BrianH
Well-Known Member
For web AIS display I prefer Marinetraffic over Vesselfinder, it offers more functionality such as a wind overlay and in my subjective opinion, a more pleasing screen layout and ease of target interrogation. However, in my area, the Adriatic Sea, Vesselfinder wins hands down on numbers and consistency of target reporting.
A case in point is my own boat , which on its NE Italian mooring is only occasionally reported by the Marintraffic receiver 25nm distant in Slovenia. My AIS antenna is pushpit mounted while a masthead antenna on another boat in my marina is always reported, which is logical enough. A receiver feed only 5nm distant will always report my signal but that receiver is out-of-service most of the time. In comparison, Vesselfinder always reports my signal, but does not identify where its feed receiver is located, while Marinetraffic can map overlay all its receiver positions with details of serviceability status, a further advantage.
It isn't just my boat. A friend is currently on passage down the Adriatic, now well south, and is often lost to Marinetraffic at any distance from shore - this is to be expected with VHF propagation but Vesselfinder reports his signal solidly everywhere. As Google Trends reports* usage - or interest in - of Marinetraffic vastly outnumbers Vesselfinder so I find it strange that the latter has more (or more sensitive) contributing receivers.
Has anyone else made any comparisons and if so, how is it in your area?
* (http://www.google.com/trends/explore?hl=en-US#q=marine+traffic,+vessel+finder&cmpt=q)
A case in point is my own boat , which on its NE Italian mooring is only occasionally reported by the Marintraffic receiver 25nm distant in Slovenia. My AIS antenna is pushpit mounted while a masthead antenna on another boat in my marina is always reported, which is logical enough. A receiver feed only 5nm distant will always report my signal but that receiver is out-of-service most of the time. In comparison, Vesselfinder always reports my signal, but does not identify where its feed receiver is located, while Marinetraffic can map overlay all its receiver positions with details of serviceability status, a further advantage.
It isn't just my boat. A friend is currently on passage down the Adriatic, now well south, and is often lost to Marinetraffic at any distance from shore - this is to be expected with VHF propagation but Vesselfinder reports his signal solidly everywhere. As Google Trends reports* usage - or interest in - of Marinetraffic vastly outnumbers Vesselfinder so I find it strange that the latter has more (or more sensitive) contributing receivers.
Has anyone else made any comparisons and if so, how is it in your area?
* (http://www.google.com/trends/explore?hl=en-US#q=marine+traffic,+vessel+finder&cmpt=q)
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