AIS on a sailboat
 

Hi Group

I've heard you had a discussion about AIS for leisure crafts (eg sailboat),
so I have just started "listening" to this news group.

Could you "kick-start" me on the subject?

Thanks
/Boerge

AIS on a sailboat
 

Børge Wedel Müller wrote:

I've heard you had a discussion about AIS for leisure crafts (eg sailboat),
so I have just started "listening" to this news group.

Could you "kick-start" me on the subject?

Good timing. I just installed a Nasa Marine "AIS Radar" on Voyager this
week (see http://www.nasamarine.com/). I don't think they're available
in the States but was in England on business so picked it up there.
Price was 230 pounds, including VAT.

It takes 12 volts, a VHF antenna, and NMEA from the GPS in, and plots
on a radar-like screen the position of all vessels transmitting AIS.
The rule is that all ships over 300 GRT must have AIS.

On Voyager we sail very short-handed so a watch is always a headache. I
have an old Combi Watchman radar detector, but have found that over
half the ships we encounter at sea do not have their sets on (you can
see their antennas not rotating). We use radar sometimes with an alarm
set, but that sucks an awful lot of power. And, it can't tell the
difference between a ship and a squall, and too often there's rain
squalls everywhere, making the alarm feature problematic.

Here in Baltimore harbor the AIS immediately found and plotted two
dozen ships. You can toggle to a specific ship and it shows the
vessel's position, name, MMSI, course, speed and status. The alarm,
when enabled, beeps loudly when there's a ship within a user-specified
range of the yacht.

The gear works great. My biggest complaint: it uses a brain-dead PIC
micro without enough memory to remember all of the info about the ships
it tracks. So when you toggle to a new ship there's a delay - sometimes
a couple of minutes - while it waits for an AIS transmission from the
ship.

The device is rated at 80 milliamps draw, though I measured 130ma.
Still, that's nothing. I'm anxious to try it at sea.

It does need its own VHF antenna - the higher the better the range.
Voyager is a ketch so the antenna lives atop the mizzen.

AIS appears to be a real boon for short-handed watchkeeping.

Jack
www.ganssle.com/jack

AIS on a sailboat
 

"Børge Wedel Müller" wrote in news:4392f876$0
:

Could you "kick-start" me on the subject?


Look at the Google cache for the posts.

The sooner AIS is in all boats that can't turn quickly and must be in a
channel, the better.

This idea isn't "new". Ham radio operators have been using a GPS to VHF
or HF link called APRS, which is a much simpler protocol, for many years.

It was invented by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, at the US Naval Academy to track
lost midshipmen in the Academy's small boats.
http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html

http://www.aprs.net/
http://www.findu.com/ Let's you watch APRS from the internet
http://www.winaprs.org/

But, of course, this would be too cheap to put in a boat, no matter how
well it works. We have to have some outrageously-expensive, proprietary
system controlled by some patent holders, which really slows
implementation and leaves most small boaters unable to afford the
technology.

The AIS companies have live portals on the net to sell their wares:
http://www.aislive.com/AISLivePortal/
http://www.sealinks.net/World.htm
http://www.tsr-as.dk/ais.html even one in Denmark!
http://www.uais.org/LiveAIS.htm
http://www.dublinport.ie/
http://www.panbo.com/yae/archives/001018.html of course like charts,
we'll try to sell it to you.
http://www.lrfairplay.com/services/i...dvertising.htm
You'll need to have spam on the webpage, of course.

Just the ability to see around-the-bend in the river is worth having at
least an AIS receiver aboard. But, he won't see YOU unless you get a
full transponder.

Small boats at sea have always been at risk because, even with their
radar reflectors, they are such a tiny target, so low to the sea clutter,
most ships cannot see them, especially in close to the ship where the
ship's radar shoots right over the top of their masts when it's needed
most. AIS transponding completely solves this problem. The ship has a
constant view of your position, course, speed, who you are, what you are
for the lookouts (if there are any), even if your small boat is in the
bottom of the troughs. It's an amazing leap forward in safety-at-sea,
but will make small boats even MORE dangerous as the ships' watches rely
more and more on the new AIS display in front of the helmsman. Unless
you conform and buy a transponder, with him staring at his computer
screen for a lookout, he'll drive right over you.

