scottie
Well-Known Member
One with remote Mike?
Why do people keep saying this utter nonsense? The screen on a VHF is infinitely better than the screen on any dedicated AIS unit I've ever seen because dedicated AIS units DON'T HAVE SCREENS!
Why do people keep saying this utter nonsense? The screen on a VHF is infinitely better than the screen on any dedicated AIS unit I've ever seen because dedicated AIS units DON'T HAVE SCREENS!
To me AIS and DSC go hand in hand as it means you can make a DSC radio call to a vessel using the MMSI received by the radio and makes it easy to call a ship to determine his intentions.
You can do it through a Triton2 display connected to a V50 radio without a plotter.This can also be done if you have a Garmin plotter and VHF, or a B&G plotter and VHF, i'm not ware of any other combination doing it at the moment.
This can also be done if you have a Garmin plotter and VHF, or a B&G plotter and VHF, i'm not ware of any other combination doing it at the moment.
Looks to me as though those people are saying it's not worth getting a combined unit because the screen isn't big enough for AIS to be useful. I was highlighting that with the exception of the 1980's looking NASA unit you have to connect to a plotter anyway so might as well get one unit to do both jobs.
My old boat had a standard horizon plotter and VHF and would quite happily exchange MMSI numbers between the two. It's a standard NMEA sentence for DSC so no reason others wouldn't support it.
I have NASA AIS / SH VHF / USB and RS232 GPS feed to my 12VDC truck PC running OCPN. The SH displays the AIS signal in CPA order, so its very easy to select which vessel you wish to call and press the button. This also applies to the cockpit hand mic
The OCPN will superimpose the AIS onto the screen and give all the necessary info
Using the MMSI you don't really need the vessel name to make the initial contact.
This is all by the old NMEA which does all I need at the mo.
You can do it through a Triton2 display connected to a V50 radio without a plotter.
I understand that, what i said was, with the appropriate plotter and VHF, you can initiate a DSC call from the plotter, simply by touching the AIS target on screen and then selecting the option to initiate the call. No need to enter MMSI numbers.
Why do people keep saying this utter nonsense?
I have both and have a slight preference for Standard Horizon. Partly based on the fact that I've owned 5-6 SH based units in 40 years, still have one that's 25 years old and none have ever failed. Also the SH seems to have slightly better volume and sound quality which helps after 40 years of rock and roll concerts. Those dams Brit bands were killers. After seeing the Who and the Stones live my ears were never the same.Standard Horizon or Icom. both top notch companies.
I haven't seen anyone suggest that on a 26ft boat a fixed VHF might not be needed. I'd be tempted to just get a good quality handheld (with DSC). I think that as a single hander it is essential to have the VHF in the cockpit and for a 26ft boat the cost of something like the B&G fixed units with wireless repeaters (£500+) might be too much.,