Still no wifi AIS android app?

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roblpm

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Winter plan is to build a rasperry pi nmea multiplexer and wifi from mr stripydogs website here: http://www.stripydog.com/kplex/examples/piap.html

I think he posts on here so i am looking forwards to boring you lot and him with my progress and questions!!

However Navionics on Android doesn't support AIS and iNavx is only available for steve jobs overpriced abomination (no user profiles as it is better for each member of the family to have their own device...........).

What to do. I will have a pc down below but would like a (cheap) cockpit solution for a possible very few overnight passages next year. Just planning to have fixed instruments in the cockpit for normal use as a chart plotter isnt really any use for racing and going out for an hour or 2 with the kids at the weekend.

Then again I will be an instant hero with my kids if i turn up at home with an ipad.........
 
roblpm said:
Winter plan is to build a rasperry pi nmea multiplexer and wifi from mr stripydogs website here: http://www.stripydog.com/kplex/examples/piap.html

I think he posts on here so i am looking forwards to boring you lot and him with my progress and questions!!

However Navionics on Android doesn't support AIS and iNavx is only available for steve jobs overpriced abomination (no user profiles as it is better for each member of the family to have their own device...........).

What to do. I will have a pc down below but would like a (cheap) cockpit solution for a possible very few overnight passages next year. Just planning to have fixed instruments in the cockpit for normal use as a chart plotter isnt really any use for racing and going out for an hour or 2 with the kids at the weekend.

Then again I will be an instant hero with my kids if i turn up at home with an ipad.........
Click to expand...

Droidais is a great Android wifi AIS app. There are a couple of others but droidais is the simplest to use and is free. Does not display as much data as OpenCPN but it perfect for a cockpit display.

Richard
 
RichardS said:
Droidais is a great Android wifi AIS app. There are a couple of others but droidais is the simplest to use and is free. Does not display as much data as OpenCPN but it perfect for a cockpit display.

Richard
Click to expand...

Richard thats great.

However I think this uses open sea map. Ideally i would like this combined with proper charts like navionics or mxmariner but it seems like inavx on ipad is the only solution like that. I was wondering if anyone had heard any of the Android app people say ais was coming.
 
roblpm said:
Richard thats great.

However I think this uses open sea map. Ideally i would like this combined with proper charts like navionics or mxmariner but it seems like inavx on ipad is the only solution like that. I was wondering if anyone had heard any of the Android app people say ais was coming.
Click to expand...

That's true.... But I use it like a radar display rather than a chart display so I've never bothered with the map stuff.

Richard
 
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I don't quite understand. If the intention is to transmit and receive AIS from an Android device, then that's impossible. If the intention is to interface the boat's AIS with an Android device, then that will require an AIS transceiver with inbuilt wi-fi or Bluetooth capability.
 
elton said:
I don't quite understand. If the intention is to transmit and receive AIS from an Android device, then that's impossible. If the intention is to interface the boat's AIS with an Android device, then that will require an AIS transceiver with inbuilt wi-fi or Bluetooth capability.
Click to expand...

That's right - a number of Ais transceivers will transmit the Ais data over wifi, Bluetooth or USB cable as well as over Nmea, and all the same time. You just need a program to display the data of which there are plenty for Pc and Ipad but fewer for android.

Richard
 
RichardS said:
That's right - a number of Ais transceivers will transmit the Ais data over wifi, Bluetooth or USB cable as well as over Nmea, and all the same time. You just need a program to display the data of which there are plenty for Pc and Ipad but fewer for android.

Richard
Click to expand...
I didn't know that. I just looked, and I see what you mean.

I don't know if this will solve your problem, but it's an interesting read: http://digitalyacht.net/2014/03/18/connecting-an-ais-receiver-to-an-android-tablet-with-boat-beacon/
 
I was about to suggest having a go with digital yacht's free AIS app but then realised that I installed that on my iPod, not my (android) phone. Seems they don't have an AIS app for android but they've handily provided a link to android apps that will display AIS:
http://digitalyacht.co.uk/files/Android%20Apps%20V1_00.pdf
None from the look of it overlay targets on "proper" charts, which is a shame. Not that I've used it (like you, no itching other than an old-ish iPod touch) but from talking with others I gather that iNavX really is the thing you want for this.
 
