AIS

[prv]

Not only would I want to switch off 'Transmit' if I had it, but with so many yachts having it fitted now, I also like to turn off AIS receive. You just dont need it for daysailing, unless the fog closes in.

Indeed, apart from an initial period of playing with it when first fitted, I now leave the AIS display unit turned off for local pottering. That's not what it's for.

As I mentioned upthread, I'm about to also connect it to my main radar / plotter - the aim being mostly to augment the radar picture rather than to draw little arrows all over the charts. I need to see how easy it is to turn the AIS info on and off, whether it's separately controllable for radar and charts, etc. If it's all too difficult in the software, I might well add a hardware toggle switch below the screen to kill the data feed when it's not wanted.

Pete

 

[Daydream believer]

Silly question, probably, but is the AIS engine (whatever that is) a separate thing to the display unit?

Do I need to buy both?

Some receivers have a small display which show a number of rings radiating from the centre
These rings indicate range from the receiver & mostly can be adjusted to suit the operator. the target is shown as a small icon such as an arrow. In addition a short line indicating track . By selecting the icon ( how depends on manufacturer) one can see name, type of vessel & speed etc plus MMSI No. so you can call the target ship quicker & without bombarding channels 16, 14 etc with initial calls

The alternative is a standalone box of tricks that is connected to a separate display, ie laptop, radar or plotter.
the advantage of this is a larger screen , often colour, with better display, a more adaptable means of selecting the target, plus it saves having 2 screens. As a plotter shows ones current position better it is possibly easier to decide on a course of action.
The box of tricks can stay below in the dry & the screen , or screeens, can be positioned wherever required. An allin one unit has to go wherever the screen needs to be & generally cannot have 2 screens although I believe NASA do have slave screens available but I am not sure on that

 

[readings]

You can buy simple AIS display units (and even VHF radios) with built in displays but these can be rather too small to be usable.

ISTR it's possible to display AIS data on an iPad. I've displayed it in the past on a laptop running OpenCPN.

Good to see that Sailfree is catching up with technology!

 

[Uricanejack]

Some receivers have a small display which show a number of rings radiating from the centre
These rings indicate range from the receiver & mostly can be adjusted to suit the operator. the target is shown as a small icon such as an arrow. In addition a short line indicating track . By selecting the icon ( how depends on manufacturer) one can see name, type of vessel & speed etc plus MMSI No. so you can call the target ship quicker & without bombarding channels 16, 14 etc with initial calls

The alternative is a standalone box of tricks that is connected to a separate display, ie laptop, radar or plotter.
the advantage of this is a larger screen , often colour, with better display, a more adaptable means of selecting the target, plus it saves having 2 screens. As a plotter shows ones current position better it is possibly easier to decide on a course of action.
The box of tricks can stay below in the dry & the screen , or screeens, can be positioned wherever required. An allin one unit has to go wherever the screen needs to be & generally cannot have 2 screens although I believe NASA do have slave screens available but I am not sure on that

Seriously?

You would DSC call a ship. Transiting one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Or worse entering a busy port. Setting of an earpiercing allarm on the bridge disrupting whatever important navigational communication the bridge team are involved in. When you could call the ship by name.

 

[SimonFa]

ISTR it's possible to display AIS data on an iPad. I've displayed it in the past on a laptop running OpenCPN.

Good to see that Sailfree is catching up with technology!

I've just installed Digital Yacth's iAIS and have it cionnected simultaneously to my iPhone, iPad and laptop running openCPN.

On the ikit it only runs using DY's own app and doesn't display on Navionics charts.

 

[prv]

Seriously?

You would DSC call a ship. Transiting one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Or worse entering a busy port. Setting of an earpiercing allarm on the bridge disrupting whatever important navigational communication the bridge team are involved in. When you could call the ship by name.

It's what DSC was specifically invented for.

Pete

 

[Daydream believer]

Seriously?

You would DSC call a ship. Transiting one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Or worse entering a busy port. Setting of an earpiercing allarm on the bridge disrupting whatever important navigational communication the bridge team are involved in. When you could call the ship by name.

I was briefly explaining the setup available not what I would/would not do. Nor did I stipulate that it was only for use in shipping lanes or ports

On a ship with several crew completing several tasks on a large bridge area the DSC alarm I doubt that it would have the same effect as one going off in the refines of a small yacht.

In my case my radio is not connected to my AIS & it would be easier to call by name than first enter the numbers & then check they were correct before sending. However, if there was no response then I would not hesitate to use DSC