AIS on a sailboat
 

On 4 Dec 2005 06:44:44 -0800, "
wrote:


Good timing.

Jack
www.ganssle.com/jack

Thanks for the info and review... on AIS

I went to your web page - very nice and informative -Jacks musings
blog and dual monitors and all.

And your PDF article on USB scopes also worthy although I didnt have
the time to read your 4 books or other 500 articles but the rebuild of
your sail diesel was interesting...

Hey Larry you might be interested in Jacks links www.ganssle.com


MIC

AIS on a sailboat
 

AIS as well as giving CPA and TCPA does give the name and call sign of the
ship. This allows the sailer the option of calling the ship by name on the
radio which is more likely to get a answer. It also gives a much bigger
window to take evasive action. Line of sight from a mast mounted VHF antenna
on the sailboat to the antenna on a Deepsea ship is a great distance. My
guess is you will *see* anything within 40-50 miles. Thats close to a couple
of hours notice for the fastest containership.

BTW Panbo (http://www.panbo.com/yae/archives/cat_ais.html) is reporting
Class B AIS transponders for $500 (maybe).

SaltAir

AIS on a sailboat
 

" wrote in
oups.com:

Here in Baltimore harbor the AIS immediately found and plotted two
dozen ships.

Is any bureaucratic entity transmitting from shore all the bouys,
obstructions and notice-to-mariners yet? We're way behind on AIS in the
States, how awful. I've talked to a few Coastie techies and I was more
instructional about AIS than I got answers to what CG is doing to get the
fixed obstructions on the air.

AIS on a sailboat
 

(Mic) wrote in :

Hey Larry you might be interested in Jacks links www.ganssle.com


Thanks, I'll take a look.

Anyone noticing or knowing about AIS fixed obstructions/bouys/etc. being
transmitted from shore stations in their area, please let us all know what
you know...thanks, too!

AIS on a sailboat
 

On Sun, 04 Dec 2005 20:45:40 -0500, Larry wrote:

Is any bureaucratic entity transmitting from shore all the bouys,
obstructions and notice-to-mariners yet?

========================================

The Navtex broadcasts have much of this. You can receive them on an
ICOM802 with a Pactor, Airmail and a laptop.

AIS on a sailboat
 

wrote:
Børge Wedel Müller wrote:

I've heard you had a discussion about AIS for leisure crafts (eg
sailboat), so I have just started "listening" to this news group.

Could you "kick-start" me on the subject?

Good timing. I just installed a Nasa Marine "AIS Radar" on Voyager
this week (see http://www.nasamarine.com/). I don't think they're
available in the States but was in England on business so picked it
up there. Price was 230 pounds, including VAT.

It takes 12 volts, a VHF antenna, and NMEA from the GPS in, and plots
on a radar-like screen the position of all vessels transmitting AIS.
The rule is that all ships over 300 GRT must have AIS.

On Voyager we sail very short-handed so a watch is always a headache.
I have an old Combi Watchman radar detector, but have found that over
half the ships we encounter at sea do not have their sets on (you can
see their antennas not rotating). We use radar sometimes with an alarm
set, but that sucks an awful lot of power. And, it can't tell the
difference between a ship and a squall, and too often there's rain
squalls everywhere, making the alarm feature problematic.

Here in Baltimore harbor the AIS immediately found and plotted two
dozen ships. You can toggle to a specific ship and it shows the
vessel's position, name, MMSI, course, speed and status. The alarm,
when enabled, beeps loudly when there's a ship within a user-specified
range of the yacht.

The gear works great. My biggest complaint: it uses a brain-dead PIC
micro without enough memory to remember all of the info about the
ships it tracks. So when you toggle to a new ship there's a delay -
sometimes a couple of minutes - while it waits for an AIS
transmission from the ship.

The device is rated at 80 milliamps draw, though I measured 130ma.
Still, that's nothing. I'm anxious to try it at sea.

It does need its own VHF antenna - the higher the better the range.
Voyager is a ketch so the antenna lives atop the mizzen.

