AIS on a Tablet

No need to spend silly money on a 'plexor' if you already have AIS on board ....

NMEA2WIFI - 2x INPUT NMEA 0183 TO WIFI MULTIPLEXER WITH SEATALK INPUT SUPPORT | eBay

This unit will not only take your AIS data via NMEA - but can output it via USB or its own WiFi ... it accepts Seatalk ... as well as NMEA 0183 ........

My Onwa plotter feeds both GPS position and data + AIS to my 'plexor' its then broadcast via WiFi .. it also provides via USB and NMEA to other items ...

I have all data into OpenCPN on an Android Tablet as well as to a 10" Acer One Windows 7 notebook via USB ...

Anyone who sails on my boat - I give password and they can read the data to their tablet as well.
 
Seatracer Ais (transmit & receive) + Digital Yacht DY10. Provides on board ais via WiFi with minimal fiddling. Displays on navionics, marine navigator etc on tablets & phones.
 
Got everything installed neatly and working within a couple of hours, all very straightforward.

I bought the Quark from London Chartplotters and they deserve a mention here - I've bought a few items from Steve over the last few years and have always been impressed with his 'can do' attitude, keen pricing and excellent service. This time, as a returning customer, he sent me the A026 Quark instead of the A024 and still only charged me £100 inc stable power supply! Highly recommend him.
 
I think A024 and A026 from Quark share the same software, the only difference is that A026 has a built-in GPS function(still need a GPS antenna).
 
I'm aware I'm resurrecting an old thread but I have a follow-up question -
Can C-Map incorporate GPS and AIS data if shared via a local wifi converter?
 
WSW said:
I'm aware I'm resurrecting an old thread but I have a follow-up question -
Can C-Map incorporate GPS and AIS data if shared via a local wifi converter?
Click to expand...

No idea what gear you have ... but :

My setup of AIS data ... GPS Data .... and any other NMEA goes into my NMEA2WIFI unit ... and is all combined and output via USB .. WiFi ... and NMEA - so I can connect as I or guest on board wishes.
The display of data is based on the display unit itself and what sentences of NMEA it reads .. the rest of sentences will be ignored.

If your plotter that uses C-Map can read the AIS sentences in the NMEA stream - then there should be no reason its not displayed.

The point is that each form of data ... wind / speed / depth / GPS / AIS etc have their own unique sentences. So they do not interfere with each other when compiled into one stream ... ie your WiFi. Its up to the receiving unit to read what you can set it to read.

Note if your C-Map unit is not designed to read AIS - then you cannot make it display AIS ...
 
Thanks for the detailed answer. I also realise I should have been clearer.

I have an AIS receiver and the plotter at my chart table overlays this AIS data on its charts. I had a smaller, repeater plotter in the cockpit but this recently gave up the ghost. My plan is to replace this cockpit plotter with a robust tablet and mount.

I believe that the Navionics app allows input AIS data from a local source (ie: AIS receiver and wifi converter). I am just wondering if the C-Maps app has the same functionality.
 
If I may go off on a very slight tangent; I have a Yakker NMEA to wifi dongle. I also have a nasa wireless wind instrument. The two do not appear to play nicely together - when both were located behind the switch board, often the wind instrument would lose data and also the Yakker was unreliable at broadcasting.

Since taking the Yakker off the boat the Nasa wind has been 100% faultless. Likewise the yakker when set up to a spare wind instrument I have wired to my garden shed 100miles away from the boat has been faultless.

I can only conclude the Yakker and Nasa wireless signals are aggravating one another.

Question being, clearly 100miles is enough distance for to both work, is there a distance apart that these two instruments would work on a 10m boat?

Getting the AIS info onto my tablet in the cockpit would be quite nice!

Thanks
 
WSW said:
Thanks for the detailed answer. I also realise I should have been clearer.

I have an AIS receiver and the plotter at my chart table overlays this AIS data on its charts. I had a smaller, repeater plotter in the cockpit but this recently gave up the ghost. My plan is to replace this cockpit plotter with a robust tablet and mount.

I believe that the Navionics app allows input AIS data from a local source (ie: AIS receiver and wifi converter). I am just wondering if the C-Maps app has the same functionality.
Click to expand...

The Navionics App certainly does accept AIS overlay via WiFi ... I use it all the time.
 
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WSW said:
Thanks for the detailed answer. I also realise I should have been clearer.

I have an AIS receiver and the plotter at my chart table overlays this AIS data on its charts. I had a smaller, repeater plotter in the cockpit but this recently gave up the ghost. My plan is to replace this cockpit plotter with a robust tablet and mount.

