"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Børge Wedel Müller" wrote in news:4392f876$0
:

Could you "kick-start" me on the subject?


Look at the Google cache for the posts.

The sooner AIS is in all boats that can't turn quickly and must be in a
channel, the better.

This idea isn't "new". Ham radio operators have been using a GPS to VHF
or HF link called APRS, which is a much simpler protocol, for many years.

It was invented by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, at the US Naval Academy to track
lost midshipmen in the Academy's small boats.
http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html

http://www.aprs.net/
http://www.findu.com/ Let's you watch APRS from the internet
http://www.winaprs.org/

But, of course, this would be too cheap to put in a boat, no matter how
well it works. We have to have some outrageously-expensive, proprietary
system controlled by some patent holders, which really slows
implementation and leaves most small boaters unable to afford the
technology.
....
If I remember correctly the AIS inventor , Håkan Lans, was forced to give up
his patent rights to get the system into the standards. I might be mixing it
it up with the corresponding system and standards for air traffic.
/Lars J