AIS appears to be a real boon for short-handed watchkeeping.

Jack
www.ganssle.com/jack

Don't forget to reclain the VAT Jack!

AIS on a sailboat
 

"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Børge Wedel Müller" wrote in news:4392f876$0
:

Could you "kick-start" me on the subject?


Look at the Google cache for the posts.

The sooner AIS is in all boats that can't turn quickly and must be in a
channel, the better.

This idea isn't "new". Ham radio operators have been using a GPS to VHF
or HF link called APRS, which is a much simpler protocol, for many years.

It was invented by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, at the US Naval Academy to track
lost midshipmen in the Academy's small boats.
http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html

http://www.aprs.net/
http://www.findu.com/ Let's you watch APRS from the internet
http://www.winaprs.org/

But, of course, this would be too cheap to put in a boat, no matter how
well it works. We have to have some outrageously-expensive, proprietary
system controlled by some patent holders, which really slows
implementation and leaves most small boaters unable to afford the
technology.
....
If I remember correctly the AIS inventor , Håkan Lans, was forced to give up
his patent rights to get the system into the standards. I might be mixing it
it up with the corresponding system and standards for air traffic.
/Lars J

AIS on a sailboat
 

Wayne.B wrote in
:

The Navtex broadcasts have much of this. You can receive them on an
ICOM802 with a Pactor, Airmail and a laptop.



SO obsolete plotting manually from some stupid 1930 teletype
transmission.

AIS shore stations operated by someone who keeps up with changes in all
the data in your LOCAL area, so you can notify him, directly, of any
changes to objects that create a safety hazard, broadcast these objects
in the datastream with complete identification texts that open up by just
pointing to them on the AIS display. These objects are graphically
represented as to what they are, their bouy number for instance, color,
etc. to make the radar picture even more informative than just showing
the moving vessels.

CG across the country should already be online with AIS objects in every
port and on every waterway. We'll easily get what little money it takes
to make this happen by NOT writing a new construction contract on that
pretty front gate house the admiral wants to waste the money on.

AIS on a sailboat
 

Damn good idea, we must promote it all over.

It must not be a IALA A and B solution, that's a looser thing....

regards
/Børge - Denmark -Scandinavia


"Larry" skrev i en meddelelse
...
Wayne.B wrote in
:

The Navtex broadcasts have much of this. You can receive them on an
ICOM802 with a Pactor, Airmail and a laptop.



SO obsolete plotting manually from some stupid 1930 teletype
transmission.

AIS shore stations operated by someone who keeps up with changes in all
the data in your LOCAL area, so you can notify him, directly, of any
changes to objects that create a safety hazard, broadcast these objects
in the datastream with complete identification texts that open up by just
pointing to them on the AIS display. These objects are graphically
represented as to what they are, their bouy number for instance, color,
etc. to make the radar picture even more informative than just showing
the moving vessels.

CG across the country should already be online with AIS objects in every
port and on every waterway. We'll easily get what little money it takes
to make this happen by NOT writing a new construction contract on that
pretty front gate house the admiral wants to waste the money on.

AIS on a sailboat
 

"Børge Wedel Müller" wrote in news:439473d3$0
:

Damn good idea, we must promote it all over.

It must not be a IALA A and B solution, that's a looser thing....

regards
/B›rge - Denmark -Scandinavia




I just think the organisation that installs most of the obstructions, the
bouys and markers and jetties, should be the ones to maintain the
database AIS uses to place these obstructions on your screens. When the
bouy tender changes out a bouy, it spots it location via GPS and that
data goes in immediately, not after grinding its way through a huge
bureaucracy, but locally, so any faulty data can also be corrected,
immediately, locally.

"Coast Guard, this is the pilot boat. Marker 22 has been dragged about
200 meters to the southwest of its position by the heavy surf and current
we had last night."

CG immediately issues a notice to mariners, now. When, in 2048AD by the
time they arise from the seemingly dead and get AIS online, the person
generating the notice to mariners also updates the position and WARNING
to the fixed-position AIS transmitter for the area. Coming down the
channel, you suddenly see this alarm and bouy movement to its true
position. No paper form had to be digested onto a paper chart. No
multi-week delays even getting the notice to mariners from the bloated
bureaucrats.

