Navionics app on a tablet, and integrating AIS targets

[ylop]

I'm not meaning to be rude about this - but

So you think I'm Knickers in a Twist over it ?? Maybe Dellquays question of paying sub to get the asset is not worthy of investigation and full practical confirmation ?

 

[Refueler]

The class b transponder function is interesting. Do you happen to know how frequently it sends out your data? Is it sending it out to somewhere that other vessels will routinely receive it or just to some internet place where apps get their data? If the OOW on the LNG tankers and Irish ferry around Milford Haven could see me on their AIS I’d be interested in that app in addition to my hardware AIS receiver

B Class is now old hat ... most units are now upgraded to B+ - which uses same form as A class.... and later B+ power was increased from 2W to 5W.

ALL AIS transponders B, B+, A will be received by other vessels RX if within range .. internet sites such as Marine Traffic are only collating and displaying ..

Be wary of Marine Traffic .. look carefully at 'received time' of the position ... MT is often time delayed especially if you are using the Free version ... but even the Subscribed version as we use in our work has limitations in this.

 

[Refueler]

I had been using an expired subscription version of Navionics on an IPad and successfully overlaying a wireless AIS signal. I hadn’t updated the app, for possibly at least a year, but decided to do so recently. From that point on I lost the AIS facility!! I will now need to re-subscribe to regain the AIS facility.
Mike

OOOP's !!

 

[Dellquay13]

B Class is now old hat ... most units are now upgraded to B+ - which uses same form as A class.... and later B+ power was increased from 2W to 5W.

ALL AIS transponders B, B+, A will be received by other vessels RX if within range .. internet sites such as Marine Traffic are only collating and displaying ..

Be wary of Marine Traffic .. look carefully at 'received time' of the position ... MT is often time delayed especially if you are using the Free version ... but even the Subscribed version as we use in our work has limitations in this.

It was the possibility that using an app could get a basic form of AIS transmit without buying proper transponder hardware that raised my interest, but it turns out the ‘transmit’ is only into the app, and so only received by big ships if they happen to be looking at that exact app at that time… Not like a proper broadcasting vhf transponder, which are all beyond my budget.

 

[Refueler]

It was the possibility that using an app could get a basic form of AIS transmit without buying proper transponder hardware that raised my interest, but it turns out the ‘transmit’ is only into the app, and so only received by big ships if they happen to be looking at that exact app at that time… Not like a proper broadcasting vhf transponder, which are all beyond my budget.

I don't know of any app like that - to put AIS into an app for others to read ??? Ships do not use app to display AIS .. they use actual receivers .. they would only use an app - if interested in knowing where another company ship is or maybe a ship they will rendezvous with .. if out of range.

OK budget ... if you are still in market for Plotter - there are plenty of Plotters such as Matsutek ... Onwa .... Zinhyu(?) etc that combine plotter with AIs Transponder ... for less money than a Garmin / Raymarine non AIS Plotter ! And with free charts.

Unfortunately - as we have found - the Navionics app requires real AIS data in to display ... which can be with a Receive only AIS unit ... does not have to be Transponder ...

 

[Dellquay13]

I don't know of any app like that - to put AIS into an app for others to read ??? Ships do not use app to display AIS .. they use actual receivers .. they would only use an app - if interested in knowing where another company ship is or maybe a ship they will rendezvous with .. if out of range.

OK budget ... if you are still in market for Plotter - there are plenty of Plotters such as Matsutek ... Onwa .... Zinhyu(?) etc that combine plotter with AIs Transponder ... for less money than a Garmin / Raymarine non AIS Plotter ! And with free charts.

Unfortunately - as we have found - the Navionics app requires real AIS data in to display ... which can be with a Receive only AIS unit ... does not have to be Transponder ...

I had never considered an AIS app until someone mistakenly suggested it as a transponder, because of the latency and need for GSM, and the fact that real mariners just don’t see the data.

I’m happy with my old Plotter for 99% and my old NASA AIS display is ok but they are both Pre overlay tech and won’t talk to each other.
A used tablet and cheap AIS receiver (in addition to my old plotter) are just about in budget (£220ish) if I then sell the NASA, but going for a new plotter inc AIS isn’t.

A subscription free option would be buying a preloaded tablet from London chartplotters, but I am a bit iffy about that for some reason. Maybe it’s things I’ve read on here, maybe because I wouldn’t get away with putting their receipt through as a tax deductible business expense if it said chartplotter…

 

[Refueler]

I had never considered an AIS app until someone mistakenly suggested it as a transponder, because of the latency and need for GSM, and the fact that real mariners just don’t see the data.

I’m happy with my old Plotter for 99% and my old NASA AIS display is ok but they are both Pre overlay tech and won’t talk to each other.
A used tablet and cheap AIS receiver (in addition to my old plotter) are just about in budget (£220ish) if I then sell the NASA, but going for a new plotter inc AIS isn’t.

