"Vessel Name" programming into AIS Transponder

[ka4wja]

I'm pretty certain that I'll just go with my first idea, to program S/V Annie Laurie


1) Eric, Thank you, again....

Originally Posted by fairbank56

That just reminded me during a discussion over on the SSCA forum a couple years ago a user name of SY Gemini was posting and I noticed his boat on my AIS monitoring station. He was in Spa Creek near Annapolis using the vessel name of Sy Gemini. I posted this screenshot there.

(although, it isn't clear if it was Ross' transponder sending Sy vs. SY, or the software of your AIS unit / display that shows Sy vs. SY....)
And, to be clear, I had intended to include a / between the S and V...as I always do.....and to use caps....



2) Thank you to all that have responded!!!
I'd really like to keep this thread on-point....and I hope that some who have AIS transponders (and those that have experience on large ship's bridges) will respond with their experiences.....


But, until that happens....



3) I take no offense in Eric's cautionary comments.....(although I suspect that they are targeted more towards the casual readers of this thread, rather than me directly...as everyone that has read my posts will see that in addition to my RF background, I'm a fanatic about low-power consumption!!!)



4) Regarding S/V vs. S/Y, etc... I've always used the term "sailing vessel" and S/V (for over 40 years now), and sort-of assumed that was the "official" and accepted way.....
But...
I suspect that there are some regional/cultural/generational variations.....
(I know that back in the 60's my Dad used the term "yacht" or "sailing yacht" to refer to his boats and all "pleasure boats" that had sleeping quarters.... And, I've met some British sailors that still use the term "yacht" to refer to all sailboats.....
Myself, I think of a "yacht" as one of those "mega-yachts"....)



5) Oh, BTW, in addition to working on and installing marine electronics for many years (> 35), I HAVE read the manual cover-to-cover, and I am aware of how it works, how it is configured, how it is installed, and how it is programmed.....
(I sort-of thought that was a given, considering I WAS asking such a specific question, afterall....




Fair winds to all.....

John
S/V Annie Laurie

[MarkSF]

A friend recently confessed to getting too close to a high speed ferry, while distracted while looking up the ferry's speed and course on the chartplotter via AIS, to see if it was going to come too close.

This comes under the category "failure to engage brain"

[Paul Elliott]

The AIS message text coding (as in the vessel name) only supports CAPITAL LETTERS (and numbers and some limited punctuation). So, it could not have been "Sy".

I don't think anyone would be confused by "S/V ANNIE LAURIE". The "name" field permits up to 20 characters.

[fairbank56]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

GEEZ! He already said, a couple of times, that he has no intention of transmitting at the high power setting all the time. Okay, so you don't believe him. We get it. Let it go.

No, YOU don't get it at all, but John does so that's OK.

Eric

[fairbank56]

Originally Posted by ka4wja

1) Eric, Thank you, again....
(although, it isn't clear if it was Ross' transponder sending Sy vs. SY, or the software of your AIS unit / display that shows Sy vs. SY

Yes, that is a function of the software I was using. Character data such as ship's names are transmitted using 6-bit ASCII coding which allows a maximum of 64 available characters. There are 26 capital letters, 10 numbers, 1 space and 27 punctuation and other special characters. This is all spelled out in the ITU technical characteristics for AIS. Under transmitter requirements for class B devices, it states carrier power as 33dbm ±1.5db which is ~2 watts.

Eric

[hellosailor]

Technically, I think the descriptor or qualifier such as S/Y or R/V or similar is just that: A descriptor, and not part of the vessel name itself. If your vessel is USCG documented, does the "vessel name" include the descriptor? Should all be same-same, shouldn't it?

"they just have not yet gotten FCC approval...."
John, as you're a ham you may be familiar with how the FCC sometimes proceeds in enforcement actions. IF for some odd reason, someone gets a bee in their bonnet, the fact that this unit is not FCC approved means you're looking at something like a $10,000 mandatory fine for installing it, whether you use it in a compliant manner or not. Odds of having that problem, slim to none. Still, the fine will be at least 4 figures and it will be mandatory, along with the equipment being confiscated, and then your other FCC licenses may be revoked as well.
Just to make sure you understand the extent of the potential problems. I don't disagree with you--I'd just be reluctant to roll those dice.

[fairbank56]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Just to make sure you understand the extent of the potential problems. I don't disagree with you--I'd just be reluctant to roll those dice.

Especially since John will rarely if ever use the 12w mode. Why install an illegal device? Why take the risk? The exact same model without the 12w option is available and legal.

I see that use of 12w class B is legal in Turkish waters. Class B AIS is mandatory for all vessels in Turkey. Their class B devices require special added features in addition to the high power option. Em Trak sells a specific version, the B213 model, for use in Turkey. Now Em Trak and other's are marketing these 12w devices to anyone and using the high power option as a selling point (12 W transmission power to ensure maximum AIS broadcast range) with little information as to it's legal use. In fact, it's not even mentioned in their brochures. Just a casual mention of it in the operator manual. Maybe I'm wrong and the 12w mode will become the norm for all class B devices, but I thought the 2w restriction was there for a good reason.

Eric

[David M]

S/V would be better than nothing. The percentage of people who would not know what it means I think is pretty minimal. I would also not worry about it not being in your official name. S/V describes what you are and not your vessels name. What follows it, your vessels name, is a no brainer.

[chala]

What advantage would you derive from being known as an S/V?

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by chala

What advantage would you derive from being known as an S/V?

Knowledge that the other party knows you are a S/V rather than say a M/V or F/B or whatever and treats you as a S/V rather than as something else. For instance that you may be constrained by wind parameters.

[David M]

Originally Posted by chala

What advantage would you derive from being known as an S/V?

Who has the right of way if it is unclear from a visual observation what type of vessel is showing up on a screen with AIS information. With some AIS systems you have to place the cursor over the vessel to see its status...sail, power, towing, pushing ahead, RAM, NUC, etc.

I have "R/V Nameofboat" broadcasting on my tranasponder because I am quite often stopped taking samples and then race off to the next sampling station. The R/V lets others know that my course and speed is often eratic because of the nature of my business.

[chala]

So is it that that each time you change from sailing to motor the AIS will automatically change from S/V to R/V?

[Wotname]

Err...R/V is research vessel, nothing to do with sailing / motoring.

[chala]

Originally Posted by David M

The R/V lets others know that my course and speed is often eratic because of the nature of my business.

So I suppose R/V stand for Roaming Vessel.

The official descriptor for my sailing boat is Pc.

[chala]

Originally Posted by chala

So is it that that each time you change from sailing to motor the AIS will automatically change from S/V to R/V?

So let rephrase it
So is it that that each time you change from sailing to motor the AIS will automatically change from S/V to Pc?