AIS could easily do this IF the authority tasked with that bouy's
maintenance is also tasked with its AIS data transmission....

I'm also heavily in favor of them installing a wide area repeater on the
big TV tower to extend the range of this data output further than the 8
miles their VHF range always seems to be....

Well, at least in the Malacca Straits some buoys are equipped with AIS transmitters sending information on their type, position, light status and weather information.
On the Great Lakes meteorological and hydrological data is broadcasted every 15 mins.

Bureaucrats however still seem to be quite reluctant when it comes to using the full potential of AIS. The systems offers the possibility to broadcast safety messages, tidal windows, info on closed fairways and even re-broadcasting of radar targets that are not equipped with AIS.

Best regards,

Holger

www.yacht-ais.com

AIS on a sailboat
 

Holger wrote in news:Holger.1zo5c7
@news.boatbanter.com:

Well, at least in the Malacca Straits some buoys are equipped with AIS
transmitters sending information on their type, position, light status
and weather information.
On the Great Lakes meteorological and hydrological data is broadcasted
every 15 mins.



None of the bouys have AIS transmitters on them. There is a shore
station with a tall antenna in the area that transmits all the data for
all the stationary objects every, I think the specs say, 10 minutes, so
as not to jam up the time as the objects aren't moving, anyways. This
shore station may have a range of over 50 miles from its lofty antenna on
some communications tower. What you're hearing is the bouys' data sets
from it, not the bouys, themselves. Your VHF AIS system isn't a radar
looking for RF from an object. It's simply displaying data sent from
anywhere about the object at that location.

If someone reported a container had fallen off a containership at X
location and the end of it was sticking out of the mud, the guys running
the AIS fixed stuff transmitter (it doesn't listen, it's just a
transmitter) simply add the data on this container at X location to the
computer that stores and runs the transmitter, the container instantly
showing up on everyone's AIS display blinking away in some sort of new
warning mode I haven't seen, yet.

Instant, graphical, constantly updated and displayed notice to mariners
is one of the finest things AIS can do if the bureaucrats tasked with the
notice to mariners will cooperate and not treat AIS like they're being
forced to do slave labor in its upkeep. It replaces those way-too-late-
for-anything stupid paper reports of old in a very beneficial way.

Hi Larry,

AIS offers both remote broadcasting of AIS data for buoys etc. and also buoys that transmit themselves. Those self-transmitting buoys are mounted in the Malacca Strait to my certain knowledge. They are mounted with these devices: http://www.zenilite.co.jp/english/Home%20page.htm and I was told so by the manufacturer.
Contrary, on the Great Lakes all data is broadcasted from the shore stations. (I only know of met/hydro/traffic data, do they also broadcast data on buoys?).

As for alarms on dangers to navigation via AIS, the problem is that they can, at the moment, only be transferred as plain text messages. But it would be possible for the IMO (or any competent agency for its area) to specify a binary message with exactly this context....
I know this, because I am developing AIS software....

Best regards,
Holger

AIS on a sailboat
 

On Sun, 04 Dec 2005 20:47:03 -0500, Larry wrote:

(Mic) wrote in :

Hey Larry you might be interested in Jacks links www.ganssle.com


Thanks, I'll take a look.

Anyone noticing or knowing about AIS fixed obstructions/bouys/etc. being
transmitted from shore stations in their area, please let us all know what
you know...thanks, too!

http://www.yachtvalhalla.net/projects/ais/ais.htm

"AIS (Automatic Identification System)

The International Maritime Organization has ruled that all vessels of
300 gross tons or greater and all passenger vessels must carry AIS
transponders. These transponders broadcast their own AIS data and
receive it from other vessels. Information such as the vessel
identity (MMSI, vessel name and callsign), position, rate of turn,
course, speed, destination, and cargo is continuously broadcast over
VHF frequencies and displayed on dedicated or integrated navigation
systems. Though these active systems are expensive, there are low
cost, receive only units available that provide, for the small boat
owner, a display of much greater use than radar for these 'big boys'."

