AIS and RL80CRC - Daft question

Whitelighter

Whitelighter

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I am 99% certain I know the answer but Ill ask it anyway...

Is there anyway of adding AIS to an RL80 based nav system? I can add a transmitter but since the RL80 pre-dates AIS I am assuming there is no way of adding a receiver? Or at least one that will plot something on the screen?

I
 
Whitelighter said:
I am 99% certain I know the answer but Ill ask it anyway...

Is there anyway of adding AIS to an RL80 based nav system? I can add a transmitter but since the RL80 pre-dates AIS I am assuming there is no way of adding a receiver? Or at least one that will plot something on the screen?

I
Click to expand...

Won't work.
 
aquapower said:
Won't work.
Click to expand...

Yup. A freestanding ais receiver black box can talk to a plotter over nmea 0183 (via multiplexer because of ais high baud rate) but the receiving plotter's firmware must be able to interpret the incoming data and plot on screen, which I doubt rl80crc does. E120 is likely the earliest raym plotter that can interpret incoming ais data
 
jfm said:
Yup. A freestanding ais receiver black box can talk to a plotter over nmea 0183 (via multiplexer because of ais high baud rate) but the receiving plotter's firmware must be able to interpret the incoming data and plot on screen, which I doubt rl80crc does. E120 is likely the earliest raym plotter that can interpret incoming ais data
Click to expand...

sorry jfm are you saying an ais will show on an 180 via a receiver
 
Having just gone down exactly that route I can confirm that the RL Series will not display AIS contacts. I am installing a Raymarine E7 plus AIS transciever. I am using the E7 because it is suitably sized to fit where I want it but any C, E or G Series would do the job. The alternative was to replace all the existing electronics at a cost approaching £10k.
 
IDAMAY said:
Having just gone down exactly that route I can confirm that the RL Series will not display AIS contacts. I am installing a Raymarine E7 plus AIS transciever. I am using the E7 because it is suitably sized to fit where I want it but any C, E or G Series would do the job. The alternative was to replace all the existing electronics at a cost approaching £10k.
Click to expand...

I'm now waiting delivery of a ES78, was going for E7 but didn't want separate fish finder box as not a lot of room left after fitting ais and autopilot.
 
Jez

No RL series plotter will display AIS info. Classic E and C series are the oldest Raymarine kit that will display it. You could consider going down the I-Pad, Navionics and speak nicely to RickP route, like I did. Much cheaper ( if you already have the I-Pad ) than buying two new plotters, but I-Pad will be difficult to view in full sunlight.
 
Pinnacle said:
Jez

No RL series plotter will display AIS info. Classic E and C series are the oldest Raymarine kit that will display it. You could consider going down the I-Pad, Navionics and speak nicely to RickP route, like I did. Much cheaper ( if you already have the I-Pad ) than buying two new plotters, but I-Pad will be difficult to view in full sunlight.
Click to expand...

Yes that's what I assumed (hence saying it was a daft question).

The trouble is extracting Rick from the caribbean
 
Pinnacle said:
Jez

No RL series plotter will display AIS info. Classic E and C series are the oldest Raymarine kit that will display it. You could consider going down the I-Pad, Navionics and speak nicely to RickP route, like I did. Much cheaper ( if you already have the I-Pad ) than buying two new plotters, but I-Pad will be difficult to view in full sunlight.
Click to expand...

There is another approach that I have set up but don't actually use.
Install a PC running OpenCPN onto a home LAN using a WiFi router.
OpenCPN can be set up to receive AIS and then retransmit it over the WiFi Lan to other OpenCPNs running on Android tablets/phones throughout the boat.
You would need an AIS feed but some VHFs these days have AIS built in (for example, Standard Horizon have one)
From memory, Jez might need new VHF as well anyway.
IMO, a PC on board is always useful - connects with the marina WiFi - runs videos, connects TV (iPlayer) etc - lots of uses.
This would be just one good use for a PC
 
Hurricane said:
There is another approach that I have set up but don't actually use.
Install a PC running OpenCPN onto a home LAN using a WiFi router.
OpenCPN can be set up to receive AIS and then retransmit it over the WiFi Lan to other OpenCPNs running on Android tablets/phones throughout the boat.
You would need an AIS feed but some VHFs these days have AIS built in (for example, Standard Horizon have one)
From memory, Jez might need new VHF as well anyway.
IMO, a PC on board is always useful - connects with the marina WiFi - runs videos, connects TV (iPlayer) etc - lots of uses.
This would be just one good use for a PC
Click to expand...

Mike

Good suggestion.

Would work well for the lower steering position, but not good for the flybridge (due to sunlight as per I-Pad) but also because it would not be waterproof ( I had the I-Pad in a waterproof cover inside a mount ).