laika said:
I was about to suggest having a go with digital yacht's free AIS app but then realised that I installed that on my iPod, not my (android) phone. Seems they don't have an AIS app for android but they've handily provided a link to android apps that will display AIS:
http://digitalyacht.co.uk/files/Android%20Apps%20V1_00.pdf
None from the look of it overlay targets on "proper" charts, which is a shame. Not that I've used it (like you, no itching other than an old-ish iPod touch) but from talking with others I gather that iNavX really is the thing you want for this.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Seems to confirm my worst fears! I can't really believe this. Seems very odd that no-one is doing this for Android.
 
elton said:
I don't quite understand. If the intention is to transmit and receive AIS from an Android device, then that's impossible. If the intention is to interface the boat's AIS with an Android device, then that will require an AIS transceiver with inbuilt wi-fi or Bluetooth capability.
Click to expand...

My SH radio will be outputting AIS into my raspberry pi nmea multiplexer which will also output the resulting nmea broadcast over wifi. At least that is the plan. Then I can view the AIS radar like on my android phone or tablet with droidais as Richard suggested. However if i want nav and ais integrated looks like i will have to shell out for an ipad.

I suppose at least if i get bored i can fire up garageband!!
 
Have you checked out OpenCpn on the Rpi and sort out some sort of remote desktop on the tablet into that?
Or even better a cubietruck, much faster with built in wifi.
I did it ages ago with a nexus 7 and Rpi but can't remember exactly how, it was a bit clunky to use as a plotter but worked. 10" tablet should be a lot better.
Then you get the wonderful AIS implementation of OpenCpn :cool:
 
GHA said:
Have you checked out OpenCpn on the Rpi and sort out some sort of remote desktop on the tablet into that?
Or even better a cubietruck, much faster with built in wifi.
I did it ages ago with a nexus 7 and Rpi but can't remember exactly how, it was a bit clunky to use as a plotter but worked. 10" tablet should be a lot better.
Then you get the wonderful AIS implementation of OpenCpn :cool:
Click to expand...

Aha, good idea. The only problem with that is that I have a fold down chart table which makes access to a couple of the bunks quite difficult. As I am thinking about a couple of overnights next year I may want it to be laptop free. Cubietruck is interesting as that could be hidden somewhere. I wonder how long my batteries will last with all this blasting away!!!
 
roblpm said:
Aha, good idea. The only problem with that is that I have a fold down chart table which makes access to a couple of the bunks quite difficult. As I am thinking about a couple of overnights next year I may want it to be laptop free. Cubietruck is interesting as that could be hidden somewhere. I wonder how long my batteries will last with all this blasting away!!!
Click to expand...

Didn't read your post properly. OpenCPN on the pi, now there is an idea!!
 
roblpm said:
Aha so I am being a bit dense. So I could run kplex on a cubie and have it as a multiplexer, wifi transmitter and run opencpn all at the same time??!!
Click to expand...
Probably, though a better option might to be to have a tablet as a remote for the cubie/Rpi. The OpenCpn AIS implementation works very well. http://opencpn.org/ocpn/ais

Anyone know how to control a Linux machine using Android tablet over local wifi?
Think I've done on before, but can't really remember and away from the boat.
 
The following Android apps support AIS:
iRegatta,
Sailtracker
EasyAIS
WinGPS marine+ app.

Sailtracker has the option of displaying it on a chart.

regards,
Hans Fix
 
roblpm said:
Aha so I am being a bit dense. So I could run kplex on a cubie and have it as a multiplexer, wifi transmitter and run opencpn all at the same time??!!
Click to expand...

Yes, although if you just want to multiplex your AIS and stowe data and re-broadcast it, you're going to be running OpenCPN all the time, and the cubietruck runs OpenCPN acceptably you could get away with just running OpenCPN and leveraging its datastream stuff (see my reply on the kplex google group). kplex is a better pure multiplexer and network tool than OpenCPN (although I would say that) but if OpenCPN does what you want there's no point in adding complexity with additional processes.

GHA said:
Anyone know how to control a Linux machine using Android tablet over local wifi?
Think I've done on before, but can't really remember and away from the boat.
Click to expand...

I think there's any number of ways including VNC, RDP and some new thing google has developed. sticking terms like remote desktop android linux into a search engine gives lots of options.
 
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