AIS Display Units

[Playtime]

I think you would always use the AIS on OpenCPN as it is so good.

Agreed - OpenCPN AIS display is better than any other I have seen - PC, chartplotter or stand-alone.

It's a good price, too, assuming you already have the laptop and a decent battery bank!

 

[prv]

Agreed - OpenCPN AIS display is better than any other I have seen - PC, chartplotter or stand-alone.

I've never used it. Does it show you what the situation will look like at CPA?

Pete

 

[rogerthebodger]

There are quite a few such devices around already.
The big snag for a DIY project would be the need for official approval before it could be put into use.

Yes I know there are already some devices like that around but at a high price.

I Don't know about the UK but where I am if the transmission is below a specified level licence and approval is not needed.

We have lots of remote controls made local with no approval or licence requirements and our radio control agency is very strict if a little incompetent at times.

 

[affinite]

I hate Big Brother policing but given the primary role of the AIS system I would hope that licensing & approval of new commercial transmitters is rigorously enforced. Similarly, I would hope that someone (OFFCOM ?) are out there actively policing unlicensed units.

 

[prv]

I Don't know about the UK but where I am if the transmission is below a specified level licence and approval is not needed.

Didn't used to be the case here as far as I know, but I think was changed relatively recently to allow for those FM transmitters used to play one's iPod etc through the car radio.

Kind of irrelevant though, as the last thing you want in a distress beacon is a low-power transmitter with a few tens of metres of range.

Pete

 

[Playtime]

I've never used it. Does it show you what the situation will look like at CPA?

Pete

Yes and in full colour with adjustable alarms (both time and distance to CPA separately adjustable).

Take a look at the AIS section in the Manual. It works very well when overlaid on a CM93 vector chart with the detail turned down.

It's the main reason I now use OpenCPN as my preferred real-time chartplotter.

 

[VicMallows]

I've never used it. Does it show you what the situation will look like at CPA?

Pete

Likewise, SeaClear (free) does as well, as I'm sure do other similar programs.

If you really like the 'radar' style display then Shipploter works very well and has all sorts of alarms etc. (free trial, then a modest one-off fee).

Vic

 

[seapro]

Evening all,

I have got an AIS engine with the aerial attached high up on the mizzen mast. It was my intention to connect it to my laptop, via the NASA software. However I have now decided that I would like a dedicated display unit. Can I simply buy a display unit and connect it up? Is there anything else I need to know?


Thanks for any replies


David

You could use seaPro Free. Plug in the Nasa unit via serial (or use a usb-serial converter) and auto-scan for the com port.

There are no detailed chart with the Free version, but you do see all the targets, CPA, TCPA, etc, all available AIS information and own ship GPS. The only charts are LCWorld which are overview charts of the world.

Download 'Full Install'. When installing, select 'seaPro Free'