Question: What is this AIS target??

[Corsair63]

Never seen something similar in an AIS target, could be a meteorological research ballon either a meteorological buoy??
attached screenshot.

[nohal]

Target broadcasting Type 8 binary messages with meteo information. Decoding of these has recently been added to the current codebase, that's why you haven't seen them before.

[bdbcat]

For which feature you may thank our contributing team member Hakan


Dave

[HeywoodJ]

Adding to nohal, in AIS-speak it is an "Application Specific Message (ASM)". ASMs can be created by any "competent authority". The Saint Lawrence Seaway and Panama Canal use ASMs to transmit local conditions. The weather message initially used at SLS seems to be (may officially have become?) a standard.

[Wolfe10]

Yup, AIS can get quite entertaining.


110 miles of the coast of West FL, an RV showed up. Change of watch, I told my wife to keep an eye on the RV. WHAT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


OK, it was a "Research Vessel", not an RV. But we stayed with him across the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay.


At midnight to 3AM shift it is little harder to explain.

[Corsair63]

Nice to see these improvements, and Hakan, Thanks a lot.

this target/message has been deployed just today in my hometown.

[bcn]

We receive one here since some time, however data are not getting updated. Most probably some test emission.
We launched an inquiery to the Spanish authorities but without response up to now.
Observe an issue with that type of messages: they appear quite often linked to some buoy and if this is an AtoN, the two objects overlap. Should be addressed by the creator of the message.

[Hakan]

Some more short Meteo info.
A mouse rollover show most data. A target query gives all data issued for the actual station as well as issued time. (If no data update for 18 minutes the station is deleted.)

The Meteo standard contains no trivial name for the station. The "shipname Meteo 123" in OCPN presentation is a construction based on each station's position. Every station will though get a repeatable name every time.

The original MMSI for a Meteo station is very often the same for all stations issued by one nation. Others use a AtoN alike MMSI but often the same as for a nearby AtoN.
So -- to fit in OCPN AIS target data base every Meteo station has got unique ID like 1994xxxxx. The origin MMSI is though visible in the Target query.

[CaptTom]

Can't wait to see if the weather monitoring buoys in our area show up in OpenCPN, thanks!

Which bring me to another thought: Since Garmin stops developing firmware updates for their hardware shortly after the device leaves the assembly line, this is another very good reason to use something like OpenCPN at the helm.

[Hakan]

For those not having a AIS connection and want to try and possible comment:
Here's a link to a VDR file presenting Meteo targets around the world. There are two types of messages. The most common IMO standard for Ais8_Dac001_Fi31 and the US standard for Ais8_Dac367_Fi33.
Thanks to @rasbats for the VDR file and not less for inspiration and support to the Meteo implementation.

Håkan

[rgleason]

Hakan, thanks for the file for testing. Is there any difference between the weather bouy data shown in Squiddio when that data is turned on?

[Hakan]

Rick..
I've not used Squiddio for that purpose but the sources seems very different. The Meteo stations are received via VHF as AIS targets.

[rgleason]

Yes, Hakan, I think they are the same source (Noaa Bouy Data for example) but for Squiddio it is via the internet and for OpenCPN it is via VHF?


Do you agree?

[Hakan]

I've no idea how the NOAA buoys data are used. If they also transfer it via VHF-AIS using e.g. standard IMO SN.1/Circ.289 (AIS Binary message 8 DAC 001 FI31) or US Environmental Message Version: 3 (AIS Binary message 8 DAC 367 FI33).
Either ask NOAA or if you've a AIS receiver near a base station and compare the Squiddio data with AIS.
In Sweden the Ais8Dac001Fi31 is used by the meteorologic institute and SE-HO to transfer meteo data also available on Internet by a service called "Viva".

[Nicholson58]

We find these and other stuff scattered throughout the Caribbean. Getting close, there is often nothing there.