Ais transmit left 'on'

[single]

jeez life is too complicated already to want to give a position any wayother than from the AIS transmitter, let alone having yet another 'app on the phone or remembering to send in an hourly email. .

Well the app is no hassle.Its much the same as the real thing.

 

[Robin]

Well the app is no hassle.Its much the same as the real thing.

I have VesselFinder App on my phone is this different? VesselFinder displays all AIS targets worldwide and is searchable, it has no means afaik to report in a position, nor would i want to tell it thatI was in a rest area on I-95 having a pee whilst on a heading of due N

 

[single]

I have VesselFinder App on my phone is this different? VesselFinder displays all AIS targets worldwide and is searchable, it has no means afaik to report in a position, nor would i want to tell it thatI was in a rest area on I-95 having a pee whilst on a heading of due N

Very different. Try 'boatbeacon' its just like the real thing.

 

[Robin]

Very different. Try 'boatbeacon' its just like the real thing.

Thanks,I just looked and might try it later when the SWMbO isn't looking but I will have to save my pocket money as it costs $9.99, versus the $6.99 I already paid for veselfinder, just to see if our boat was actually transmitting, and I could try that one out too before finally making payment.

 

[srm]

Going back to the OP, it sounds like a very good reason to have 'stand alone' instruments. Then turning one off does indeed stop its from functioning.

 

[Robin]

Going back to the OP, it sounds like a very good reason to have 'stand alone' instruments. Then turning one off does indeed stop its from functioning.

Except that AIS is at it's most useful when displayed on the chart plotter and/or the radar screen rather than just looking at a list of names on a separate display. Hopefully people will discover how to turn transmit off, as I did or will fit an AIS silent switch, also like we did, so when not on board and no threat to anyone we do not pop up as an alarm.

 

[lustyd]

Except that AIS is at it's most useful when displayed on the chart plotter and/or the radar screen rather than just looking at a list of names on a separate display. Hopefully people will discover how to turn transmit off, as I did or will fit an AIS silent switch, also like we did, so when not on board and no threat to anyone we do not pop up as an alarm.

I disagree, AIS is most useful when on all the time the batteries are not isolated. What you actually want is for your plotter to only show vessels likely to cause a problem for you thus reducing clutter. For instance coming into an anchorage in fog it would still be useful even if other boats are not moving.

 

[Robin]

I disagree, AIS is most useful when on all the time the batteries are not isolated. What you actually want is for your plotter to only show vessels likely to cause a problem for you thus reducing clutter. For instance coming into an anchorage in fog it would still be useful even if other boats are not moving.

Read again what I said in it's context please, because my comment related to the post from SRM and in the context of standalone versus networked instruments, which is why I quoted his post in my reply. My comments were also made in a general viewpoint not from any personal wish for everyone else to shut their transmitters down. They were intended to illustrate how it would be easy to think your transmitter was 'off' when not and explain some of the strange contacts seen, as in a back garden in Chelsea and not moved in years syndrome.

I wish you and those already in the foggy anchorage good luck if you engage in entering anchorages in fog and relying on AIS transmissions alone from stationary vessels, too. Now if AIS were interfaced with radar and not used simply a poor man's substitute for it..... AIS is an excellent tool when used intelligently in conjunction with not in place of other more reliable sources of information. Just my opinion of course so feel free to disagree, most do..

 

[lustyd]

Read again what I said in it's context please, because my comment related to the post from SRM and in the context of standalone versus networked instruments, which is why I quoted his post in my reply. My comments were also made in a general viewpoint not from any personal wish for everyone else to shut their transmitters down. They were intended to illustrate how it would be easy to think your transmitter was 'off' when not and explain some of the strange contacts seen, as in a back garden in Chelsea and not moved in years syndrome.

I wish you and those already in the foggy anchorage good luck if you engage in entering anchorages in fog and relying on AIS transmissions alone from stationary vessels, too. Now if AIS were interfaced with radar and not used simply a poor man's substitute for it..... AIS is an excellent tool when used intelligently in conjunction with not in place of other more reliable sources of information. Just my opinion of course so feel free to disagree, most do..

You're right, that was a poor example but my point still stands. There are benefits to always transmitting while the boat is in use (why I said batteries not isolated), or at the very least nearly zero drawbacks from the point of view that you've purposefully put a piece of safety kit on your boat. If you have to switch it back on then you may forget and collide as a result. As I said, DSC VFH radios are supposed to be wired direct without a switch so why shouldn't an AIS? The only valid reason I can think of for not transmitting is battery power, and then I guess switching off would be OK for a long passage where power is an issue.
Why do you care if there is a transmitter in Chelsea? or in any marina in the land? Unless you are there and the transmitter has a CPA likely to affect you then just ignore it - it's not a toy to look at and see what boats are about, it's a safety feature which will warn you if something is going to hit you. Now if your argument was that the number of transmitters in the Solent will fill up all of the time slots and seriously impact safety then I'll agree once you find the relevant figures for the number of class B slots and show that it's a possible issue. Until then I just don't see the problem with stationary marks other than clutter on a plotter screen which is why I said what I said.

 

[single]

I thought all commercial vessels had to have AIs but just noticed that the water taxis round here don't! (Not that they need it anyway)

 

[Robin]

You're right, that was a poor example but my point still stands. There are benefits to always transmitting while the boat is in use (why I said batteries not isolated), or at the very least nearly zero drawbacks from the point of view that you've purposefully put a piece of safety kit on your boat. If you have to switch it back on then you may forget and collide as a result. As I said, DSC VFH radios are supposed to be wired direct without a switch so why shouldn't an AIS? The only valid reason I can think of for not transmitting is battery power, and then I guess switching off would be OK for a long passage where power is an issue.
Why do you care if there is a transmitter in Chelsea? or in any marina in the land? Unless you are there and the transmitter has a CPA likely to affect you then just ignore it - it's not a toy to look at and see what boats are about, it's a safety feature which will warn you if something is going to hit you. Now if your argument was that the number of transmitters in the Solent will fill up all of the time slots and seriously impact safety then I'll agree once you find the relevant figures for the number of class B slots and show that it's a possible issue. Until then I just don't see the problem with stationary marks other than clutter on a plotter screen which is why I said what I said.

We are getting a bit off topic, but my DSC VHF set (I suspect like most if not all recreational boat ones) is wired through a breaker/switch on my main 12V panel so can be turned off there or by its own power on/off switch ( although it can be powered up from its RAM mic too). I also have master battery switches in both +ve and -ve power leads from the two battery banks. On leaving the boat when back in harbour we turn off all breaker switches on the 12V panel AND turn off the main battery switches. Our shorepower battery charger still charges with the main battery switches 'off', so why would I risk an electrical problem or DC current leakage by leaving stuff 'on' whilst we are not on board, if we are on board yes 12V power is routinely on. It might be worth a 'poll' to see how many truly leave 12v power on 24/7

Clutter on the chart plotter screen doesn't bother me especially although the, mostly mobo, marina next door to ours is virtually coloured in 100% on our plotter with multiple displayed contacts, most of which also set off multiple CPA alarms as soon as we switch on our networked plotter, so first action is to immediately disable the alarms, hopefully remembering to reset them when we leave ourselves.