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AIS
Apr 22, 2015 20:38:23 GMT
Post by rxc on Apr 22, 2015 20:38:23 GMT
I used the original SPOT device 7 years ago to cross the atlantic, and it was very comforting to all the people who were NOT on the boat to see where we were. One message every 4 hours was great. That is, until the point where we reached the "dead SPOT" in the middle, where there was no coverage for two days. And everyone was calling everyone else to find out where we were. Finally they reached someone at SPOT who explained the "Dead Spot", and they waited a few more days, when we came back to life.<g>
We also had(have) a real EPIRB, but have never used it.
Once in the EU, we decided to buy an AIS, and the only doubts we had about its usefulness involved how easily it was for the French Customs to identify us as Americans, and send out patrol boats to check our tax status. The Spanish and the Irish did not use AIS, but instead relied on the Mk I eyeball device. Otherwise, it was magnificent.
We haven't used the SPOT since then, but then we haven't crossed any more oceans. Friends do follow us on Marinetraffic for our coastal trips.
I think that if you do serious off-shore work you should probably carry all three - (1) an EPIRB, first of all, (2) AIS, and (3) a Spot-like device (I would get the In-Reach today, if I had a need for one). In that order. For only coastal work, rarely off-shore, AIS should be sufficient, and my first choice, with maybe a PLB or EPIRB if you are worried. Now that there are PLBs with AIS capability, they sound like a good choice if you are worried about falling overboard.
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AIS
Apr 23, 2015 14:55:33 GMT
Post by iancymru on Apr 23, 2015 14:55:33 GMT
I've decided that 143 USD is good amount for a AIS gadget to play with and ordered one www.sz-shunhang.com/En/cpzsinfo1.asp?id=182 SH-098 beacon for fun will be with me next week and will let you know is it working/worth etc... Vasco it looks good for the price do you know if its software is compatible with an Apple Mac computer as I think you can plug it into a computer to input name and mmxi number etc. Cheers Ian
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AIS
Apr 23, 2015 17:04:26 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 23, 2015 17:04:26 GMT
when I get it next week I will play with it and report in all cases it doesn't matter much with what computer it is compatible as you will need to set the MMSI only once - I guess... if it works I will be able to test it on my 500nm trip from Alicante to St Cyprient from 01 - 17 May
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AIS
Apr 23, 2015 18:15:10 GMT
Post by iancymru on Apr 23, 2015 18:15:10 GMT
It will be interesting to see how you get on, and what information you can get it to display on AIS. Hopefully you will get it before you set off on your trip which sounds fun even more so with a new toy to play with.
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AIS
Apr 23, 2015 22:11:41 GMT
Post by zofiasailing on Apr 23, 2015 22:11:41 GMT
Can you please elaborate on the PredictWind service ? which service you are using exactly, cost etc. ? Iridium Go perhaps... www.predictwind.com/iridium-go/Vasko and Hoppy We have the older version of the Predictwind satellite communicator. It cost us around $900AU and about $29 per month for the service which includes weather routing. Predictwind now offer an Iridium product that has data and voice built into it too. We didn't upgrade to the Iridium Go as we will not be crossing oceans and will mostly have access to regular wireless internet cell phone cover. www.predictwind.com/iridium-go/?gclid=CjwKEAjwsOKpBRCDtfOnzaDg3HsSJAAJ2ojioykfLnCJ3rhA--aCxmaUdlGPF8727pvH2RGnT_ipChoCvMXw_wcBPredict wind keep only your last 90 days of 'track' so we extract our data to a second map so we have a historical record of our whole trip. Ours is a 5-6 yr circumnavigation of Australia of which we have completed 18months. We were initially horrified to discover our track disappearing. I guess the point is that Yellow Brick and Spot are not the only players in this market and AIS websites and Apps will not give a consistent and reliable real time report to interested/concerned onlookers. Your planning for forthcoming adventures are meticulous. Enjoy! SV Zofia
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AIS
Apr 24, 2015 8:59:59 GMT
Post by iancymru on Apr 24, 2015 8:59:59 GMT
I've decided that 143 USD is good amount for a AIS gadget to play with and ordered one www.sz-shunhang.com/En/cpzsinfo1.asp?id=182 SH-098 beacon for fun will be with me next week and will let you know is it working/worth etc... Vasco it looks good for the price do you know if its software is compatible with an Apple Mac computer as I think you can plug it into a computer to input name and mmxi number etc. Cheers Ian Vasco I sent shun hang a email and they replied that the programming software for the name MMSI etc is only compatible with windows and not Apples iOS, but as you say hopefully you only have to do this once then just beg steal or borrow somebodies PC if you on a Mac.
