AIS Transponder and Wi-fi

[[70521]]

I have a transponder onboard, but keep asking what does it add to my navigation. Personally i might look at it to see if it working and to see where that big ship is sailing to.

For me the AIS has two functions, a) to show the CG where I have been should I need to hit the wee red button and b) to let the family know where I am.

 

[LadyInBed]

I have a transponder onboard, but keep asking what does it add to my navigation.

Nothing, it's a safety device!

For me the AIS has two functions, a) to show the CG where I have been should I need to hit the wee red button and b) to let the family know where I am.

More important
c) let other boats know where you are and the direction you are going.

 

[PhillM]

Joy

You are very welcome to have a look at our set up next time you are close by.

I have just not found it necessary to have wifi transmission of AIS data from our AIS/GPS transponder (Matsutec HP33A) as it has a screen that is easily viewed in the cockpit. It is also hardwired to a mini 10" tablet/boat computer running Open CPN with both CM93 and full admiralty charts that can also connected to a TV! to give a 21" chart plotter down below. The collision avoidance display on OPEn cpn is probably the best I have seen. I could use the wifi on the computer to provide an output to a phone or tablet but just have not had the need. I might be tempted if I wanted or had a radar option.

The boat computer also happens to have full internet connectivity and stores our entire music collection which could played wirelessly to a Bose BT speaker for breaking the silence at one of our shared anchorages.

Does your Matsutec HP33A have an internal GPS aerial or did you have to fit another?

 

[LadyInBed]

Does your Matsutec HP33A have an internal GPS aerial or did you have to fit another?

EM-TRAK does.

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

Does your Matsutec HP33A have an internal GPS aerial or did you have to fit another?

Matsutec HP33A comes with an external GPS antenna.

also...

I have a Yakker wifi bridge working with mine - works very well.
http://yakbitz.com/Yakker.aspx
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NMEA-to-WiFi-BRIDGE-/182598371832

They do various versions

 

[PhillM]

I am trying to avoid having an external antenna. Both my VHF/dsc/ais receive radio and my garmin 152 have internal ones, so no sticking hardware outside.

 

[RobF]

I think there is a lot to be said for having separate/standalone units. The Vesper kit (I use a watchmate 850) is good kit with its own display and I have found that you don't really need the AIS display overplayed on anything for it to be truly useful. A bonus too is that it will act as an anchor alarm so that no other kit needs to be switched on and using power, and of course it will give you GPS position so acts as a back to what ever other GPS or Plotter kit you use. I would always recommend dedicated aerials for the AIS and GPS. Another vhf aerial will be cheaper than a splitter and more reliable and in the event of something happening with one aerial you have a backup. For me having worked with computers and wifi for a long time I would always prefer wired connections over wifi in terms of reliability and connection speed.
I too use a tablet with Navionics and a BadElf GPS . My boat is fairly small (28") but didnt find a problem finding the space to mount the kit.

Does the WatchMate 850 display other data on it's screen (a bit like a data screen)? I've been toying with the idea of this device, and some largish readouts of SOG & COG at my chart table would be helpful. Would be even better if it could display other NMEA items (particularly depth, SOW and wind). Sadly, this info (and particularly screen shots) are lacking on the Vesper website.