Adding AIS to Raymarine

[laika]

The most cost effective way of adding an AIS receiver would be to replace your VHF with one which includes an AIS receiver.

Not only is that cost effective and avoids hassle with splitters it also gives the nifty feature of making a disc call from the AIS target list which is *way* easier than trying to dial an mmsi you're reading off the mfd into your remote handset or getting crew to shout down the mmsi down to you while you punch it in at the chart table.

But no vhfs seem to incorporate transceivers which the OP might like. Are there VHFs which can pick up a list of MMSIs from an external AIS on NMEA2000? I thought I remembered seeing one a while back but a quick scan over the SH and ICOM product listings didn't show anything that could do that and I don't believe raymarine have an "initiate dsc call from mfd" feature

 

[pvb]

Are there VHFs which can pick up a list of MMSIs from an external AIS on NMEA2000? I thought I remembered seeing one a while back but a quick scan over the SH and ICOM product listings didn't show anything that could do that and I don't believe raymarine have an "initiate dsc call from mfd" feature

My Garmin MFD with Garmin VHF can initiate a DSC call to an AIS target.

 

[wawando]

All AIS receivers and transponders need a VHF antenna, or a splitter. Combined VHF/AIS units tend to only need a single antenna as the splitter is built in.

On a mobo i'd be inclined to fit a second antenna, rather than a splitter. I wouldn't worry about the antenna height, your VHF works just fine and so will the AIS.

If you do decide to go for a splitter, look at the em-trak sail pack, a B100 and a splitter at a really good price.

** No connection to em-trak, other than having fitted several of their AIS products.

Hi,
I went this route and connected everything including nmea2000 to the existing seatalk on a free connection.
The problem is that my c90w raymarine does not detect the ais, "no ais"... My boat appears on marinetraffic correctly and s100 splitter is working fine, all vhf is working at 100%
Can anyone help? Do i have to do any config on the b100 for it to connect to seatalk or for c90w to detect it?
Thx!

 

[DaveyG]

I've got a C95, tried to connect it to a digital yacht AIT1000, but the NMEA0183 port was already in use. So, I partexed it for an AIT2500 with DY and connected it to the NMEA2000 bus.
I split the VHF with a cheap ish splitter.
I had no issues with the ais having it's own GPS.
Works great, real easy to upgrade sw and configure. DY tech support are great

 

[laika]

Can anyone help? Do i have to do any config on the b100 for it to connect to seatalk or for c90w to detect it?

I have a C90W with AIS (raymarine) connected via seatalkng. I don't believe there's anything required for it to be detected. Can your plotter display any of the other data on your N2K bus? Do you have any other instruments on the bus which could be configured to display AIS data to check it's getting out on the bus? Or do you just have the AIS and C90W on the N2K bus (in which case everything including bus power, termination and physical connections could be the issue).

 

[wawando]

I have a C90W with AIS (raymarine) connected via seatalkng. I don't believe there's anything required for it to be detected. Can your plotter display any of the other data on your N2K bus? Do you have any other instruments on the bus which could be configured to display AIS data to check it's getting out on the bus? Or do you just have the AIS and C90W on the N2K bus (in which case everything including bus power, termination and physical connections could be the issue).

Hi,
I have a radar and a auto pilot both from raymarine and both appearing on the c90w.
Only the new emtrak b100 ais is not appearing...
I rebooted everything several times and nothing...
I have nothing on the bus to see ais info...
I just plugged the nmea2000 to seatalk cable to the bus in an empty slot, is that right?
Thx for the help!

 

[DaveyG]

Laika, I believe that for a dy AIT2500 you need to change the AIS input baud rate on the plotter from 4800 to 38400 baud which is the AIS baud rate. Could be similar on the b 100 ?

 

[Daverw]

Laika, I believe that for a dy AIT2500 you need to change the AIS input baud rate on the plotter from 4800 to 38400 baud which is the AIS baud rate. Could be similar on the b 100 ?

Shouldn’t have to change anything for nmea2k
stupid Question but does it have external power as the 2k bus may only be for data?

 

[PaulRainbow]

Hi,
I have a radar and a auto pilot both from raymarine and both appearing on the c90w.
Only the new emtrak b100 ais is not appearing...
I rebooted everything several times and nothing...
I have nothing on the bus to see ais info...
I just plugged the nmea2000 to seatalk cable to the bus in an empty slot, is that right?
Thx for the help!

The Em-trak B100 should work with a C90W just fine. There is nothing to be done with baud rates, those relate to NMEA0183.

Do you have the latest software on the C90W ?

Exactly how do you have it connected, what "bus" are you referring too ?

What does your N2K network consist of ?

