On 26 fev, 23:44, "Flemming Torp" fletopkanelbolle2rp.danmark wrote:
"Pascal" skrev i en meddelelsenews:1172535312.637404.34540@j27g2000cwj .googlegroups.com...



... Today, I use the only seriel port on
the PC to get the NMEA stream of data from the GPSvia RS232 ... The
C-map chart reader is using a USB interface,

... I will then have to figure out how also to get the
seriel input from the AIS engine into the PC ... May be via USB? Or a
multiplexor? If I'm not mistaken, Meindert will have an answer to
that
...

--
Flemming Torp
Gimle/DEN-61

Flemming,

If you buy the SR161 (I have one of these) it alows you to connect the
serial output cable (DB9 end) of your Gps (my gps is a Garmin and the
serial cable is standard) to the "serial input/output" DB9 on the AIS
receiver SR 161, so, the SR161 act as a Multiplexor, joinining the Gps
NMEA outputed at 4800 bps from the gps with his own generated AIS
NMEA data and sending to the serial port of the PC (DB9) a "correctly
combined Gps/Ais mixed NMEA Messages" at 38400 bps ... In this way, I
do not need another serial port on the laptop/Pc.

The Milltech Marine site where I have buy my AIS unit sell a already
made special cable, (I have buy one, becase I do not like to made this
type of work too) but they have an diagram in PDF of the cable so tht
you can made one yourself.

Pascal

Hello Pascal,

I have just finished reading some of the last updates John has
implemented in Sarah ... impressive and fascinating report, I must say.
I have learned more in the last five hours about problems in integrating
navigational instruments from different manufacturers and the way to
tackle these issues, than I ever dreamed/dreamt(?) of ...

As to your comment about cabling: Thank you for pointing this out to me.
I had not seen that, but I have so far not studied the SR161/162 in
detail, but this piece of information is certainly of great importance
to me. Now, there should hopefully be no more obstacles for me? ... So,
what I understand is, that now I just need an "AIS engine" i.e. SR161 or
SR162 (?), an antenna splitter and the special cable you mention, that
I - also - would rather purchase ready made than make myself ... ;o) ...
and then I should be ready to test the system on my PC running SOB and
the C-Map card reader connected to an USB port. As I live a few miles
from Øresund - the water between Sweden and Denmark with pretty heavy
trafic, I hope, I can do the testing from here ... I'll give it a try
...

When it gets warmer, I will go to the boat and see, if the SOB
application is able to "read" the C-maps from the Raymarine chartplotter
when the hsb2 is activated between the chartplotter and the PC ... In
that way, I will get the best of two worlds ... You know: One wants the
cake *and* eat it ...

Thank you again for your helpful and useful comments ... I'm an
"enthusiastic amateur in this game" ...

--
Flemming Torp
Gimle/DEN-61- Ocultar texto entire aspas -

- Mostrar texto entre aspas -

Flemming,

If you wish to test AIS at Home, the antenna splitter will be
useless... for now, just buy a small portable antenna (like the
antennas of portable vhf radios) with BNC adapter which would give you
a good reception up to 5 nm or if you decide to have a separate
antenna instead of a antenna splitter, to mount on your arch or over
the bimini top, them buy a standard VHF antenna which at this level
is good to about 10 nm. Off course, if your house is near the sea at
high level, the reception would be much better. Here at my home wich
is in water front at about 3 or 4 meters high I can get ships up to 15
nm using my small portable antenna.

By the way, for use at home I prefer to use AIS with the ShipPlotter
software, wich costs very little, about 25 euros, and it is very
good, it has many interesting features, like a data base of ships
wich you build along the use, internet connection, so you can share
the AIS info with others users in your area, access to IMO ships data
base to get more ships info and access to Google to get the ships
picture etc... At home you not need to use a gps, since you are at a
fixed location ... But it uses only Raster charts.. You can scn a
local map/chart and uses it, since there is no need to more than
one ...