Joker
Well-Known Member
You need to be careful when looking at the cheaper ones, since they may not include such things as GPS antenna or splitter for VHF. One reason that I went for the Garmin is that it was, so to speak, all inclusive.
Recommended Class B AIS transponder
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david_bagshaw
Well-Known Member
I have the digital yacht class B. Its transmissions can be switched off via a remote switch, which is sensibly wired in a make for off configuration. Most AIS use the same engine these days hence the similarity in cost. The important thing is service when there are problems. I can vouch for them when mine was fixed within 2 days this summer.
ditchcrawler
Well-Known Member
Have a look at the Vesper AIS range on www.vespermarine.co.uk
I have their AIS display linked to a Standard Horizon Radio,but they do transponders as well.
I have their AIS display linked to a Standard Horizon Radio,but they do transponders as well.
prv
Well-Known Member
I didn't want to suggest those as I'm starting to sound like a stuck record, but yes, hearty recommendations from here too
(Mostly on the basis of their displays, so a 750 if you want a transponder. I'm not sure there's so much differentiation in black-box units.)
Pete
winsbury
Well-Known Member
Very interesting thread, I have an easyais 1st gen hooked up via an actisense ais to n2k converter to a lowrance hds plotter but it doesnt show ship names and some other details , dont know if this is normal or whether the actisense is filtering or if upgrading to a class b n2k set would get round the problem. Any ideas folks ?
prv
Well-Known Member
Not normal, but if your AIS is a very early model then perhaps it only decodes the "dynamic" messages? These show where ships are, how fast they're going, etc, but they don't have the name or other static details.
Pete
winsbury
Well-Known Member
That might explain it, all the dynamic stuff is shown plus mmsi but nothing else.
Martin_J
Well-Known Member
Not wishing to divert the thread... But Winsbury - Have you checked you are on the latest software on your Lowrance Plotter.. Advances have been made in the software in the two releases this year.
The release notes for the May 2013 release for the HDS Gen 2 say they have an improvement in Static Class B data recognition. This data usually includes 'Boat Name, Ship Type, Call Sign, Dimensions, and Vendor ID'.
http://www.lowrance.com/Global/Lowrance/Documents/Software/HDS%20Gen2%20%202.0-45.135%20Release%20Notes.pdf
With any chart plotter it is worthwhile checking for later Firmware updates. I recently updated a recent Raymarine plotter for someone that was about 25 updates out of date. Improvements in AIS recognition were good but CPA on the Radar MARPA was also considerably improved.
The release notes for the May 2013 release for the HDS Gen 2 say they have an improvement in Static Class B data recognition. This data usually includes 'Boat Name, Ship Type, Call Sign, Dimensions, and Vendor ID'.
http://www.lowrance.com/Global/Lowrance/Documents/Software/HDS%20Gen2%20%202.0-45.135%20Release%20Notes.pdf
With any chart plotter it is worthwhile checking for later Firmware updates. I recently updated a recent Raymarine plotter for someone that was about 25 updates out of date. Improvements in AIS recognition were good but CPA on the Radar MARPA was also considerably improved.
winsbury
Well-Known Member
I think so but will double check at the weekend..firmware was definitely updated a couple of months ago.
richardbrennan
Well-Known Member
It's worth considering the connectivity with your DSC radio rather than your plotter as, if you have the same make of AIS as radio, you may well be able to call up a target without having to enter the MMSI number manually. Apart from that facility, I have the Digital AIT2000 with a Garmin 5012 plotter, it works well, you can switch the transponder off, and it is very much plug and play using NMEA 2000.
Martin_J
Well-Known Member
In my case I have the Standard Horizon plotter and Standard Horizon radio... It is the NMEA chat between them that allows me to call up other vessels from the MMSI list on the plotter.
The AIS input to the plotter is from a totally different make of AIS transponder but so long as the plotter receives the MMSI details in the AIS input then all is fine.
The AIS input to the plotter is from a totally different make of AIS transponder but so long as the plotter receives the MMSI details in the AIS input then all is fine.
Martin_J
Well-Known Member
Back to the original question. I installed the Advansea TR200 AIS transceiver. It was fit and forget. It is hidden away, supposedly waterproof and has been switched on since installation.
There is the option of connecting an external switch that can be programmed to do one of two functions, one of which is to inhibit transmissions. I cannot remember the other function that it can do.... Perhaps it was to transmit a DSC alert...
Since a few of the other units are based on the same hardware, I would expect them to have a switch input that is similar in function.
There is the option of connecting an external switch that can be programmed to do one of two functions, one of which is to inhibit transmissions. I cannot remember the other function that it can do.... Perhaps it was to transmit a DSC alert...
Since a few of the other units are based on the same hardware, I would expect them to have a switch input that is similar in function.
FWB
N/A
I have a Comar 2-2000 receiver linked by N2k bus to a Lowrance HDS 7m gen1 plotter. Like you I don't get ship names and various other details. This must be down to the plotter since the Comar does transmit all AIS details.
VicMallows
Well-Known Member
Not directly related to your setup. However I had the identical symptoms with a NASA AIS engine feeding a PC plotter via a serial-usb converter.
The problem eventually turned out to be the converter - a different one worked fine. (I can only conclude that the first one could not handle the much longer static sentence - possibly due to a timing issue?). Just illustrates that the interface itself can be a culprit.
pugwash60
Well-Known Member
garmin ais
I have a Garmin linked to a Garmin plotter, I bought it because I thought it would be easy to wire to the plotter.
