Why buy ais receiver when app is free?

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bigman1

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I am not very bright with electronics but here goe's. I was thinking about buying ais receiver but discovered Vesselfinder android app.
which is free and very good or u can go pro for a few extra pounds for a little more info. So why buy the fairly expensive receiver?
Am i missing something? Thanks.Ronnie.
 
Depends where you sail and what you're intending to do with the AIS information.

Our AIS receiver fed the info into the chartplotter and gave us warnings (when turned on) if a vessel was going to be closer than x.xNm - nice when you're sailing in open water - pointless in confined waters when you can see them anyway.
 
With an internet based app like vesselfinder or boat buddy etc. you are visible because the system passes your ais data to the net.
Any other net based app can display you.

However you are NOT visible on 'proper' AIS where the boat has a transponder that is both receiving position data and broadcasting your position.
 
jakeroyd said:
With an internet based app like vesselfinder or boat buddy etc. you are visible because the system passes your ais data to the net.
Any other net based app can display you.

However you are NOT visible on 'proper' AIS where the boat has a transponder that is both receiving position data and broadcasting your position.
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As I understand it, VesselFinder only displays AIS data received by terrestrial receivers.
 
At sea you need* the AIS data received over the AIS VHF channels. The App is just a gimmick and the coverage will be patchy as you drop out of sight of land or sail in areas where the topology affects the signal.

*Of course, you don't really 'need' AIS at all, before anyone says that, but it is pretty useful

You can play with the App as a toy.

And whether you need a dedicated AIS receiver these days with so many VHF Radios having it built in is another question. And it surely can't be long before the manufacturers start bringing out VHF Radios with AIS transmitters built in.
 
I've installed Boat beacon and I'm thoroughly impressed with my very limited experimentation. For coastal sailors this has every chance of evolving into a great product once the network of stations is in place and longer range 4G becomes the norm.

I look on it as a £6.50 investment in a product I hope delivers in the future.
 
lpdsn said:
.........................And whether you need a dedicated AIS receiver these days with so many VHF Radios having it built in is another question. And it surely can't be long before the manufacturers start bringing out VHF Radios with AIS transmitters built in.
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Oh I do hope so. It will obviate the need to have two separate aerials, or an expensive splitter. If the Radio will also output the received AIS data to a chart plotter then it will be the ideal solution.
 
I think it is very important to realise that all the AIS web based and phone applications rely on VHF single being received from vessels at sea by shore stations, often amateur.

Whilst this information is interesting to friends and family, it has no place in a decent boat set up.

I love to watch at home and see who is where, but there is no substitute for a AIS system on board when crossing the channel or going further afield.

Tony.
 
What on earth would be the use of an app to me in shipping channels in the middle of the North Sea about 50 miles from land?
 
alan_d said:
Or to me off the Scottish west coast, where even 3G is rare.
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But of course neither is AIS particularly useful.There was nothing but two other yachts in the southern Inner Sound last week and if you use your AIS app at home its rare to see more than four vessels transmitting anywhere in the Inner Sound plus the land based sub station South Rhona light and several buoys.
 
ffiill said:
But of course neither is AIS particularly useful.There was nothing but two other yachts in the southern Inner Sound last week and if you use your AIS app at home its rare to see more than four vessels transmitting anywhere in the Inner Sound plus the land based sub station South Rhona light and several buoys.
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Indeed,which is one reason I don't have an AIS receiver, but if I did want one a mobile app would be useless.
 
but on the other hand for about £7 if you don't have ASI and would like to see what it does, and sail with a mobile signal most of the time then why wouldn't you download the app for the same price of a couple of pints?
 
niccapotamus said:
but on the other hand for about £7 if you don't have ASI and would like to see what it does, and sail with a mobile signal most of the time then why wouldn't you download the app for the same price of a couple of pints?
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No reason at all, providing you don't consider it a piece of safety equipment.
 
There is a disclaimer on most AIS sites that data may be up to 15 minutes out of date so nice to look at from your armchair but pretty useless as a safety device. I have to disagree about AIS being unnecessary however, in the areas where I fish which are very busy with commercial shipping, AIS receiver is invaluable particularly if linked to a good chartplotter. It will show other vessels, direction of travel, speed and time to danger zone so if you being approached you can do something about it. Mine also shows the MMSI number of the other vessels so you can make a direct DSC call to confirm they have seen you and are avoiding.
 
salar said:
There is a disclaimer on most AIS sites that data may be up to 15 minutes out of date so nice to look at from your armchair but pretty useless as a safety device. I have to disagree about AIS being unnecessary however, in the areas where I fish which are very busy with commercial shipping, AIS receiver is invaluable particularly if linked to a good chartplotter. It will show other vessels, direction of travel, speed and time to danger zone so if you being approached you can do something about it. Mine also shows the MMSI number of the other vessels so you can make a direct DSC call to confirm they have seen you and are avoiding.
Click to expand...
Check these out, virtual real time
http://vlissingenwebcam.nl
http://www.marinetraffic.com/#
 
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