I would like to hear from members who have installed an AIS system on their boats. I am looking for views on the following.
1. Model & type of unit. (ie; receive only/receive & send type)
2. Best spot to install the unit on a P365.
3. Dedicated aerial or adapt to existing VHF aerial.
4. Location for a dedicated aerial (if installed)
Thanks & fair winds to you all.
I too am interested in any first hand cruising experience with an AIS system.
Mark
I just helped bring a boat up from Tortolla BVI to Norfolk, VA. Boat had AIS that received and transmitted. It was pretty cool deal. If I spent the $ I would trasmit too. We had a B&G chart plotter. The radar and AIS all displayed on chart plotter display. We never worried about having a run in with another ship. BUT, all of it comes with a big price tag. Is it needed? I would say no. Just stand proper watches and stay alert. Is it a super nice gadget, absolutely. Just my $0.02. Cheers!
Dana and I just helped on a delivery where the boat had an AIS transceiver that was networked onto the plotter. This was from Seattle to Santa Barbara and we had some pretty bad weather. We had ships get within 4 miles of us that we couldn't see visually, so the AIS was awesome. I don't think that a receiver was any better than a transceiver as it was up to us to stay out of the way of the ships, but I do think it will be on our wish list for our P365. We will probably get an AIS enabled VHF, so we could use the mast mounted antenna, and network it to our plotter as we also wanted to upgrade the VHF and get DSC.
On the delivery boat the antenna was a dedicated one that was mounted on the pushpit and it had a range of ~20 miles. There was an audio alarm feature that we thought was nice. It worked well.
All great information and much appreciated. Thanks for sharing...
Dale
Randy & SV Journey, thanks for your views on the AIS.
Regards
Michael
... and keep in mind that it only works if the other guy had AIS too. You still have to keep a good watch even if you have the fancy models.
I've been happy with the Standard Horizon Matrix AIS/VHF I installed in the spring. It's a fairly inexpensive receiving unit (not a transponder) and uses your current VHF antenna. Installation can be almost as simple as replacing your current VHF. You'll need to supply a GPS feed from a chart plotter or GPS antenna. Target information is displayed on the face of the VHF as well as on the face of the optional remote microphone. DSC (Digital Select Calling) allows you to directly call a target, almost like a phone call, and you can do this from either the VHF or remote microphone by choosing the target from a menu. The Coast Guard monitors the Distress DSC function of newer VHF radios. To enable DSC calling (both distress and ship-to-ship), you'll need an MMSI number (Boat US if you'll be staying in US waters, FCC for an international ship station license). You can also connect the unit to a chart plotter.
AIS does a good job of providing target course and bearing information which allows the unit to compute Closest Point of Approach and Time to Closest Point of Approach (CPA, TCPA). If you sail around shipping traffic, more information can only help.
Dirk
Dirk,
Good hearing from you buddy! Sounds like the AIS system you have is something to look into. Part of me likes transmitting my AIS and part of me doesn't. Perhaps the word target has something to do with that. Not allot of piracy in Lake Erie waters yet but to be sure big brother is allways watching as we are a border town to that bad old Canada.
The "border war" is escalating as both countries are getting stupider and stupider. As of this year, everytime we cross the dotted line on the chart we are required to call in to the offending government you are entering and then call the country you live in when you return. In Buffalo that is challenging as the dotted line can be crossed with every tack leaving the city. I am still looking for the floating sign that contains those telephone numbers. They have already impounded/fined several vessels for not adhering to the call in laws both in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The real kicker is that it is the vessel operators responsibility to know where the border is. We have seen the "officials" sit off shore on the border line during some of our bigger races looking for offenders. One impound was a jet ski in Lake Ontario. Poor guy didn't have a chartplotter aboard and therefore didn't know where the dotted line was.
I allready have the DSC on the VHF and that is a great system as well and would recommend that level of technology to anyone who is looking to upgrade their VHF.
Dale
Quote from: Maruska on August 29, 2012, 08:52:00 AM
The "border war" is escalating as both countries are getting stupider and stupider. As of this year, everytime we cross the dotted line on the chart we are required to call in to the offending government you are entering and then call the country you live in when you return. In Buffalo that is challenging as the dotted line can be crossed with every tack leaving the city. I am still looking for the floating sign that contains those telephone numbers. They have already impounded/fined several vessels for not adhering to the call in laws both in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The real kicker is that it is the vessel operators responsibility to know where the border is. We have seen the "officials" sit off shore on the border line during some of our bigger races looking for offenders. One impound was a jet ski in Lake Ontario. Poor guy didn't have a chartplotter aboard and therefore didn't know where the dotted line was.
WOW! The situation on Lake Superior isn't that bad yet, of course they do patrol with drones. If I am crossing into Canada here , I get a Remote Area Border Crossing permit from Canada. I wonder how they handle the border in Detroit. I have had the same thoughts about AIS, nice to check on ships, but does everybody need to know where I am?
Feast your peepers on this- Ye with AIS can be tracked from anywhere in the world. We will all be required to have it eventually so that we can be watched. You can enter a vessel name and it's location pops up on the map. I'm not down on AIS- it's a good system. There have been times I wished we had it so that I could get the name of the tug we were meeting in the intracoastal at night. But I'm not sure I want to be tracked all the time, either.
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?centerx=30¢ery=25&zoom=2&level1=140
I'll bet that most of the boats that show up have some kind of satellite link as well. That makes it sound like they aren't being monitored without their consent.
I notice there aren't any reports for the Society Islands. I find it hard to believe there aren't any sailors there who have AIS.
I would be happy to have them tracking me when I head out - it would save me the expense of a satellite link to keep my family informed of my whereabouts.
I stalled an AIS recently, a receive only unit. West Marine is having a closeout sale on a VESPER MARINE
AIS WatchMate for only $99.00 (marked down from $400). All you'll need dedicated AIS antenna or an antenna splitter, a receiver or receiver/transponder.
In some parts of the world you want to be hidden and receive info only.
check out the following links:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=37352&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50157&subdeptNum=50177&classNum=50183#.UGWFWo6fNR4 (http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=37352&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50157&subdeptNum=50177&classNum=50183#.UGWFWo6fNR4)
http://www.milltechmarine.com/AIS-Transponders_c_14.html (http://www.milltechmarine.com/AIS-Transponders_c_14.html)
Baron