A subscription free option would be buying a preloaded tablet from London chartplotters, but I am a bit iffy about that for some reason. Maybe it’s things I’ve read on here, maybe because I wouldn’t get away with putting their receipt through as a tax deductible business expense if it said chartplotter…

I was under impression that you had Navionics app on a tablet / phone already ? If so then all you need is AIS receiver and a WiFi output ...

The Nasa AIS display ... does it output NMEA0183 ?? If it does then a Vela Navega NMEA4WiFi unit at about 50 quid will take NMEA in and WiFi it out to your Navionics app ... same as I have ...

 

[FairweatherDave]

I had never considered an AIS app until someone mistakenly suggested it as a transponder, because of the latency and need for GSM, and the fact that real mariners just don’t see the data.

I’m happy with my old Plotter for 99% and my old NASA AIS display is ok but they are both Pre overlay tech and won’t talk to each other.
A used tablet and cheap AIS receiver (in addition to my old plotter) are just about in budget (£220ish) if I then sell the NASA, but going for a new plotter inc AIS isn’t.

A subscription free option would be buying a preloaded tablet from London chartplotters, but I am a bit iffy about that for some reason. Maybe it’s things I’ve read on here, maybe because I wouldn’t get away with putting their receipt through as a tax deductible business expense if it said chartplotter…

I confess to not being up to speed on the Marine navigator app threads. But when I first wanted AIS on the chart that is what I did with an ordinary android tablet and Visit My Harbour charts. No need for an ongoing subscription. I do prefer Navionics so stump up when I think I want AIS to function on a passage. My kind of sailing doesn't warrant AIS really but I regard it as a tool I want to be competent with come the big day I set off for France.

 

[wonkywinch]

I confess to not being up to speed on the Marine navigator app threads. But when I first wanted AIS on the chart that is what I did with an ordinary android tablet and Visit My Harbour charts. No need for an ongoing subscription. I do prefer Navionics so stump up when I think I want AIS to function on a passage. My kind of sailing doesn't warrant AIS really but I regard it as a tool I want to be competent with come the big day I set off for France.

You're not going to get AIS on any device mid Channel unless you have a proprietary AIS receiver and a way to inject that to your plotter (NMEA) or AIS to wifi to tablet based Navionics.

The shipping lanes have been deliberately placed just outside the limits of cellphone range.

 

[FairweatherDave]

You're not going to get AIS on any device mid Channel unless you have a proprietary AIS receiver and a way to inject that to your plotter (NMEA) or AIS to wifi to tablet based Navionics.

The shipping lanes have been deliberately placed just outside the limits of cellphone range.

Yup. I also fitted a Quark AIS receiver at the time. Pretty much copied what London Chartplotters were selling. The Quark would be the marine item on a receipt.....

 

[Dellquay13]

I was under impression that you had Navionics app on a tablet / phone already ? If so then all you need is AIS receiver and a WiFi output ...

The Nasa AIS display ... does it output NMEA0183 ?? If it does then a Vela Navega NMEA4WiFi unit at about 50 quid will take NMEA in and WiFi it out to your Navionics app ... same as I have ...

The NASA is a standalone unit, display only, no NMEA out, just little black AIS tadpoles, loosely based on a radar display

I don’t have tablet and Navionics yet, just looking for a cheap upgrade way to get an accurate vhf based AIS overlay onto a plotter.
My 2006 Cobra plotter predates widespread AIS for leisure purposes, so it is unlikely to understand AIS info and overlay.

I’ll keep using my existing plotter under the sprayhood, but if I get a tablet as well for the overlay from a Quark, it will be bracketed somewhere viewable from the tiller when I need it.

 

[requiem]

You're not going to get AIS on any device mid Channel unless you have a proprietary AIS receiver and a way to inject that to your plotter (NMEA) or AIS to wifi to tablet based Navionics.

You could also use Starlink, but if you're spending on that I'd prioritize an actual AIS transponder over it. (And having said that, I'd prioritise radar over AIS: I've recently heard two stories of collisions/near collisions with fishing vessels running dark. That is, no lights and no AIS.)

 

[Refueler]

The NASA is a standalone unit, display only, no NMEA out, just little black AIS tadpoles, loosely based on a radar display

View attachment 173407I don’t have tablet and Navionics yet, just looking for a cheap upgrade way to get an accurate vhf based AIS overlay onto a plotter.
My 2006 Cobra plotter predates widespread AIS for leisure purposes, so it is unlikely to understand AIS info and overlay.

I’ll keep using my existing plotter under the sprayhood, but if I get a tablet as well for the overlay from a Quark, it will be bracketed somewhere viewable from the tiller when I need it.

If you want to put AIS over a chart and you are not worried about the age of the chart ... Seaclear on a PC will accept AIS via NMEA as long as you have GPS input to Seaclear as well.
OpenCPN will accept via WiFi over lay AIS - again usually used with outdated charts (Cmapv2).