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AIS
Apr 24, 2015 9:09:40 GMT
Post by hoppy on Apr 24, 2015 9:09:40 GMT
I have VMware fusion running on my Mac along with Windows 7 just for those sort of issues. For a while I was just using bootcamp for W7.
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AIS
Apr 24, 2015 9:50:08 GMT
via mobile
Post by vasko on Apr 24, 2015 9:50:08 GMT
I have VMware fusion running on my Mac along with Windows 7 just for those sort of issues. For a while I was just using bootcamp for W7. I used to have the same, but now I moved to Surface 3 Pro and I have Mac OS X in VMWare Player and I'm extremky happy with the SP3 ....
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AIS
Apr 27, 2015 12:08:36 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 27, 2015 12:08:36 GMT
Got the AIS buy - seems very good and durable building quality ! - charging now and will give it a go later
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AIS
Apr 27, 2015 15:36:58 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 27, 2015 15:36:58 GMT
I can confirm NOW the beacon works quite well !
good things :
1. Looks very good quality built 2. VERY durable 3. Waterproof 4. Tested and data received from the AIS station and displayed in the marinetraffic.com - try boat ALFIL /MMSI: 235103371 / attached it to my motor bike and made a trip around the river in London ( Wandsworth Bridge) - all displayed on marinetraffic... /
so far I think I've made a very good purchase !
the only down side is the setup software - I had issues with the drivers for USB to COM cable supplied on Window 8.1 ( but it seems everyone have problem over the internet with this type of cables and Windows 8.1) on Win 7, Vista, XP, MAc OS X and Linux all works like charm !
if someone want pictures of the device I can send a hi-res ones.
conclusion : VERY good price and quality device/ it is actually modified AIS EPIRB with huge antenna and very high capacity rechargeable battery)
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AIS
Apr 27, 2015 16:29:25 GMT
Post by sailbleu on Apr 27, 2015 16:29:25 GMT
What is a good price ?
Regards
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AIS
Apr 27, 2015 16:37:46 GMT
Post by hoppy on Apr 27, 2015 16:37:46 GMT
What is a good price ? Regards It depends one whether you are married or not I'm single so there is more scope for me to find something is a "good price"
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AIS
Apr 27, 2015 16:41:57 GMT
Post by hoppy on Apr 27, 2015 16:41:57 GMT
Vasko, I see you have already been in marinetraffic uploading picture of your crab cage.
You are looking you should be hard aground there in London, but you are moving around.
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 8:38:38 GMT
Post by iancymru on Apr 28, 2015 8:38:38 GMT
I can confirm NOW the beacon works quite well ! good things : 1. Looks very good quality built 2. VERY durable 3. Waterproof 4. Tested and data received from the AIS station and displayed in the marinetraffic.com - try boat ALFIL /MMSI: 235103371 / attached it to my motor bike and made a trip around the river in London ( Wandsworth Bridge) - all displayed on marinetraffic... / so far I think I've made a very good purchase ! the only down side is the setup software - I had issues with the drivers for USB to COM cable supplied on Window 8.1 ( but it seems everyone have problem over the internet with this type of cables and Windows 8.1) on Win 7, Vista, XP, MAc OS X and Linux all works like charm ! if someone want pictures of the device I can send a hi-res ones. conclusion : VERY good price and quality device/ it is actually modified AIS EPIRB with huge antenna and very high capacity rechargeable battery) Cheers for the review Vasco, it looks ands sounds a good piece of kit for the money plus compatible with Mac OSX for setting up. It will be useful for busy shipping lanes as most ships these days have AIS displayed on their radars plotters etc and the visual searching for week radar returns not so religiously done and they will get an alarm if the AIS target gets within a set CPA on their sets. Would it be difficult to obtain and fit a spare battery or is the battery hard wired in? Your toys are costing me .....