Deffo much cheaper than the 2 plotter option with all the additional benefits you describe.


Jez..............If you paid him enough beer tokens, Mike might even set it up for you! :encouragement: :rolleyes: :D :D
 
A couple of bottles and I'm anyone's

Seriously though, Jez should take "time out" on the Nav systems and see what he would use.
IMO, the auto pilot is important to fix/get working but this year, he should concentrate on getting the boat working as a comfortable holiday home in the Med.
Trips to the lagoon or the local fishing port of Alcanar would be good steps forward.

Remember - he has a boat with internal stairs so maybe nav kit on the lower helm would be all that is needed.
The old RL kit was working during the delivery - just needs a chart of the correct area.
The radar didn't work - we tried quite hard to get it working as well.
As I've said a number of times, radar isn't as important in the Med as in UK waters.
So, maybe something that picks up and displays AIS in the lower help is all that is required.
Maybe an AIS transponder (TX and RX) would be a good value investment - perhaps a good 12v TV with a PC connected to it would give him a really low cost and effective solution.
And, as I say, the PC would have loads of other uses.

I know I've said this many times before but my PC installation is one of the best things I installed.
We do use our Raymarine system but the PC is ALWAYS running as a plotter at the same time and most of the time, I use the PC's display instead of the Raymarine one.
I installed wireless keyboard inputs and air mouse when we first commissioned JW - these are still going strong.
I have loads of home scanned charts that run under OpenCPN as well.

Just needs some careful thought before rushing out and buying new nav kit.

EDIT
I'm in the process of helping a friend at Sant Carles with a Lagoon catamaran upgrade a PC nav system.
He chose to use one of these PCs and I helped him build it and install the necessary software.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-Br...1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451867391&sr=8-1&keywords=brix
It is not the fastest of computers but he wanted a very low power device - most of the time he is running off solar panels.
This computer runs OpenCPN well and will play movies etc - internet browsers run fine.
He has decided not to connect it to his Raymarine display - instead, it just runs on the saloon TV but all the ships NMEA data feeds into the PC - AIS is available on both the Raymarine plotter and the PC - infact even the autopilot could be controlled from the PC if required.
 
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Totally agree Mike, the RL kit is perfectly fine so not going to replace it.
AP is a project for Feb trip out, hopefully.

I like the onboard PCs idea so will look for places to hide it and think about what else I might like it to do
 
Whitelighter said:
I like the onboard PCs idea so will look for places to hide it and think about what else I might like it to do
Click to expand...

Have a look at the dimensions of these Barebones PCs - you won't need to look far to find somewhere to install it - it is tiny.
Gigabyte aren't the only people making them - Intel have a range called NUC - both of Gigabyte and Intel offer a large range of different options/specs etc.
In your case, you could probably do better than the Gigabyte Brix 2807 - others are quicker but might use more power.
JW's PC isn't a Barebones PC (I built a more specific computer about 2 years ago) - mine stays on all the time - even at anchor when we are just running under batteries so battery drain might be a consideration when selecting a system.

I think I would remove the old radar that doesn't work and replace the radar unit on the lower helm with a small monitor/TV.
I think I would feed the PCs video to that monitor/TV on the lower helm and to a larger TV/monitor in the saloon.
Then just add a wireless keyboard and an air mouse that could be used either in the saloon or at the lower helm.
Feed the PC with the ship's NMEA data using one of these http://www.actisense.com/products/nmea-0183/usg-1/usg-1.html
I have been using two of them since we first equipped JW - Allgadgets seem to be the cheapest place for them at the moment - https://www.allgadgets.co.uk/marine...rial-Gateway-RS422-NMEA-0183-USG-1-30p551.htm .
The Actisense device will pick up the ships NMEA data and convert it into a virtual COM port on the PC using modern USB ports.
Applications like OpenCPN can then use the data - it might even be possible to upload routes and waypoints from the PC into the RL 80s (I seem to remember doing that on the old Jennywren with her RL kit)

If you connect speakers up to the PC, you can play music - watch films etc....
Once you have a PC on board it you can set up a WiFi access point and a WiFi gateway back to the marina - then all your portable devices (iPhones and Tablets etc) will work within the boat.
There are lots of things that can be added to a system like this for very little money - for example cameras etc

The big issue with a system like this is finding an external monitor that could be installed on the flybridge - I've not seen anything cheap out there that will work in strong sunlight and be waterproof enough.
But in your case, you already have the RLs for basic nav and an internal stairs to (perhaps) a PC video at the lower helm.

In your shoes, these are the kind of thoughts I would be having.
 
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