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Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:43 am
by Michel
On a sub board we had a discussion about AIS. Here's how I've set my navigation electronics up on Alabama Queen:

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:06 am
by THATBOATGUY
I had a discussion with Milltech and they assure me that the speed of the SR 161 can be re-set to 4800 bps to match what our Radar needs for incoming NMEA. We may set up a lap-top with seaclear below, mostly for planning purposes. We will have paper charts and hand held GPS at the helm. Our stand alone Furuno 1715 radar will plot AIS targets for us. We *might* hook data from the GPS to the autopilot so it can steer to a waypoint but maybe not. I've done a lot of integrated electronics and for us I want separation.

George

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:42 am
by GeoffSchultz
George,

Does your radar display support AIS targets? I'd be very worried about 4800 bps not being sufficient. I don't know how large the sentence is for AIS data, but I'd be worried about over running it if you got too many targets.

How are you going to multiplex the data?

-- Geoff

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:14 am
by THATBOATGUY
I don't think I'll need to multiplex the data. The Furuno will accept NMEA at 4800 and the AIS can be set to deliver at that speed. The Furuno can display the data. I don't need the Furuno to display anything but radar and AIS so there will not be any other devices hooked up to it. I have a raymarine wind instrument and depth instrument that won't even need to be hooked together. I'll have a stand alone autopilot that I *might* hook up to our hand held Garmin. I will almost certainly hook the Garmin up to the VHF radio at the helm for DSC function although I've been toying with the idea of a second basic GPS to do that job.
Yes - you can definitely change the baud rate to 4800.

Let me know if you have additional questions.

Regards

Doug Miller
According to Consumer Marine the 1623 and on up radars can all display AIS data. I am checking directly with Furuno now to see if there is any problems with compatibility and speed.

George

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:29 am
by GeoffSchultz
I would think that you'd need to supply your lat/long and possibly course/speed to the radar in order for it display targets.

-- Geoff

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:45 am
by THATBOATGUY
Yes for MARPA to display completely, but this is a stand alone radar and will give relative positions. Think of it as being "electrocentric". It only needs to know that it is the center of the universe and there is a squall that's out there 10 degrees off the port bow at a range of 10 knots. The radar would have great value and functionality even with nothing else hooked to it. Remember we had radar decades before we had GPS. I realize I'm the odd man out in heading away from integrated systems... I've just spent more time than most people trouble shooting them I guess. I'm trying to keep things simple and where I can't I'm trying to make them as robust as I can.

George

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:07 pm
by THATBOATGUY
AIS "radar"Image

This is my fallback and is rapidly looking more and more like my number one choice. I'm going to have an overhead instrument pod as well as that huge engine room hood to put "stuff".

George

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:09 pm
by Michel
My ancient Raymarine RL70 screens cannot display AIS, but I don't mind that. The 7" Navigation/radar screens are too small. I never tried the MARPA function which they might have.

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:15 pm
by THATBOATGUY
Geoff's point taken about the AIS wouldn't make sense unless it has my own GPS data to work with.... Even the standalone AIS above requires a GPS input.

George

Re: Electronics and PC setup

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:41 pm
by THATBOATGUY
Bummer. Furuno says first up that will support AIS is a Navnet. So that's out. Should have known better than trust a vendor's tech support although I have had good luck with Consumer Marine before. No matter. On to the Si-Tex unit. :)

George