VHF-DSC with or without AIS

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by francois.lavoie

@CarinaPDX
With VHF-DSC-GPS-AIS radio, is it necessary to have a second AIS for the plotter?

No.......you can connect the vhf radio with AIS to your Chartplotter. I did this with my Standard Horizon GX2200 to my Raymarine E120.

[francois.lavoie]

Hello all. Finally I went with the basic VHF-DSC radio without GPS, on which I will plug a cheap diy GPS:
https://www.electroschematics.com/neo-6m-gps-module/


And for the rest of the instruments, I will build on a raspbery pi and on openplotter open source installation that will feed an android tablet.



Thanks to all.

[Cdice]

Excellent post! I, too, will be needing electronics for my new-to-me Macgregor 26C. I admit it! ELECTRONICS BAFFLE ME! It is complicated and confusing. So I am trying to glean all the info I can before I take the plunge.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by francois.lavoie

I have a 1995 catalina 250 sailboat that came up stock with a Raytheon RAY45VHF radio. As this setup was up before 2004, no news for you that it is not to the norms. I intend to navigate east of Québec city on the St-Lawrence river and maybe to Gaspé this summer, I would feel more secure with at least a VHF-DSC radio.

Looking for an affordable setup, I came up with two solutions. Alternative brands of VHF-DSC with or without AIS will be welcome. I am not interested in a transponder as they cost too much. I would be happy with a AIS receiver only. After quite searching, I understood that not any splitter would do the job.

I have looked at two threads with interesting information, the third one was cited in 2):
1) simple VHF
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...hf-247372.html
2) AIS and antenna: to split or not to split
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ss-245248.html

3) referred document Goldshalk with specifications on both AIS transponders and receivers:
https://cruisingclub.org/sites/defau...30%20FINAL.pdf

I live in Montréal, Canada. It seems that some products are cheaper this side of the border, and from what I could understand ICOM seems to give a very good ratio to my canadian dollar than some other brands. Unless I am comparing bananas to cherries.

Here are my two VHF solutions based on ICOM products, any other brand with comparable features or more adequate features would be appreciated.

1) ICOM M330G Basic, Compact, with GPS, black
$292

2) A COMBO

ICOM M330G 31 Icom VHF, Basic, Compact, without GPS, black
$233
QUARK-ELEC AIS-GPS-SeaTalk (QK-A027)-NMEA-0183 message output through WiFi,USB and RS422
$245

needs:
VHS splitter
glomex RA201 wich is about 4 times cheaper than the QK-A015-TX/RX Active VHF Splitter

$ 72
GPS antenna

total $565

Note: the big advantage of the last solution is that the AIS info could be WIFI transmitted to an android tablet or on android phones with the opencpn or navionics softwares. Thus I hope so.

Comments and suggestions appreciated. Great thanks.

Revise your thinking. It is as important to be seen, if not more so, as to see others. Get an AIS with transponder and buy the splitter from the same manufacturer...you won't be sorry. I've had a Vesper Marine Watchmate 850 with Vesper Marine SP160 splitter for seven years and not a lick of problems...I love it.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Clivevon]

OP: "I am not interested in a transponder as they cost too much. I would be happy with a AIS receiver only."
MJH: Revise your thinking. It is as important to be seen, if not more so, as to see others. I agree. As a possible alternative to an AIS transponder, you could get a radar transponder like this: https://marinestore.co.uk/Merchant2/...8aAkwQEALw_wcB
which might be a bit cheaper maybe. IMHO the AIS transponder should come first because it will broadcast also your course & speed information to other vessels.
You really are missing a trick if you dont fit the AIS transponder. If money is tight & your existing VHF radio works OK, I would keep that & fit a separate GPS, AIS & transponder first. That will increase your safety by much more than DSC will.

[CarlF]

So you come up with $565 (Canadian, I assume) to replace a perfectly good VHF radio with one that has DSC that no one uses and a "half a loaf" AIS receive-only. Plus who knows how much time to get all these parts wired together and talking to each other?

The much better alternative is the excellent Vesper XB-6000 transponder that is available for $555 US. It would be far quicker to install either by a splitter or a rail mount antenna. More reliable. And increase your safety far more.

To cruise today in waters with commercial shipping without being visible on their AIS displays is to take a large and unnecessary risk - especially when the extra cost amounts to the cost of a week's bar tabs.

https://www.milltechmarine.com/XB-6000

[francois.lavoie]

@MJH,Clivevon,CarlF:
You are talking about the difference between the AIS receiver and transponder. I think that understood that from the begining. I appreciate that you insist on the additional advantages to be seen to those of seeing others. It is really good to have your advice on that topic. As some say food for thoughts.



Contextual setting of my sailing equipment and method up to now: VHF-DSC radio, GPS and access to bathymetric maps.
1) Minimal setup: Up to now I have been sailing without a VHF radio, so no communication devices at all. There was a radio on board, but I did not knew how to operate it, and more important I did not had the permit to do so. I just got recently the Restricted Operator Certificate ─ Maritime (ROC-M) (Transport Canada), which is a class D approved to operate a VHF-DSC radio, the minimal certificat to operate a VHF radio. I thought that buying a VHF-DSC radio would be superior to a VHF only radio useful to give me more security and autonomy as I intend to sail into more difficult waters and meteorological conditions.

