DIY fit of AIS

[Andy Bav]

Thanks to great advice from forum, and a local techie, am pleased to say that lat long is now on plotter and pasarelle remote works a treat. :encouragement:

Next challenge is to fit ais TX / RX. Garmin plotter, and on Bav we had a Garmin ais 600, so am thinking of going down same route.

Radio (Simrad) works but is not DSC. It has a big cradle on dash, so am loathed to change.

On basis that the vessel has no MMSI, I have registered, and received, one today.

The question is that, it appears the ais unit has to be "programmed with the MMSI by an authorised dealer". I am confident of being able to install and integrate the hardware myself, but how do I get the vessels MMSI number into unit, or do I need to sh€ll out to the local Spanish Garmin dealer...

 

[Momac]

Thanks to great advice from forum, and a local techie, am pleased to say that lat long is now on plotter and pasarelle remote works a treat. :encouragement:

Next challenge is to fit ais TX / RX. Garmin plotter, and on Bav we had a Garmin ais 600, so am thinking of going down same route.

Radio (Simrad) works but is not DSC. It has a big cradle on dash, so am loathed to change.

On basis that the vessel has no MMSI, I have registered, and received, one today.

The question is that, it appears the ais unit has to be "programmed with the MMSI by an authorised dealer". I am confident of being able to install and integrate the hardware myself, but how do I get the vessels MMSI number into unit, or do I need to sh€ll out to the local Spanish Garmin dealer...

Does the AIS unit not come with a CD in the box which you put into a laptop then connect the laptop to the AIS unit with a cable and put in the vessel details and the MMSI?

 

[Andy Bav]

Does the AIS unit not come with a CD in the box which you put into a laptop then connect the laptop to the AIS unit with a cable and put in the vessel details and the MMSI?

Thanks, your suggestion makes sense but I am not sure to be honest, Hoping to buy tomorrow, but want to buy as an educated buyer, so doing homework now. Found a PDF of the instructions point towards an "authorised dealer" install....

 

[Momac]

In the land known as USA I think these things have to be dealer installed partly because its the law and also due to the fear, in that country, of things incapable of ignition might explode or become exposed to terrorist attack.
Pick up the phone and enquire before you buy as to what will be in the box.

 

[SteveSarabande]

In the land known as USA I think these things have to be dealer installed partly because its the law and also due to the fear, in that country, of things incapable of ignition might explode or become exposed to terrorist attack.
Pick up the phone and enquire before you buy as to what will be in the box.

Sounds like he is in Spain so no problem

 

[Hurricane]

All the AIS transponders that I've seen allow you to change the ship's dimensions and the ship's name but the MMSI HAS to be changed by an authorised dealer or the manufacturer.

BTW - Andy
When you have something working, let me know and I'll put you into the SCMCHAT AIS Fleet.

 

[Andy Bav]

All the AIS transponders that I've seen allow you to change the ship's dimensions and the ship's name but the MMSI HAS to be changed by an authorised dealer or the manufacturer.

BTW - Andy
When you have something working, let me know and I'll put you into the SCMCHAT AIS Fleet.

Cheers Mike - will do.

I am wondering if they will pre-programme before despatch, or whether a local authorised bod needs to do it before / during installation, if the latter do you know of such a company around SCM?

 

[superheat6k]

The Matsutec AIS transponders allow you to select either commercial or amateur mode and you can set up the MMSI, although the set up instructions are omitted form the manual. At $700 for the HP-1228A, which is also a full chart 12"plotter they offer an effective alternative. If you want AIS TX/ RX only then the HP33A is very well spoken of on the PBO forum.

I have been running the HP-628A for a year now with nil problems after I worked out how to set it up. The only complaint with this one is that the screen is a bit small at 5.5" rather than 6" and the bright sunny daylight view is not that good.

 

[Momac]

All the AIS transponders that I've seen allow you to change the ship's dimensions and the ship's name but the MMSI HAS to be changed by an authorised dealer or the manufacturer.

Yes but we are referring here to a new unit with no mmsi in it . The purchaser can enter the mmsi using an appropriate cable and a computer.

 

[Hurricane]

Yep - sorry - I misread the OP

Any new AIS transponder gives you one go at entering your MMSI - after that only authorised dealers can change it.
Same applies to new DSC radios.

Andy
If I were you, I would source the AIS transponder in the UK.
Maybe the same for an updrade to DSC VHF sometime
Maybe get Ricci to help fit it - or I could help sometime.

EDIT
AIS transponders also require their own GPS input to provide position and accurate time to synchronise the data.
Most kit includes a GPS antenna but it will probably need to be installed.
JW was one of the first leisure craft to transmit AIS class B.
At the time, there wasn't much choice in kit - I chose a Comar unit which has been very reilable.
I didn't use a VHF splitter - we had 2 antenna - one for VHF - one for FM radio.
So I changed the FM radio one for a dedicated AIS antenna and installed an additional FM antenna inside my empty sat dome.
We don't use FM much anyway.

 

[jfm]

With Garmin ais transponder and vhf you get one go at entering Mmsi

Not sure why cradle on dash is reason to keep old radio- surely a reason to lose it!?

 

[Andy Bav]

Thanks all. Would like to connect to existing Garmin plotter.

Thanks for your kind offer Mike, Ricci is my techie referred to in my original post ��.

I hope to source in UK and take it out in hand luggage along with some air horns - last time I had some solar powered glass balls, and caused a bit of a security kerfuffle

We have 2 antenna also, and the kit I have seen has a splitter included, so hopefully plug and play.

