On 17 May 2005 19:42:30 -0700, "Pascal" wrote:

I am not shure, but I have the impression that You told that you have a
Garmin GpsMap276C too, it is correct?

Yes, I do.

Remenbering what that unknow guy
told, that all the DSC ready garmin gpsploter already have support to
AIS, and as You have a NASA or other AIS receiver, could You make a
test to see if the Map276C can receives the AIVDM message? Pheraps it
has the function to plot the ships position based on the AIVDM message,
buried into the DSC function. What You think?

I doubt that it will work, and think that DSC is 9600 baud while AIS is 38400
baud, as well as using different protocols, but I may be able to check. My
276C is hard wired into my car at the moment, so I won't be checking for a
while, but will try to remember next time I take the unit out for reloading
of maps, etc.

What "unknown" guys say doesn't usually give me much confidence - being an
engineer I usually like to see some specs! :-)

Dave

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All replies to the group please.

Thank You Dave,

I know that this is improbable, but maybe garmin had put this covert
function only for some selected guys to test it; the new release 3.20
included the setup NMEA speed (high speed/normal speed) but do not say
what speed is... And if AIS and the NASA engine is having this fast
and large aceptance, being selled by several others software and
hardware makers, why not adopt it too, and make a litlle
software/firmware modification to support it? And pheraps, sell it
with garmin logo too, after a period of test?

Best regards and thank you again.

P.S. The link of the mac navigation software is:


http://www.gpsnavx.com/

"Pascal" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thank You Dave,

I know that this is improbable, but maybe garmin had put this covert
function only for some selected guys to test it; the new release 3.20
included the setup NMEA speed (high speed/normal speed) but do not say
what speed is...

NMEA high speed (HS) is 38400 baud.

Meindert

Than You Meindert,

How I can find if the "high speed" of 276C is 38400 or 9600?

There is a way to test the 276C with a file containing records of AIVDM
messages sended by an AIS receiver, and re-sending this messages to
the serial port of the laptop, using a program like Windows
Hyperteminal, so that the 276C woud read them again simulating a real
AIS receiver?

What the "unknown" guy said was:

" Then I think you schould start reading again.

All DCS capable Garmin receivers are also AIS capable.
DCS is still the most wideley spread system, and AIS does not add
anything to Garmin GPS receivers over the DCS system.

You can easely combine a Garmin with DCS with a AIS reciever since the
data send to the (external) gps is exactly the same"

This made me suspect that he could have some confidential information
about AIS and 276C and that the actual standard firmaware (3.20) maybe
is already able to receive AIVDM messages and get ships's MMSI, name
and position (at last), wich would be a proof that Garmin is already
developing the software (and maybe some hardware) for AIS on some DSC
ready gps receivers, like my 276C

Regards

Pascal

"Pascal" wrote in message
oups.com...
Than You Meindert,

How I can find if the "high speed" of 276C is 38400 or 9600?

There is a way to test the 276C with a file containing records of AIVDM
messages sended by an AIS receiver, and re-sending this messages to
the serial port of the laptop, using a program like Windows
Hyperteminal, so that the 276C woud read them again simulating a real
AIS receiver?

You could indeed try that. This also allows you to test whether the garmin
listens at 9600 or 38400 baud.

Meindert

Hi Meindert/Dave,

I tried this today. I get a big file with AIVDM messages from Ship
Ploter site, and created a task on Hyperterminal and direct it to send
to COM1 serial port, where is my 276C but I do not see anithing haping
and I can not say if the messages was being sent to output COM1 port.

I tried process the file with Ship Ploter, he accepts the file, read
and process it, showing the messages and the ships list, but does not
plot them in the map; I do not know if it was sending the messages in
the NMEA out (same COM1 on the laptop where is pluged my 276C.

I think that a real test with a real AIS receiver is a must to test
this thing. I want to know if Garmin will support the AIS in order to
make a decision on selling my 276C now and buy a Si-Tex chart ploter or
wait for AIS on 276C. It is a dificult decision, since I am a Garmin
customer for more than 10 yrs now, having had about 10 or more gps
receivers from them.

I know that there is other available solutions now, the AIS radar and
the AIS engine from NASA with a PC software, are good alternatives,
but my laptop consumes 4 Ah and my batery banks does not support this
24 hs a day. Sailing a boat at nigth in bad wether with a laptop in
the desk and running the engine to charge the bateries is out of my
mind. The AIS Radar is somewhat ugly and is not waterprof (humidity in
a sail boat is always high) and does not have an NMEA output wich
could be used in case I want to se the ships in the chart plot.

I will thanks very much for any help here

Regards

Pascal