AIS: A Creepy Experience.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

The advantage in AIS is to transmit and receive ,not just receive. If everyone could so that the system would be useless. Use a transponder

dave

Receiver-only vessels are obviously not optimal but they still represent a quantum leap forward in safety. Class A vessels represent the best chance for collision offshore and generally have the least maneuverability in coastal settings. Being aware of their details, and all the other transponder vessels, is way better than otherwise.

[captain58sailin]

rebel heart, I know my situation is vastly different from the norm here, however, the pirates in Nigeria can and do use AIS to track potential victims. They have one from one of the boats that they attacked here. If I were going to be a pirate, I would use one, if for nothing more than data mining to find the most lucrative target. Again, I work in pirate central so I have a different view on these things. As before, I am far more comfortable with an ARPA equipped radar. For those who are not, you need to work on your skills and become proficient with the equipment. Take the time.

[Randy]

The value in having AIS on a small vessel is that it makes you much more visible to larger ships. This is not withstanding the variability in the quality of watch that's being maintained. The purpose of AIS is to provide a positive id and facilitate communication while maneuvering through traffic for the big boys. When I'm out I often wish small vessels with poor radar signature had AIS. It is not intended to replace radar with or without ARPA or a visual lookout.

[sailorboy1]

So new anti-piracy idea:

Get a cheap wooden boat and load it up with a bunch of radar reflectors and a cheap AIS that you program as a nice fat cargo ship. Set is loose in a direction away from when you what to go, wait a few hours and then you and your buddy boats head the other way.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Don L

So new anti-piracy idea:

Get a cheap wooden boat and load it up with a bunch of radar reflectors and a cheap AIS that you program as a nice fat cargo ship. Set is loose in a direction away from when you what to go, wait a few hours and then you and your buddy boats head the other way.

Don't forget a few hundred pounds of HE and a proximity fuse on the bait boat.






PS
For any readers that think I'm serious, I'm not. Strictly tongue in cheek.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Receiver-only vessels are obviously not optimal but they still represent a quantum leap forward in safety. Class A vessels represent the best chance for collision offshore and generally have the least maneuverability in coastal settings. Being aware of their details, and all the other transponder vessels, is way better than otherwise.

well transceivers have nothing to do with AIS CLass.

What I was saying there would be no AIS if all we had were receivers.


anyway in a few years i doubt anyone will make just a receiver

And I suspect more and more nations will make them mandatory for smaller and smaller vessels ( already mandatory now in the EU for fishing vessels)
dave

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Don L

So new anti-piracy idea:

Get a cheap wooden boat and load it up with a bunch of radar reflectors and a cheap AIS that you program as a nice fat cargo ship. Set is loose in a direction away from when you what to go, wait a few hours and then you and your buddy boats head the other way.

Piracy must be a problem in Maine then is it. or do you intend to DHL it to Somalia.

dave

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Don't forget a few hundred pounds of HE and a proximity fuse on the bait boat.



PS
For any readers that think I'm serious, I'm not. Strictly tongue in cheek.

Hey I think the bomb bait boat is a great idea and wish I had thought of it.



PS - I'm NOT kidding.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Piracy must be a problem in Maine then is it. or do you intend to DHL it to Somalia.

dave

low lifes are everywhere now

[Wraith_Mac]

The NSA is going to love this thread...
boat, bombs, Maine, export, HE.
Those little data mining flags must be pinging about now. LOL

Just watching,
Cheers,
Mac

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

AIS: A Creepy experience.

I just finished my first cruising season with an AIS receiver, and have concluded.... the system is rather creepy in that it presents new potential and very real security risks, and is nearly 50% unreliable in detecting other vessels who choose not to transmit a signal.

..... edit....
Would you even consider transmitting AIS in your land-based life?

'Just a thought.

yeah, and everyone is mad at the NSA for tracking their phone numbers while volunteering to be watched!

[goboatingnow]

Would you even consider transmitting AIS in your land-based life?

its called a cell phone.
Dave

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

rebel heart, I know my situation is vastly different from the norm here, however, the pirates in Nigeria can and do use AIS to track potential victims. They have one from one of the boats that they attacked here. If I were going to be a pirate, I would use one, if for nothing more than data mining to find the most lucrative target. Again, I work in pirate central so I have a different view on these things. As before, I am far more comfortable with an ARPA equipped radar. For those who are not, you need to work on your skills and become proficient with the equipment. Take the time.

That's completely reasonable and I'm sure the reason "silent mode" is standard on all AIS transponders. If I was anywhere near your neck of the woods, the Gulf of Aden, or other known hot-spots I'd definitely have the transponder off at the switch with a piece of tape reminding me not to advertise myself as a target.

Just another thought, one reason AIS is probably more popular on sailboats, in addition to the increased skillset for radar, is that it uses a lot less power. A class B transponder with a receiver display like the GX2150 sucks down roughly ~1 amp, no chart plotter required. Hard to get that kind of power consumption from a radar system.

With radar I keep it in standby unless I'm actually looking at the screen, as where my AIS gear is always left on.

[goboatingnow]

As before, I am far more comfortable with an ARPA equipped radar. For those who are not, you need to work on your skills and become proficient with the equipment. Take the time.

This is to mis-characterise AIS. AIS is not a substitute for Radar nor is it any kind of "detection" system. Receive only AIS is somewhat of an abomination as it inherently is not what AIS is about. AIS fundementally is about advertising your speed and position so as to alert others to where you are and headed.

Hence applied properly AIS does something that radar cant do. it tells others you are a sailboat/small boat and should be avoided. AT sea Ive seen it do just that and its a superb system for that.

I have very little 'truck' with receive only AIS.\

dave

[rebel heart]

Dave-

Both AIS and radar are fundamentally to aid in collision avoidance. They go about it in different ways, but they're not that far apart when you zoom out a bit.