Good graphic and images

http://www.yachtvalhalla.net/projects/phone/phone.htm
Satellite Telephone (December 2003)

Mic

AIS on a sailboat
 

On Wed, 07 Dec 2005 19:32:22 GMT, (Mic) wrote:

Though these active systems are expensive, there are low
cost, receive only units available that provide, for the small boat
owner, a display of much greater use than radar for these 'big boys'."

===========================================

The biggest issue for small boats is not seeing the big guys (they
show up easily on RADAR), but being seen. Only an active AIS
transponder can provide that assurance since small boats are easily
overlooked or missed entirely on a large ship's RADAR. As large ships
come to rely more on AIS, and devote more time to monitoring, this
will become even more of a critical issue.

AIS on a sailboat
 

Hi all

I do now want to get "started" with passive receiver for testing.

Have you an adress/link to a "starter" kit? (hopefully below 3-400USD)

Regards
/Børge

"Wayne.B" skrev i en meddelelse
...
On Wed, 07 Dec 2005 19:32:22 GMT, (Mic) wrote:

Though these active systems are expensive, there are low
cost, receive only units available that provide, for the small boat
owner, a display of much greater use than radar for these 'big boys'."

===========================================

The biggest issue for small boats is not seeing the big guys (they
show up easily on RADAR), but being seen. Only an active AIS
transponder can provide that assurance since small boats are easily
overlooked or missed entirely on a large ship's RADAR. As large ships
come to rely more on AIS, and devote more time to monitoring, this
will become even more of a critical issue.

AIS on a sailboat
 

Google on NASA AIS Engine.
g


"Børge Wedel Müller" wrote in message
...
Hi all

I do now want to get "started" with passive receiver for testing.

Have you an adress/link to a "starter" kit? (hopefully below 3-400USD)

Regards
/Børge

"Wayne.B" skrev i en meddelelse
...
On Wed, 07 Dec 2005 19:32:22 GMT, (Mic) wrote:

Though these active systems are expensive, there are low
cost, receive only units available that provide, for the small boat
owner, a display of much greater use than radar for these 'big boys'."

===========================================

The biggest issue for small boats is not seeing the big guys (they
show up easily on RADAR), but being seen. Only an active AIS
transponder can provide that assurance since small boats are easily
overlooked or missed entirely on a large ship's RADAR. As large ships
come to rely more on AIS, and devote more time to monitoring, this
will become even more of a critical issue.

AIS on a sailboat
 

On Wed, 07 Dec 2005 19:32:22 GMT, (Mic) wrote:

On Sun, 04 Dec 2005 20:47:03 -0500, Larry wrote:

(Mic) wrote in :

Hey Larry you might be interested in Jacks links www.ganssle.com


Thanks, I'll take a look.

Anyone noticing or knowing about AIS fixed obstructions/bouys/etc. being
transmitted from shore stations in their area, please let us all know what
you know...thanks, too!

http://www.yachtvalhalla.net/projects/ais/ais.htm

"AIS (Automatic Identification System)


More Links

http://www.sealinks.net/OverviewPage.htm

http://www.sealinks.net/LinksPage.htm
Our Product Brochures (.pdf)
SL161R AIS Receiver Brochure
SL161R Technical Specifications
SL161R Basic Installation Instructions
SL162B AIS Transponder Brochure
SL162B Technical Specifications

http://www.pilotmag.co.uk/
http://www.impahq.org/
http://www.internationalpilots.org/articles.asp

http://ssca.org/sscabb/index.php?act...um=6&topic=769
SSCA Discussion Board —› Underway —› Anyone using AIS?
This is a 2 page thread...worth the read.

AIS on a sailboat
 

Just sailed up from Singapore to Langkawi via the Melaka Strait with
AIS running and found no buoys transmitting AIS data. Several base
stations are on the way but that is all.
Am running SR161 that gives a range of about 14 miles with the antennae
on top of the mizzen.
A very useful tool. Used it with the demo version of AIS-yacht which I
have found to be the most responsive and easiest to use and read.
Tony

AIS on a sailboat
 

"Lyn & Tony" wrote in
oups.com:

Several base
stations are on the way but that is all.


