works OK.

OK, I've googled all I can for the problem, no luck so far. Do you remember where you saw those reviews?

[sy_gilana]

My CPA alarm on my Matsutec is working.
That info is generated on the target vessel, the error is on their side. Your system is only reporting the data received.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

My CPA alarm on my Matsutec is working.
That info is generated on the target vessel, the error is on their side. Your system is only reporting the data received.

Umm.... no... not sure that's the logic.

CPA is a calculation that your own device makes based on the signals it is receiving. Sure, it uses info broadcast from other boats, but ultimately it has to combine that information with

a) your own position and speed
then
b) compare this with the CPA alarm threshold you have set.

So if your own device is able to see and plot other boats ok, then a failure of the CPA alarm is a problem with the device.

Still, it is good to hear your CPA alarm works. Mine appears to, but I would like to know more about who had problems and in what circumstances.

It MAY be an early software release problem (like the problem with the early release software forgetting the MMSI) or it may be traffic congestion problem (I have read some reports of AIS receivers failing to process all of the local vessels when there is too much traffic, including some problems with fishermen using unconfigured AIS transmitters to track their nets.)

I certainly did not run into this issue in any of the reading I did before I bought the Matsutec, so I am kinda surprised. But if I can find out more from DefinatelyMe I may be able to figure out what, if anything, needs to be done to mitigate the issue.

Matt

[sy_gilana]

Two separate issues.
1 400 degree reported course.
2 CPA Alarm.


item 1 is not an issue on receiver.
item 2 is.

[Emmalina]

I put an external buzzed on mine during install and it has worked fine. Lots of silly AIS messages from fishing net markers though ! Started seeing them in the Indian ocean now they seem to be all over !

[Paul L]

I asked earlier if the lat/long was correct. It is in the S Atlantic.
The MMSI listed does not look valid. An MMSI starting with 1 should be a SAR aircraft, but it should be 111xxxxxx, not 118xxxxxx

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Emmalina

I put an external buzzed on mine during install and it has worked fine. Lots of silly AIS messages from fishing net markers though ! Started seeing them in the Indian ocean now they seem to be all over !

If I remember correctly, yours was the HP528A or something similar? Not the HP33A?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

Two separate issues.
1 400 degree reported course.
2 CPA Alarm.


item 1 is not an issue on receiver.
item 2 is.

Sorry, I think we were talking at cross purposes.

All good, but would still love to know more about the CPA alarm problem listed by DefinatelyMe. Cannot find a mention of it anywhere.

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I asked earlier if the lat/long was correct. It is in the S Atlantic.

The MMSI listed does not look valid. An MMSI starting with 1 should be a SAR aircraft, but it should be 111xxxxxx, not 118xxxxxx

Yes, position is correct. If I remember correctly there was more than one target and I think it was something to do with fishing boats. Reported range was less than 1 mile for one of them and I still couldn’t see anything even with a close search with binoculars, so probably a small fishing buoy reporting bad info.

As for the MMSI no. I’m betting the fishermen just made up whatever number they wanted to put into their transponder.

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by GILow

Sorry, I think we were talking at cross purposes.



All good, but would still love to know more about the CPA alarm problem listed by DefinatelyMe. Cannot find a mention of it anywhere.

I think it was two references that I read which both mentioned a non-functioning alarm. I think they were on the Ali Express website and I vaguely remember that the reviews were both from people in Russia.

Edit: I just went to the AliExpress website to try to find the reviews for you but it seems they no longer have the Matsutec HP-33(A?) listed there at all.

It could just be user error, potentially on all counts (I’m setting a value in the ‘CPA’ field of the ‘menu > AIS’ screen). Is that correct? Very glad to hear yours are all working. I still can’t get mine to work but for my part I don’t mind so much. Our radio also has an AIS receiver so we just set the alarm on that.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

I think it was two references that I read which both mentioned a non-functioning alarm. I think they were on the Ali Express website and I vaguely remember that the reviews were both from people in Russia.

Edit: I just went to the AliExpress website to try to find the reviews for you but it seems they no longer have the Matsutec HP-33(A?) listed there at all.

It could just be user error, potentially on all counts (I’m setting a value in the ‘CPA’ field of the ‘menu > AIS’ screen). Is that correct? Very glad to hear yours are all working. I still can’t get mine to work but for my part I don’t mind so much. Our radio also has an AIS receiver so we just set the alarm on that.

It does look like the 33A has been superceded now by the 528A.

I will double check my menu settings next time I am on the boat but just a quick sanity check...

A) do any of your audible alarms work and do any of the the visual alarms work?


B) if so, does the TCPA alarm work?

C) not that it should matter, but do you have the external buzzer turned on or off? (I can imagine a programming logic that silences the inbuilt audio alarm when the external buzzer is on. )

Finally, do you know which version of the firmware you are running? (I don’t actually remember my version but I did manage to find a reference somewhere and mine was up to date. There are some older versions with various bugs.)

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by GILow

It does look like the 33A has been superceded now by the 528A.

I will double check my menu settings next time I am on the boat but just a quick sanity check...

A) do any of your audible alarms work and do any of the the visual alarms work?


B) if so, does the TCPA alarm work?

C) not that it should matter, but do you have the external buzzer turned on or off? (I can imagine a programming logic that silences the inbuilt audio alarm when the external buzzer is on. )

Finally, do you know which version of the firmware you are running? (I don’t actually remember my version but I did manage to find a reference somewhere and mine was up to date. There are some older versions with various bugs.)

Hmmm. Well, yes, I have heard the alarm for ‘no gps fix’. Tomorrow I’ll have a play around with the tcpa alarm and see if I can get that to sound.

As for the external buzzer........ I wasn’t aware that there was one! So, yes it’s a possibility. Another thing to research. Thanks very much for the suggestions. You certainly seem to know what you’re talking about.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

Hmmm. Well, yes, I have heard the alarm for ‘no gps fix’. Tomorrow I’ll have a play around with the tcpa alarm and see if I can get that to sound.

Certainly worth having

As for the external buzzer........ I wasn’t aware that there was one!

It's a circuit for an external alarm. I have not tested it yet, but I want to, because my AIS is in the deck house and if I am down below I may miss the built in alarm, which isn't exactly loud, at least to my old ears.

So, yes it’s a possibility. Another thing to research. Thanks very much for the suggestions. You certainly seem to know what you’re talking about.

I can fool some of the people some of the time...

_____

[Freedom45]

I saw the same thing yesterday, a fleet of Chinese fishing boats leaving the lagoon, all of the icons were pointing the opposite way they were heading and info showed 480 degree heading. The course predictor was correct.
This was on opencpn, the icons were correct on chart plotter ......