I have a RadarGadgets AIS Rx unit that I was testing for guy who designed . made them - its USB to PC .. but sadly he died and we lost a real innovator ... who knows what he could have designed later .. doubt you can find one out there now .. he only made a few before his loss.

Unfortunately I cannot see a cheap way to solve your need.

Here's an eBay search that shows you could have a plotter and AIS transponder literally for similar money to buying just a Transceiver unit !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...er+with+AIS&_sacat=0&_odkw=Matsutec&_osacat=0

 

[Dellquay13]

If you want to put AIS over a chart and you are not worried about the age of the chart ... Seaclear on a PC will accept AIS via NMEA as long as you have GPS input to Seaclear as well.
OpenCPN will accept via WiFi over lay AIS - again usually used with outdated charts (Cmapv2).

I have a RadarGadgets AIS Rx unit that I was testing for guy who designed . made them - its USB to PC .. but sadly he died and we lost a real innovator ... who knows what he could have designed later .. doubt you can find one out there now .. he only made a few before his loss.

Unfortunately I cannot see a cheap way to solve your need.

Here's an eBay search that shows you could have a plotter and AIS transponder literally for similar money to buying just a Transceiver unit !

GPS Plotter with AIS for sale | eBay

Thanks for the link.

A cheap tablet, quark AIS Wi-Fi and Navionics subscription is within my budget to get my requirements of an accurate AIS overlay with collision detection on a reasonable chart.

I know now that the Navionics needs a subscription to activate the AIS overlay and is easy to set up. I also know there are other ways of doing it on a tablet using other plotter software, sometimes open source, but they seem to need a bit more customisation in menus and settings than I want to get into, I am largely a Luddite.

A B+ transponder would be nice, but an expense for another year, and hopefully coming ready attached to a future boat!

 

[requiem]

I don’t have tablet and Navionics yet, just looking for a cheap upgrade way to get an accurate vhf based AIS overlay onto a plotter.

The overlay display is the easy part; any modern plotter will do it, as would any halfway-decent nav app, even Navionics. The primary expense would be the receiver itself (and perhaps a wifi module to feed a tablet).

I'd suggest considering how long you intend to keep sailing the boat, and what would be an ideal solution, and work towards that rather than a piecemeal approach that could easily cost more in the long run. E.g. a transponder with integrated wifi could feed a tablet until you add a modern plotter.

 

[Dellquay13]

The overlay display is the easy part; any modern plotter will do it, as would any halfway-decent nav app, even Navionics. The primary expense would be the receiver itself (and perhaps a wifi module to feed a tablet).

I'd suggest considering how long you intend to keep sailing the boat, and what would be an ideal solution, and work towards that rather than a piecemeal approach that could easily cost more in the long run. E.g. a transponder with integrated wifi could feed a tablet until you add a modern plotter.

My plotter is not modern, it’s 2006, and unlikely to understand any AIS data fed in to it, but I’m happy with it for the little it gets used, mostly it’s just a data page showing SOG, XTE, TTG and VMG, and provides a gps feed into my VHF DSC.
I already have an active VHF RF splitter in use for my existing NASA AIS standalone display. I just want to modernise the AIS receiver display enough for my needs until I replace the boat in 2025/6.

 

[PaulRainbow]

The overlay display is the easy part; any modern plotter will do it, as would any halfway-decent nav app, even Navionics. The primary expense would be the receiver itself (and perhaps a wifi module to feed a tablet).

I'd suggest considering how long you intend to keep sailing the boat, and what would be an ideal solution, and work towards that rather than a piecemeal approach that could easily cost more in the long run. E.g. a transponder with integrated wifi could feed a tablet until you add a modern plotter.

The OP has a budget of £200 or so, a decent AIS transceiver will set him back 3 times that, at least.

 

[PaulRainbow]

My plotter is not modern, it’s 2006, and unlikely to understand any AIS data fed in to it, but I’m happy with it for the little it gets used, mostly it’s just a data page showing SOG, XTE, TTG and VMG, and provides a gps feed into my VHF DSC.
I already have an active VHF RF splitter in use for my existing NASA AIS standalone display. I just want to modernise the AIS receiver display enough for my needs until I replace the boat in 2025/6.

You can buy a new tablet for £119.99, i have two and they seem pretty good.

Amazon.co.uk

 

[Dellquay13]

You can buy a new tablet for £119.99, i have two and they seem pretty good.

Amazon.co.uk

Stretching the budget to £240 gets one of those tablets, a quark 024 Wi-Fi and a 12v - dual usb 3a psu. Just add the Navionics subscription and go.
The same tablet is available for £99 with android 12 instead of 13, putting me back at my estimated £220.

If I need to shave a bit more off the budget, an 8” tablet would be big enough, in conjunction with my existing plotter.

 

[Refueler]

I have various tablets from 5" up to 11" ..... what do I use on board ?

8"

Why ? It slips into my jacket pocket - but screen is still big enough to show good detail. My Garmin 92sv is about 9" (anyway bigger than the 8" tablet ... ) - which do I use most ? The 8" tablet.