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 9:11:00 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 28, 2015 9:11:00 GMT
I've paid - exactly £98 for the (buy + DHL shipping) + £14 customs tax the guys from sz-shunhang.com was really helpful !!! they helped me over email and skype with every step. they also have chart plotters and full featured AIS transponder & receiver for about $230 USD - if someone e need both. re battery - battery is changeable and they sell spare battery too and it is very easy to make a permanent mounting with a small controller which will get the voltage down from 12v to 8v ( or 7.4v) available on ebay for pennies... and of course you can add more batteries yourself in the box
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 9:14:08 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 28, 2015 9:14:08 GMT
Vasko, I see you have already been in marinetraffic uploading picture of your crab cage. You are looking you should be hard aground there in London, but you are moving around. Yep I should have uploaded a picture of my BMW C1 scooter instead of the boat for the purpose of the test which actually looks very close to crab cage but also does a great job in the rainy London
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 9:53:37 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 28, 2015 9:53:37 GMT
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 10:44:45 GMT
Post by hoppy on Apr 28, 2015 10:44:45 GMT
I have just thought of a flaw in Vaskos crabpot AIS transmitter plan...... Will the crabpot AIS always cause the AIS receivers alarm to go off meaning you can never set up a safety zone? In the marina I have a number of AIS targets near by and on my RM e7 I cannot see anyway to tell it to ignore a particular target nearby. I suspect that all AIS receivers assume that you will not have a separate transmitter and therefore have no way of ignoring a target. Whilst it will still allow others to see you, it might stop you from noticing others if you don't have the alarm Sorry for being a buzz kill
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 14:35:59 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 28, 2015 14:35:59 GMT
not really hoppy the ST Matrix VHF + AIS knwo my MMSI and ignore it as it is teh same in the DSC VHF and on the beacon
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 15:31:35 GMT
Post by hoppy on Apr 28, 2015 15:31:35 GMT
i hope so... i used to have an AIS receiver and I don't recall entering my MMSI.
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 17:55:58 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 28, 2015 17:55:58 GMT
My one have it is DSC VHF with AIS
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AIS
Apr 28, 2015 19:52:51 GMT
Post by abgreenbank on Apr 28, 2015 19:52:51 GMT
I have raymarine a650 ais transponder, initially I was disappointed with the range it could see targets, so i had a look at USB to PC and raymarine software Called AIS2 ,and the SWR of the antenna was 1:4, not the best, so changed antenna at the top of the mast to Metz ais tuned antenna, SWR just the same, so I checked the cable installed by the commissioning yard and found the cable from the mast was connected to the Jeanneau installed vhf cable already in the ducting in the boat not the cable connected to the ais! swaped this to the vhf cable connected to the ais and SWR 1:2.3 still could be better. Then swopped the ais to the vhf cable for the radio I had provided to the commissioning yard (10mm rgu213) and SWR 1.1. The ais display was connecting with a base station around 20 miles away and I could see targets 50 miles away, repeated from base station? anyway my point being the nice white thin rg mini8 or rg58 cable has no place on a yacht with a distance of radio to antenna more than 20m, the specs actually say 25m but I was stunned at the difference in performance, from the cheap to expensive cable, and if you buy the cable from a radio ham shop all cable is cheap! so big diameter slightly more expensive cable and an antenna at the top of the mast means long range targets and hopefully you can also be seen at a greater range, it's not just all about line of sight.
i am a great believer in AIS systems, as a commercial pilot who flew regularly to Usa in the early 1990's it became mandatory to install TCAS if operating in USA airspace, similar to AIS but also it gave instructions on how to avoid each other, one aircraft told to climb the other to descend, much easier to avoid each other using the verticle rather than horizontal plane. However it still allows very close miss distances. In the early days the CAA and Nats (uk regulator body and uk air traffic service) were very much against it, but it certainly saved my life on one occasion and it's been mandatory for many years and the software improvements have dramatically reduced false warnings, which were initially a problem in congested airspace. A life saving system.
regards
ab
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AIS
Apr 29, 2015 22:14:51 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 29, 2015 22:14:51 GMT
I'm able now to confirm that the AIS transponder ( beacon) is working exactly as expected an no issue with the ST Matrix AIS VHF - it ignores the the beacon as it has the same MMSi as the VHF and now my crabpod is visible I really hate to be extremely overcharged for some simple device like AIS or NAVTEX which should cost pennies - and this device for look like a descent price for the tool
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AIS
Apr 30, 2015 6:05:04 GMT
Post by hoppy on Apr 30, 2015 6:05:04 GMT
and now the crabpot poachers will know exactly where to find you
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AIS
Apr 30, 2015 23:03:10 GMT
Post by vasko on Apr 30, 2015 23:03:10 GMT
yep !
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