I think there are some misconceptions that to make a bouy show up on
everyone's AIS it needs to have a transmitter on it. This just isn't true.
ONE shore station with a tall tower can provide the AIS users with every
bouy, every obstruction or any other type of warning from its data stream.
It doesn't matter where its antenna is. This ISN'T some kind of radar
system, it just looks that way on the display. To show up, any object
needs data transmitted in range of your receiver from anyplace. The data,
not the transmitter's location, determines where the object is displayed.

Larry, true, this is one method of transmitting AIS data for floating objects. As far as buoys are concerned, AIS provides the possibility to allow them to transmit themselves or remotely from a basestation. Self-transmitting is normally used when environmental data is also transmitted.

I quote from the AIS specifications:
"There are three categories of Aids to Navigation in the AIS system:

Real AtoN: The AtoN is equipped with an AIS Station designed to generate
the appropriate AIS messages using local data from the aid and transmitting it via VHF.

Synthetic AtoN: The AIS message for the AtoN is transmitted from another
location (normally a base station) and the AtoN is physically located at the position given in the
AIS message.

Virtual AtoN:The AIS message is an aids to navigation message but no real aid exists at
the location indicated in the AIS message.


Holger

AIS on a sailboat
 

Holger wrote in
:

Self-transmitting is normally used when environmental data is also
transmitted.


Oh, wouldn't THAT be nice if all the NOAA offshore bouys and fixed stations
transmitted their data on AIS.....so you could see live how the wind and
waves are doing up ahead.

Other than realtime data, I see no reason to risk a radio system on a bouy.

AIS on a sailboat
 

"Børge Wedel Müller" wrote...
Hi Group

I've heard you had a discussion about AIS for leisure crafts (eg
sailboat), so I have just started "listening" to this news group.

Could you "kick-start" me on the subject?

Thanks
/Boerge


AIS and DSC are the new technologies for receiving
position reports of other boats in your vicinity.

Digital Selective Calling (DSC) is on marine VHF channel 70 (156.525 MHz)
Automatic Identification System (AIS) broadcasts are on two VHF marine
channels 87 (161.975 MHz) & channel 88 (162.025 MHz).


Here is a link to a popular AIS receiver:

http://www.nasamarine.com/AIS/AISENGINE.html

Here are some web pages that further describe AIS and DSC

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/gmdss/dsc.htm
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/enav/ais/default.htm
http://www.sailmag.com/05feellison.qrk.pdf
http://www.amcom.nl/marine/icom_ic_m421.htm

If you want to use the sound card to decode and display AIS data on your
laptop see this web page:

http://www.coaa.co.uk/shipplotter.htm

Here are a few more interesting links:

http://www.xmradio.com/weather/
http://www.xmradio.com/weather/av_subscription_pkg.pdf
http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap376c/

http://www.nasamarine.com/press/pdfs/sx35.PDF
http://www.nasamarine.com/press/pdfs/sx35pract.PDF
http://www.nasamarine.com/press/press.html

AIS on a sailboat - NOAA weather bouy data
 

"Larry" wrote...
Holger wrote

Self-transmitting is normally used when environmental data is also
transmitted.


Oh, wouldn't THAT be nice if all the NOAA offshore bouys and fixed
stations
transmitted their data on AIS.....so you could see live how the wind and
waves are doing up ahead.

Other than realtime data, I see no reason to risk a radio system on a
bouy.


I believe that you can get NOAA weather bouy data via XM satellite radio
today:

Here is more info on signing up for XM satellite weather.
http://www.xmradio.com/weather/
http://www.xmradio.com/weather/av_subscription_pkg.pdf

Go here http://www.xmradio.com/weather/marine.html and click on "Bouy
data".
"Buoy observations are taken from marine buoys and coastal observation
stations to determine wind speed, direction and gusts; air and sea surface
temperature; dewpoint; sea level pressure; wave height, period and
direction; visibility; pressure tendency and tide change. Data Broadcast
Frequency: 12 minutes"

Here some examples of two Garmin GPS units that receive and display XM
satellite weather data:

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap376c/
http://www.garmin.com/products/sp2730/

www.tvnav.com has the Garmin 376c for $805