If I don't take you up on your offer you are still welcome to come over for a glass or 2 of something cold from the 24th onwards. ��

 

[vas]

Yes but we are referring here to a new unit with no mmsi in it . The purchaser can enter the mmsi using an appropriate cable and a computer.

+1

my experience exactly.

Brand new AIS600, you can program the MMSI, dims etc
S/H, you send it off to Garmin for the MMSI, you do the dims later. In Greece they wanted a scan of the MMSI licence, if not to make sure it's not entered wrong.

You'll get in the box the AIS600, a fancy magendish coloured cable for the various triggers (pan-pan, stealth mode and something else I forget now, a power/NMEA0183, and the two VHF in out ports. You'll also get an antenna to fit somewhere, I put it under the sundeck, easier to route as upholstery was being redone at the time

Dead easy to install tbh. Just make sure your N2K network is nearby!
No need to setup anything, plotter will just pick up the ship around, np.
FWIW, I do have the s/w (two different versions picked up from ppl here when I asked last year), so if for some odd reason you don't get the cd, give me a shout it's just 4MB

cheers

V.

 

[Andy Bav]

Thanks for all your input.

I have spoken to a retailer today and understand that for a brand new unit, first time install, a DIY installer can program their own MMSI number, but if it needs to be reset or changed, it has to go back to the manufacturer.

Also, and to add to the other AIS thread, I was told that the existing VHF aerial can be split to TX data, but the small dome shaped receiver must, by law, be used to receive data.

Programming can be done on a laptop (with an optical drive) and it can also be used to aid with the positioning of the receiver, as it can give feedback on signal strength etc..

 

[Hurricane]

Also, and to add to the other AIS thread, I was told that the existing VHF aerial can be split to TX data, but the small dome shaped receiver must, by law, be used to receive data.

Programming can be done on a laptop (with an optical drive) and it can also be used to aid with the positioning of the receiver, as it can give feedback on signal strength etc..

Just to recap it (as I understand)
The small dome shaped receiver is a GPS antenna/receiver which receives your ship's position information and an accurate time from the GPS satellites.
The VHF (whip) antenna is used to both transmit your own ships AIS data (position, heading, speed, name and dimensions etc) and to receive all the other ships around you.
Class B (which is the system that we use in leisure boats) transmits about every 30 seconds through the whip antenna so most of the time, it is receiving AIS data - through the whip antenna.
So, if you use an antenna splitter, AIS data and VHF transmissions cannot happen at the same time - thats why I use separate antenna.
However, you may take the view that you don't transmit voice over VHF that frequently so the AIS transponder can use that antenna.

Once the AIS transponder has been installed, it needs to be set up to transmit the correct information.
You can do this by connecting a laptop (I believe that ProAIS is the software that is mostly used).
Using this software on a laptop, you can program the AIS transponder with the ships AIS data (ship's name and dimensions etc) - also MMSI can be (one time) programmed this way.

Andy
I believe that AIS transmissions are extremely useful to other shipping but have you considered the simpler option of just receiving AIS and not transmitting.
For example, a cheap NASA AIS engine can be added to an AIS compatible plotter with adequate results.
Your plotter's AIS view would be the same either way.
IMO, I would prefer to spend the money on a more modern DSC (GMDSS) radio where I could press the emergency button and transmit a digital Mayday as well as voice in any emergency.
DSC also has the benefit that you can set up friends and call them electronically - we don't use this facility much because few people know how to use it.
But there are a couple of yachties in SC that DO know how to use it and it can be useful to make that initial call.

 

[Andy Bav]

Thanks Mike - an interesting conundrum, and one we had on the Bavaria before we went to the CIs in 2014.

We don't have Radar so, at the risk of raising another Radar or AIS debate, I am using it in preference to shelling out on radar at this time. This on the basis that the probability of a fog bank between SCM the Balearics and Barcelona in June, is considerably less than in the English Channel between Torquay and the CIs.

I am also considering buying a DSC handheld with GPS as, to answer JFMs' comment, I don't want to take out the existing VHF radio bracket and expose holes and, likely, a faded area of dashboard real estate. Mrs Bav will complain... :-/ .... also that should bring the cost up to a round £1000 ...... BOAT

 

[IDAMAY]

I have recently fitted the Garmin AIS 600 on Ocean Spirit. I purchased in UK and took it in my hand luggage from Gatwick to Porto. It did create a bit of a kerfuffle at security but soon sorted with a second trip through the scanner and a word of explanation to say what it was. The kit includes everything you need including the GPS aerial and VHF splitter. We installed the GPS aerial in the "eyebrow" just above the helm position and used the supplied software to generate the vessel information including the MMSI number. As others have said, you only get one chance at that but otherwise everything was fairly straightforward.

 

[jfm]

... the small dome shaped receiver must, by law, be used to receive data.

There is so much misinformation bandied around in boating circles other than this forum. I'm amazed you think a garmin dealer knows more than this forum. The "by law" comment is comedy! As Hurricane says, it is merely a GPS antenna (not to be confused with a normal mushroom, btw, even though it might look like one) and cannot receive AIS data

 

[Andy Bav]

There is so much misinformation bandied around in boating circles other than this forum. I'm amazed you think a garmin dealer knows more than this forum. The "by law" comment is comedy! As Hurricane says, it is merely a GPS antenna (not to be confused with a normal mushroom, btw, even though it might look like one) and cannot receive AIS data

I wasn't too fazed by the comment as the advice re installation (except for the "by law bit" !) of the unit and small separate GPS dome / mushroom will mirror the Bav hardware installation (which I didn't do) and that worked, so we will replicate that in the V42...