I believe that the Navionics app allows input AIS data from a local source (ie: AIS receiver and wifi converter). I am just wondering if the C-Maps app has the same functionality.
Click to expand...
Did you ever discover an answer to your question? I’m interested in trying a Quark AO26 to provide GPS and AIS info to Cmap running on an iPad.
 
boomerangben said:
Did you ever discover an answer to your question? I’m interested in trying a Quark AO26 to provide GPS and AIS info to Cmap running on an iPad.
Click to expand...

If your iPad has GPS function - then all you need is the AIS data stream ... the interaction of the AIS data and the GPS position data on the plotter will give the required plots ...

Example - the Marinegadgets AIS USB stick has no GPS function at all ... but receives AIS info from antenna - feeds into the PC plotter and bingo - you have AIS targets plotted.
 
Refueler said:
If your iPad has GPS function - then all you need is the AIS data stream ... the interaction of the AIS data and the GPS position data on the plotter will give the required plots ...

Example - the Marinegadgets AIS USB stick has no GPS function at all ... but receives AIS info from antenna - feeds into the PC plotter and bingo - you have AIS targets plotted.
Click to expand...
Thanks Refueler. My iPad doesn’t have GPS. In fact I have no electrics at all (yet). So I am looking at the simplest possible solution. I gather Navionics app is capable of what I am trying to achieve (thanks to posts on here). Just wondering if C-Map can do the same
 
boomerangben said:
Thanks Refueler. My iPad doesn’t have GPS. In fact I have no electrics at all (yet). So I am looking at the simplest possible solution. I gather Navionics app is capable of what I am trying to achieve (thanks to posts on here). Just wondering if C-Map can do the same
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The scurge of iPad !! I have never understood why an iPad can be without GPS ... its been an issue not only with this - but in the Drone Hobby scene ...

Take my DJI Pro ... the drone has GPS and my Tablet has to have GPS as well ... that way - they can relate distance - get you home and all the other functions such as autonomous Follow Me etc.
So often on Drone forums come posts - why does my drone not have xx and xx ... and usual answer is an iPad without GPS has been bought and just does not work with it.

This is one of the main reasons I stay with Android ... as long as you stay away from the really cheap Android tablets - you will often get Dual SIM, SD card, AND GPS / Glonass etc as standard. And whats really good - usually faster and better processing along with lower price !
 
I’m thinking of putting in a 30ah LiFePo4 battery with small solar panel to provide some basic 12v power and then using a Quark AO27 which will provide GPS and AIS over WiFi which would then provide my iPad with what it lacks. Just which software to use….
And if in the future I can get a depth sounder with NMEA0183, I could get that on the network too but it might be simpler and cheaper to get a standalone depth system
 
boomerangben said:
I’m thinking of putting in a 30ah LiFePo4 battery with small solar panel to provide some basic 12v power and then using a Quark AO27 which will provide GPS and AIS over WiFi which would then provide my iPad with what it lacks. Just which software to use….
And if in the future I can get a depth sounder with NMEA0183, I could get that on the network too but it might be simpler and cheaper to get a standalone depth system
Click to expand...

TBH - if you are thinking of expanding system -

Lets look at how you could satisfy all ... Plotting ... AIS .... Depth ...

(I have absolutely no commercial or connection to any product / brand ... )

Plotter and AIS can easily be solved in a single unit - as I posted before - if you are only looking for short trip / coastal etc use - then something like the ONWA KP 39A .. similar MATSUTEC ... just connect antenna and your up and running. K-Charts come free ...

Depth - Nasa or similar budget .. standalone - or with 0183 - that can feed into the ONWA or whatever you decide to install.

Costs ? Yes will be higher than the Quark / iPad route you post .. but you will have a dedicated boat system you can build on and gear not subject to weather as your iPad will be.

My system cost me about 450 quid ..

ONWA KP39A
Passive ONWA antenna splitter
NMEA2WIFI plexor
Novionics on my android tablet

With this - all data feeds into the Plexor ... it then gets sent out combined on USB - WiFi - 0183 ....

This then means that I have ONWA plotter at nav desk ... giving AIS and chart display
Garmin plotter in cockpit receives all data from the Plexor to display AIS / Depth / chart etc
My phone / tablet etc get WiFi data for AIS etc.
Guests can login to the plexor to also receive all data ...

At present depth is only to B&G and Garmin gear .. but one day that will be fed to the plexor as well to be part of the combined stream.

My purpose here is not to try convince you to follow my route / system ... but to look carefully at what you do now .. and how it relates to upgrading in future.
 
Thanks for your time Refueler. Food for thought. I do like the Onwa/Matsutec all in one solution - it’s a small boat so not much space for traditional instrumentation. I keep coming back to a tablet solution because I would take it with me anyway and I would be making use of Antares charts for the NW of Scotland which I believe can only be viewed on iOS/Android or OpenCPN capable platforms.
 
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