I found the instructions didn't cover my installation, they showed how to wire it to various other garmin plotters but not the one I had (750 I think). I wired it how I thought was correct from their instructions on wiring to an nmea 183 or whatever it's called plotter, (not the 2000 one). It's confusing because on either the plotter or the Ais they talk about nmea + and - and then on the other one they talk about nmea in and out. It didn't work. Their help desk were very knowledgeable, helpful and polite, and apparantly I'd wired it wrongly, re doing it as they suggested didn't help, after sending me a new ais unit it was still not working. I ended up getting a Garmin agent to look at it, who replaced the plotter, and wired it up in a different way again to either the instructions or the instructions of the helpline. It now works very well. I have to say also that the after sale service was excellent and I really like the plotter, the ais does what it says it should and as mentioned in other posts you can wire it , which I have, to a switch to turn off the transmit facility. It also has a facility to send out an urgency message but I can't see any point to that.
One thing that the service people said was that a common fault was that the aerial was often not good enough for a digital signal, I fitted a dedicated aerial in case that was where my problems were coming from but it wasn't however they say that most problems are related to old aerials with tired connectors.
I have a Garmin linked to a Garmin plotter, I bought it because I thought it would be easy to wire to the plotter.
I found the instructions didn't cover my installation, they showed how to wire it to various other garmin plotters but not the one I had (750 I think). I wired it how I thought was correct from their instructions on wiring to an nmea 183 or whatever it's called plotter, (not the 2000 one). It's confusing because on either the plotter or the Ais they talk about nmea + and - and then on the other one they talk about nmea in and out. It didn't work. Their help desk were very knowledgeable, helpful and polite, and apparantly I'd wired it wrongly, re doing it as they suggested didn't help, after sending me a new ais unit it was still not working. I ended up getting a Garmin agent to look at it, who replaced the plotter, and wired it up in a different way again to either the instructions or the instructions of the helpline. It now works very well. I have to say also that the after sale service was excellent and I really like the plotter, the ais does what it says it should and as mentioned in other posts you can wire it , which I have, to a switch to turn off the transmit facility. It also has a facility to send out an urgency message but I can't see any point to that.
One thing that the service people said was that a common fault was that the aerial was often not good enough for a digital signal, I fitted a dedicated aerial in case that was where my problems were coming from but it wasn't however they say that most problems are related to old aerials with tired connectors.
pugwash60
Well-Known Member
garmin ais
I have a Garmin linked to a Garmin plotter, I bought it because I thought it would be easy to wire to the plotter.
I found the instructions didn't cover my installation, they showed how to wire it to various other garmin plotters but not the one I had (750 I think). I wired it how I thought was correct from their instructions on wiring to an nmea 183 or whatever it's called plotter, (not the 2000 one). It's confusing because on either the plotter or the Ais they talk about nmea + and - and then on the other one they talk about nmea in and out. It didn't work. Their help desk were very knowledgeable, helpful and polite, and apparantly I'd wired it wrongly, re doing it as they suggested didn't help, after sending me a new ais unit it was still not working. I ended up getting a Garmin agent to look at it, who replaced the plotter, and wired it up in a different way again to either the instructions or the instructions of the helpline. It now works very well. I have to say also that the after sale service was excellent and I really like the plotter, the ais does what it says it should and as mentioned in other posts you can wire it , which I have, to a switch to turn off the transmit facility. It also has a facility to send out an urgency message but I can't see any point to that.
One thing that the service people said was that a common fault was that the aerial was often not good enough for a digital signal, I fitted a dedicated aerial in case that was where my problems were coming from but it wasn't however they say that most problems are related to old aerials with tired connectors.
I have a Garmin linked to a Garmin plotter, I bought it because I thought it would be easy to wire to the plotter.
I found the instructions didn't cover my installation, they showed how to wire it to various other garmin plotters but not the one I had (750 I think). I wired it how I thought was correct from their instructions on wiring to an nmea 183 or whatever it's called plotter, (not the 2000 one). It's confusing because on either the plotter or the Ais they talk about nmea + and - and then on the other one they talk about nmea in and out. It didn't work. Their help desk were very knowledgeable, helpful and polite, and apparantly I'd wired it wrongly, re doing it as they suggested didn't help, after sending me a new ais unit it was still not working. I ended up getting a Garmin agent to look at it, who replaced the plotter, and wired it up in a different way again to either the instructions or the instructions of the helpline. It now works very well. I have to say also that the after sale service was excellent and I really like the plotter, the ais does what it says it should and as mentioned in other posts you can wire it , which I have, to a switch to turn off the transmit facility. It also has a facility to send out an urgency message but I can't see any point to that.
One thing that the service people said was that a common fault was that the aerial was often not good enough for a digital signal, I fitted a dedicated aerial in case that was where my problems were coming from but it wasn't however they say that most problems are related to old aerials with tired connectors.
tudorsailor
Well-Known Member
I have a Comar multi. I almost never get the ship's names but always get speed, turn etc. Sometimes the ship's name appears much longer than the 6 minutes it ought to take.
I have a direct USB connection from the Comar, so cannot blame the converter
Irritating
TudorSailor
I have a direct USB connection from the Comar, so cannot blame the converter
Irritating
TudorSailor
VicMallows
Well-Known Member
I noticed that some PC plotter programs seemed much better at acquiring the ship name than others. I then discovered that SOME programs maintain a look-up table relating MMSI to name, so once the plotter has associated an MMSI/name it knows the name instantly in future. Very sensible!
tudorsailor
Well-Known Member
I have been using Open CPN. Which program have you found to be the best in displaying ship names???
TudorSailor
prv
Well-Known Member
Not surprising if you mix up + and - with in and out.
That's like saying "this battery has 'positive' and 'negative' terminals, but the charger has 'starter' and 'domestic' outputs - waah, why can't they use the same names?"
At least when you miswire NMEA it just doesn't work, unlike the potential for damage and explosions if you decided to wire your negative battery terminal to the domestic positive output of the charger.
Pete