2) Navigational instruments upgrade to paper maps and eyes only: I have been relying on my eyes and those of my companion to watch the other boats. And I have kept out of the trajectory of the commercial boats sailing into the St-Lawrence seaway. These boats will not stop easily if you are in their way, if they stop at all. But I get the idea from what you write. If they see quite in advance that you are stucked in the middle of the seaway, they might be able to do something. But I have understood it the other way around. You have to tell them if you are in their way and cannot do otherwise.

In terms of navigation, until now I have worked with a Garmin GPSMAP 78S. This small device has satisfactorily suited my needs up to now. It has been a very handy complement to navigating with the maps only. Especially, if you are not acquainted to some given waterbody. The Garmin did the job quite satisfactorily after the prerequisite examination of bathymetric maps.

Upgrading to opencpn and openplotter software as navigating assisting technologies suits my need for personal reasons as others prefer chocolate ice cream to vanilla ice cream. That is where the setup of the GPS becomes important and is taken into consideration: directly to the VHF radio only or coupled to wifi to broadcast on my opencpn devices (android tablets) and also attached to the radio. Is there need for additional hardware to get it all connected? With the above discussion, I have the impression that I understand things better.

3) Additional navigational comfort: AIS receiver or transponder. Not to say that I will never have some. It could be implemented in a modular frame approach.





.

[sistef51]

Hallo, does anybody knows this AIS transponder?
ONWA KP-39A AIS CLASS B TRANSPONDER

Found it here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ONWA-KP-3...0AAOSwDNxfdfvg

Looks very cheap, only 480£
Thanks

[Tanqueray]

I went with a B&G V50 VHF with AIS a few years ago. I believe it was the only one at the time to offer NMEA2K.

It also has a handheld for use at the helm, and the handheld communicates with the base unit, and the mast-top antenna. It was a pretty cool setup.


Today, B&G sells an upgraded model, and one has an integrated AIS TRANSCEIVER. It is pretty pricey though.

https://www.bandg.com/bg/type/vhf-ai...odsc-ais-rxv60


Greg

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by Tanqueray

Today, B&G sells an upgraded model, and one has an integrated AIS TRANSCEIVER. It is pretty pricey though.
Greg

No kidding - $1100. Plus $216 per remote. Still, that does seem to have almost everything. I say "almost' because it has the older Class B AIS (not SOTDMA), which at this point should be SOTDMA on a premium unit. Also, I just read the manual and could find no way to select an AIS target and initiate a DSC call (having to enter an MMSI is a true PITA). Perhaps there is a way and it isn't in the manual... Anyway, for that price one could buy a great VHF and a SOTDMA Class B AIS and have money left over - admittedly to contribute to a needed chartplotter for display.

Greg (different one)

[Roel Smidt]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I replaced my ancient SH VHF with a newer version with AIS. SH GX2400

Used the same antenna which is probably from the late 1980's or early 90's.

Price is around $375

https://www.hodgesmarine.com/stagx24...xoCgUwQAvD_BwE

I then ran the AIS info thru a USB adapter to my Raspberry Pi Computer which I had preloaded with OpenCPN Charts. The targets now show up along with my boat's position on the monitor's OpenCPN Chart display. (home made chart plotter)

I have the same set-up. A Standard Horizon GX2400 connected to a Raspberry Pi with OpenPlotter.

My connection between the GX2400 and the Raspberry is an "isolated NMEA0183 input to USB" -cable with 2 terminals (A/+ RX and B/- Ground). The GX2400 is set up to send everything over NMEA 0183, 38400 Baud, to the Raspberry. I have used the Blue and Grey wires from the GX2400 (Blue on + and Grey on -). All GPS-sentences are selected ("on"). Everything is set up as per the instructions in the GX2400-manual. But the connected device (Laptop with OpenCPN or Raspberry with OpenPlotter) only shows the AIS-sentences (!AIVDM) and NOT the GPS-sentences. This is while the GX2400 itself shows multiple AIS-targets and has a good fix from it's internal GPS-antenna. So it should work (but it doesn't )

Question: is there anyone who succeeded in making the GX2400 send both AIS and GPS to a PC (laptop, Raspberry-Pi)?

It has me puzzled for weeks now...

[Roel Smidt]

Originally Posted by Roel Smidt

Question: is there anyone who succeeded in making the GX2400 send both AIS and GPS to a PC (laptop, Raspberry-Pi)?

I mean AIS (!AIVDM) and GPS ($GP....) simultaneously. I can get GPS-sentences from the GX2400 to my PC by using the white and brown wires instead of the blue and grey ones and by setting everything to 4800 baud. But I cannot get the !AIVDM combined with the $GP...-sentences.


In my case that combination just results in %#@!**!-sentences...

[CarinaPDX]

That sounds like something you should bring up to Standard Horizon. Either there is a way and they can tell you, or there isn't and they need to revise the firmware. Good luck.

Greg

[Roel Smidt]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

That sounds like something you should bring up to Standard Horizon. Either there is a way and they can tell you, or there isn't and they need to revise the firmware. Good luck.

Greg

Thank you Greg,

After reading the manual again (and again..) my guess now is that maybe it is only possible by using two separate connections, one for the GPS-sentences and one for the AIS-sentences. I have just emailed SH to check if that is possible (I don't have a spare NMEA to USB-cable or adapter yet).


Roel

[goboatingnow]

I thought gps equipped ais did not export the gps position. I know ray marine updated the Ais650 to disable export of the internal gps