Low cost tracking?

[MM5AHO]

I often find that I'm out of range of a land based AIS receiver, and so am invisible to those left ashore looking at (for example) Marine Traffic website.
There seem to be many tracker systems that use satellite based GPS to get a location, but only transmit using mobile phone technology (LTE etc)
Is there a low cost system that is suitable for use further out to sea, for monitoring position from the land? I see many in the multi-hundred pound range. I'm looking for < £100 ?

 

[Deleted member 478]

Have a look into the MarineTraffic satellite tracking subscription options. I don't know the details, but am aware that they have an option or service.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Is there a low cost system that is suitable for use further out to sea, for monitoring position from the land? I see many in the multi-hundred pound range. I'm looking for < £100 ?

Electronic kit that can transmit to satellites is much more expensive than kit that can receive only from them. That's before you start paying for the data you are sending. I doubt you'll get anything at that price. Spot X is about the cheapest, but there's a monthly subscription as well as the equipment price.

 

[GHA]

You can get a week's free satellite viewing free on marine traffic for a try. Only one boat at a time but doesn't have to be just one boat, change it and view another if you want.
After the free week looks like about 60 quid a month. Class B on the boat I was watching (maybe not the best installation) was picked up at least once a day so more than enough to follow an offshore boat.

Beyond AIS transmit you're into satellite options or ham/ssb radio.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Beyond AIS transmit you're into satellite options or ham/ssb radio.

AIS transmissions are received by satellites beyond the range of land based receivers, but access to the data will normally have a fee.

 

[GHA]

AIS transmissions are received by satellites beyond the range of land based receivers, but access to the data will normally have a fee.

"Beyond AIS" - meant, "if you want to use something different to satellite ais tracking"
should have typed - "Other than AIS"

 

[Roberto]

Re satAIS on Marinetraffic, class B+ (sotdma) is significantly better than B (cstdma), but still worse than class A.
The AIS txr must be configured via ProAis to send message 27, Long Range Detection (or similar term), this can only be done with B+ equipment.
With a simple B I would not bother.

 

[geem]

You can get a week's free satellite viewing free on marine traffic for a try. Only one boat at a time but doesn't have to be just one boat, change it and view another if you want.
After the free week looks like about 60 quid a month. Class B on the boat I was watching (maybe not the best installation) was picked up at least once a day so more than enough to follow an offshore boat.

Beyond AIS transmit you're into satellite options or ham/ssb radio.

But a Garmin Inreach, second hand and you can have tracking and as much text messaging as you want for £65/ month. It also has an emergency button should you get in trouble.

 

[bikedaft]

There are cheaper options for Inreach, per month. I was paying about 35 per month, although it was about 2 years ago. From memory, 3 different subscription rates?

 

[geem]

There are cheaper options for Inreach, per month. I was paying about 35 per month, although it was about 2 years ago. From memory, 3 different subscription rates?

Correct. The £35 rate only gives 40 messages per month. £65 is unlimited per month. On £35 rate you can have 10min tracking though so it would meet the OPs requirements

 

[GHA]

With a simple B I would not bother.

Works though, for your free week on marinetraffic. Maybe only once a day but still enough to be useful.
Certainly wouldn't pay for it, but then I'll know where I am already ?

 

[bikedaft]

My

Correct. The £35 rate only gives 40 messages per month. £65 is unlimited per month. On £35 rate you can have 10min tracking though so it would meet the OPs requirements

Mates got wind that it would be expensive for me if I went over the message limit, and sent me lots of messages... Thanks! ?

 

[Ningaloo]

Maybe you want something like the yellow brick trackers used on offshore races?

 

[trevorr]

Predict Wind's YB3i possibly
YB3i Tracker by PredictWind - PredictWind

 

[Iliade]

SPOT tracker subscriptions are cheaper than InReach, if what you want is reasonably high res. tracking. However, their system isn't truly global and the customer experience pretty poor, hence I have jumped ship to InReach.

Both suppliers offer annual and flexible contracts, but neither are under £100 p.a., though you can get older, perfectly seaworthy, hardware pretty cheaply on Ebay.

 

[geem]

SPOT tracker subscriptions are cheaper than InReach, if what you want is reasonably high res. tracking. However, their system isn't truly global and the customer experience pretty poor, hence I have jumped ship to InReach.

Both suppliers offer annual and flexible contracts, but neither are under £100 p.a., though you can get older, perfectly seaworthy, hardware pretty cheaply on Ebay.

Love my Inreach. We turn it on for long trips on the unlimited tariff for a month at a time. For short trips of less than 5 days we use the £35 tariff. Family can track us and we have enough messages for some weather updates from a friend if we need it.
The unlimited tariff is great for crossing the pond. We have sent and received thousands of messages crossing the pond

 

[ylop]

How far out of range will you be? Would a masthead antenna for either your AIS or your phone get you the sort of range enhancement you want?

 

[MM5AHO]

"How far out of range will you be? Would a masthead antenna for either your AIS or your phone get you the sort of range enhancement you want? "


Perhaps 500 M

 

[ylop]

"How far out of range will you be? Would a masthead antenna for either your AIS or your phone get you the sort of range enhancement you want? "


Perhaps 500 M

Ah Ok - you would need a VERY tall mast to get the extra range A flock of carrier pigeons might be more practical ;-)
I assume you don't want the hassle (at both ends) of HamRadio etc? In that case you will need a sat provider and none are cheap.