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StargazerWA · 29-01-2012, 10:48

My family charters a 40 boat each year for a week vacation. It was for this reason and off season trip planning that I started playing/using first SeaClear and now Opencpn. Last year we had lots of bad weather and I used Opencpn exclusively from the lower helm and it was great. The boat had chart plotters at both stations but the one at the lower helm was grey scale and difficult to use.

This is the perfect use for pc chart plotting, when your on a boat with strange to you electronics. On our own boat we have a color Navman and I love it because I know it.

This year we are chartering the same boat and I would like to add AIS to the mix for low vis times. Since its not my boat, it needs to be portable. I am not too concerned with range and although I am mechanically inclined I don't know much about radio. My first thought was to buy one of the many USB equipped receivers and then try to match it with a small portable antenna.

Now I am looking at purchasing one of these Digital Yacht Uais units:

Digital Yacht uAIS Smart AIS Antenna w/USB Power/Data

Does anyone have experience with them? I don't want to spend a ton of money, I would like it to receive its power from the USB and I want it to interface well with Opencpn. Does anyone have a suggestion for me?

Thanks in advance.

sinbad7 · 29-01-2012, 12:25

StargazerWa

I have been using the SR162-dual channel AIS receiver with great success using an RS232 to USB conversion cable. It is both cheap and reliable. When I use it at sea,I connect it to the ship's 12v supply and a separate VHF antenna well removed from my normal VHF radio antenna. The USB connector is connected to my laptop.

You can as an alternative use a protective antenna splitter but I prefer to keep the two separate. At home I just use a mains transformer,a separate VHF antenna on the roof and plug the USB to either my desktop or the laptop.

My RS232 to USB cable installs as COM:5 which you configure in OpenCpn and you're ready to go.

http://www.navsoftware.com/sr162.html

Tore

StargazerWA · 29-01-2012, 13:02

The boat we chartered didn't have a 12volt plug at the lower helm so I am really looking for something powered by a USB. I do have 110 from the inverter. How about a small portable antenna like those on a handheld have you experimented with that? I don't want to mess with the existing equipment. Thanks

HappySeagull · 29-01-2012, 17:36

Stargazer,I haven't got one and they look very nice...however, if you don't mind me mentioning something to research anyways, being usb powered restricts the length of the usb cable from your laptop to about 12 feet due to powerloss in the cable.

The solution to that, only if it arises as a problem, would be a powered usb hub in the middle of any extensions.
For me, I'd be keener on an ais that plugged right into the laptop (close) with the AERIAL on the long piece of shielded antenna wire...seeing as this is a receiver only.Just a thought.

StargazerWA · 29-01-2012, 18:26

Happy Seagull,

Thanks that is a consideration. Maybe I need to find an antenna shop and see what kind of options I have for a short portable antenna.

HappySeagull · 29-01-2012, 20:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by StargazerWA

Happy Seagull,

Thanks that is a consideration. Maybe I need to find an antenna shop and see what kind of options I have for a short portable antenna.

...actually, a piece of stripped coaxial cable might work just fine for that...look up " dipole" or "emergency vhf dipole". If you are considering this as a portable unit, what could be simpler than a piece of wire?

nohal · 29-01-2012, 22:56

Stargazer...
Radar Gadgets - ADS-B aircraft radio receiver - Virtual Radar using an antenna from my handheld VHF glued with duct tape to a portlight above the navigation table is able to get signal from targets about 2.5 miles distant. Nothing special. In case you were interested in results of a "real experiment"

Pavel

StargazerWA · 30-01-2012, 05:14

Pavel,

Thanks for some data 2.5 miles might be enough for my needs. Thanks. I am also going to look into the coax antenna solution.

fgd3 · 30-01-2012, 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by StargazerWA

I don't want to spend a ton of money, I would like it to receive its power from the USB and I want it to interface well with Opencpn. Does anyone have a suggestion for me?

Thanks in advance.

Would this meet your needs?

Nauticast Automatic Identification System Receiver / Cobham - Beacon Solutions

Although it has a USB connector it does require 12V (or 24V) power via a separate cable. If you can work around the fact that it isn't powered via the USB connection, it looks pretty reasonable. Prices range from $124 on Amazon to $150 at Milltech Marine.

Fabbian

StargazerWA · 30-01-2012, 13:48

I have looked at these before and they are a steal, the boat we have chartered the past few years has no 12v plug at the lower helm oddly enough. It has been confusing me that many saying they can be powered by USB (5v) also say they run on 9-24v. Weird

HappySeagull · 30-01-2012, 15:29

...if you wait a few years, all these will be cheaper, and better, I bet. Look how gps has gotten cheap.

fgd3 · 30-01-2012, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by StargazerWA

I have looked at these before and they are a steal, the boat we have chartered the past few years has no 12v plug at the lower helm oddly enough. It has been confusing me that many saying they can be powered by USB (5v) also say they run on 9-24v. Weird

I sent ACR an email suggesting they bring out a model made expressly for connection to a computer: rubber ducky antenna included, only USB cable for power and data. The customer service rep said he would discuss it with their product development engineers. Keep an eye on their Web site to see if they bring out what you're looking for.

Fabbian

**Paul Elliott** · 30-01-2012, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappySeagull

...if you wait a few years, all these will be cheaper, and better

Absolutely true, but there are quite satisfactory solutions available at reasonable prices *today*. If you want AIS capabilities now, I say go for it.

Personal computers are still getting better and cheaper. Should I have gone without since 1980? I think not.