You can connect the Em-trak to a laptop with the USB cable and run ProAIS to check everything is working correctly. But, if your boat is showing up on Marine Traffic, i doubt that there is anything wrong with the AIS.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Shouldn’t have to change anything for nmea2k
stupid Question but does it have external power as the 2k bus may only be for data?

It has to have external power.

 

[laika]

I have a radar and a auto pilot both from raymarine and both appearing on the c90w.
[…]
I just plugged the nmea2000 to seatalk cable to the bus in an empty slot, is that right?

Your radar will be connected via Ethernet rather than n2k which would prompt me to ask whether the autopilot is definitely connected via n2k and isn't an older model connected via seatalk 1. We're essentially trying to work out if the n2k bus is powered, terminated and working.

If this were a very basic setup with a 5-way seatalkng block and terminators at both ends, an evolution course computer, gyro compass and plotter would have taken the remaining 3 sockets so presumably your network is more complex?

 

[laika]

Do you have the latest software on the C90W ?

Good point. Mine is the latest (2.35). Seems n2k support for ais may have been added in 2.20

 

[PaulRainbow]

Your radar will be connected via Ethernet rather than n2k which would prompt me to ask whether the autopilot is definitely connected via n2k and isn't an older model connected via seatalk 1. We're essentially trying to work out if the n2k bus is powered, terminated and working.

If this were a very basic setup with a 5-way seatalkng block and terminators at both ends, an evolution course computer, gyro compass and plotter would have taken the remaining 3 sockets so presumably your network is more complex?

Given the age of the plotter, the AP could very well be Seatalk1.

Good point. Mine is the latest (2.35). Seems n2k support for ais may have been added in 2.20

The C90W had 0183 AIS out of the box when it was introduced, but for some odd reason no N2K support, hence the need to check the software version.

Given the age of the plotter, there is a good chance that the auto pilot is connected via 0183, although STNG is a possibility. I have to wonder if, as the radar is STHS and the AP could be ST1, has the OP simply connected the AIS straight to the STNG port of the plotter.

More info needed.

 

[wawando]

Thanks for yhe help! I am going to take pictures of everything and post right away.

 

[wawando]

Solved!
Sorry for being so dumb...
Apparently there is something (in the seatalk?) That only works with the engines on... Autopilot for example. Althought ais is on, radar, sounder, plotter where all working.
Found it because i was colllecting all device info and had to turn on the auto pilot... Et voila!
Question: is it supposed to be like that? Why cant the ais be used on plotter when anchored?... Does the autopilot have to be on or is there another component that is also powered only when the engines are working? The boat is a jeanneau Leader 10.
Thank you and again sorry (newbie situation...)
Happy christmas to all!

 

[Daverw]

You need to be a little clearer about what you actually did to turn on the auto pilot, was it a power switch. It may be that you’ve connected the AIS power supply to the same one

 

[wawando]

Just for the record, here is all info in one collage (to don't bother you guys with more pictures).
From top left to bottom right:
c90w back (connected via seatlak)
Autopilot (also connected via seatlak and with terminator)
Seatalk bus (with terminator)
emtrak software with all checks in green
The desired image with ais ok
c90w software version information

 

[wawando]

You need to be a little clearer about what you actually did to turn on the auto pilot, was it a power switch. It may be that you’ve connected the AIS power supply to the same one

Here is goes:
I connected the ais b100 and the splitter s100 power supplies to the instrumentation switch power.
So ais gets turned on just like the plotter, radar, sounder, vhf radio when i turn on the instrumentation switch power.
What happens is that the autopilot, although it has a switch of it's own, it only turns on when the starboard engine is turned on... when i turn the engine key to off, it powers off the autopilot and the ais disappears from the plotter, although the ais is still on...
What i would like is the ais to show even when the engine is off. My question is: it does not applear because the seatalk network needs autopilot on or there is another component of the seatalk network (maybe a switch) that has to be on? What makes me wonder is why does the radar and sounder appear on the c90w even with engine and auto-pilot off.
btw: i understand that the auto pilot can only be turned on when engines are on because it works with the powersteering so i cannot change that...
Thank you!

 

[pvb]

Solved!
Sorry for being so dumb...
Apparently there is something (in the seatalk?) That only works with the engines on... Autopilot for example. Althought ais is on, radar, sounder, plotter where all working.
Found it because i was colllecting all device info and had to turn on the auto pilot... Et voila!
Question: is it supposed to be like that? Why cant the ais be used on plotter when anchored?... Does the autopilot have to be on or is there another component that is also powered only when the engines are working? The boat is a jeanneau Leader 10.
Thank you and again sorry (newbie situation...)
Happy christmas to all!

Your easiest solution would be to ask a marine electrician to sort it out for you. It shouldn't take long.

 

[wawando]

Your easiest solution would be to ask a marine electrician to sort it out for you. It shouldn't take long.

I know but that is not fun