Is anyone using their VHF to get position of nearby ships and boats? I understand some radios with AIS and DSC can show position of registered vessels on a chart, and even their call names. Presumably this would look like a radar screen? The only catch is that radio must link to the chart via NEMA 2000?
RD
I just upgraded my electronics to the simrad nss7. Purchased a simrad radio with the ais with the dsc. With the nema2k network, all of the ais information shows up on my chart. You can click on the ais icon and it will give you all the pertinent information on that vessel. Being that my nss7 and the radio are networked together, you can even call a particular vessel from the chart with the mmsi #. I have not used it very much so I cannot give you very detailed information. I don’t have radar so I thought it would be good to have until I get radar. Of course only vessels that have ais show up.
Why would you want to broadcast your information. ?. Sounds like something noaa would like to see… just curious.
-Albemarle 248xf “Chella”
-Dolphin 18BC Pro
-Miscellaneous boats
“Praise the lord and pass the ammunition” -Howell Forgy
I agree, it has to be a left wing government plot, not a thing to do with maritime safety … [:0]
My reason for having a VHF with AIS and DSC is to have an emergency signal that would go out to Coast Guard and other registered vessels, with the push of a button, sending your identification and location. So it’s like an EPIRB but the alarm goes also to boats in the area. I have both, in other words, if I’m in trouble, I want the world to know.
The other emergency scenario is to be able to identify the nearest ship/boat and to call them direct for help. Conceivably they could come to your aid or maybe place a sat phone call to Coast Guard if you’re out of radio range. It just seems like insurance to me.
On the other hand, if you choose not to register and get the MMSI ID, “they” don’t know who you are. Or maybe your location is not broadcast until that is done?
My understanding is that the radio is only a receiver for AIS signal. Not an AIS transmitter. If you do have an MMSI number it is only transmitted when you press the DSC button. Then it only sends a few things like lat/Lon, vessel owners name, hull id, and the description of the vessel(make, model, length, color).
AIS is primary for colloison avoidance & DSC calling. Big ship feature. DSC calling via MMSI number is tricky at least with 90% of the weekend boaters not realizing somebody is calling.
This feature is useful here on the Delaware Bay, NJ where we’re fishing the ship channel and the tug boats with the fuel barges are pushing up the channel blasting the radio with calls of GET OUT OF WAY at the small boats crowding the channel. Most of the time, the tug boat blast’s its whistle with the 5-signal danger signal to get the message. Boats with AIS (very few) communicate with course & speed and get out of the way in a professional manner.
For the back bay, shallow water fisherman/warrior, AIS is a gimmick. AIS will not help in a emergency/sinking situation calling the USCG. It is not designed for that.
Pushing the red button under the red cover sends a different DSC signal to USCG for SAR purposes.
Fishing the beaches, Bays & Ocean of Wildwood/Cape May, NJ
Soon a resident of Georgetown, SC
I had my Standard Horizon GX3200 VHF/AIS linked to my Garmin 3210 GPSMAP plotter/fishfinder. Ship symbols with AIS come up with red triangles. When moving AIS triangkes have a small course indicator. Putting the cursor on a red triangle brings up data of boat name, call sign, course & speed. If you dont have a MMSI # established and plugged into the radio, you get nothing.
Radios with AIS are transmitting & receiving data thru the antenna all the time.
Fishing the beaches, Bays & Ocean of Wildwood/Cape May, NJ
Soon a resident of Georgetown, SC
For that all purpose notification to the USCG SAR, get a Murdo Fastfind PLB. Cheaper than EPRIB. Instant satellite mesg to USCG or any 911 station ID. PLB are manually activated. $299 @ West Marine.
Fishing the beaches, Bays & Ocean of Wildwood/Cape May, NJ
Soon a resident of Georgetown, SC
Guys, MMSI and AIS are totally different things not functionally connected. Having an MMSI number and plugging it into your VHF gives you the safety feature of being able to press the emergency DSC button on your radio and send your name and vessel info including your GPS coordinates to Coast Guard and any other nearby boats instantly. The idea being if you were sinking you may not have time to pull up coordinates and read them out over the radio in time. I have an MMSI number programmed into my radio for that purpose. You can also make semi private non emergency calls with DSC I don’t use. AIS is intended for collision avoidance between large commercial vessels. There is a website where you can see where every commercial ship in the world is in real time using AIS. I think I’ll just let big brother use a drone to see where I’m fishing for now. No AIS for me.
2005 Sea Hunt 212 Triton
“Head East”
AIS on your cellphone is “Marine Traffic” app if you want to demo first.
AIS uses the MMSI database for information, such as Boat Name, photos, docs, ports of call, radio call sign, emergency contacts, etc. AIS navigation componet uses your antennna, DSC & GPS components.
Fishing the beaches, Bays & Ocean of Wildwood/Cape May, NJ
Soon a resident of Georgetown, SC