I am looking around for an AIS receiver, good and not too expensive. I
am a sail cruiser. Is there any strong reason for buying a true 2
parallel channel receiver? I found this receiver
http://www.yachtbits.com/easyais/eas...s_receiver.php
which appears to be quite good but it is not clear whether it is truly
parallel or duplexing.
Any advice?

Regards
Daniel

I have a SR161 from Miltech Marine and it is a one channel unit (one
channel at a time, but it switch channels in some cases). It is good
to see the ships, but I think that if you want to have a unit with
good performance related to AIS Class B boats and want to see in
advance that very fast motor boat going into you, a 2 channel
parallel unit like the SR162 could be better, but it will cost more
than twice the SR161, which price is less than US$200.

Well Daniel, you should be able to sail ship without an AIS so it basicly
only for convinience and fun. And stepping up from a one channel receiver
(like nasa) to a 2 ch scanning receiver is already quite advanced taken the
fact that it's for fun.

I wouldnt aim higher than the Easy AIS. In fact I find it quite attractive.
It even comes with a splitter for you to utilise your existing VHF antenna.

However I've seen it cheaper than the provided link.

Bjarke


"Daniele Fua" wrote in message
...
I am looking around for an AIS receiver, good and not too expensive. I am
a sail cruiser. Is there any strong reason for buying a true 2 parallel
channel receiver? I found this receiver
http://www.yachtbits.com/easyais/eas...s_receiver.php
which appears to be quite good but it is not clear whether it is truly
parallel or duplexing.
Any advice?

Regards
Daniel

Bjarke M. Christensen wrote:
Well Daniel, you should be able to sail ship without an AIS so it basicly
only for convinience and fun. And stepping up from a one channel receiver
(like nasa) to a 2 ch scanning receiver is already quite advanced taken the
fact that it's for fun.

I wouldnt aim higher than the Easy AIS. In fact I find it quite attractive.
It even comes with a splitter for you to utilise your existing VHF antenna.

However I've seen it cheaper than the provided link.

Bjarke


Hi Bjarke,
you are perfectly right, an AIS receiver on a sailboat is mainly for fun
but, pleae, don't tell it to my wife... we all know that it is an
extremely necessary piece of electronics for safety... :-)

Please if you still remember it, I will appreciate if you let me know a
cheaper place for the gadget: my mail address is in clear. Is it in the
Europe area?

Regards
Daniel

Sorry I was wrong. It's marginal.

http://www.jgtech.com/shop10.htm

Bjarke

"Daniele Fua" wrote in message
...
Bjarke M. Christensen wrote:
Well Daniel, you should be able to sail ship without an AIS so it basicly
only for convinience and fun. And stepping up from a one channel receiver
(like nasa) to a 2 ch scanning receiver is already quite advanced taken
the fact that it's for fun.

I wouldnt aim higher than the Easy AIS. In fact I find it quite
attractive. It even comes with a splitter for you to utilise your
existing VHF antenna.

However I've seen it cheaper than the provided link.

Bjarke


Hi Bjarke,
you are perfectly right, an AIS receiver on a sailboat is mainly for fun
but, pleae, don't tell it to my wife... we all know that it is an
extremely necessary piece of electronics for safety... :-)

Please if you still remember it, I will appreciate if you let me know a
cheaper place for the gadget: my mail address is in clear. Is it in the
Europe area?

Regards
Daniel

On Feb 22, 6:23 am, Daniele Fua wrote:
I am looking around for an AIS receiver, good and not too expensive. I
am a sail cruiser. Is there any strong reason for buying a true 2
parallel channel receiver? I found this receiverhttp://www.yachtbits.com/easyais/easyais_ais_receiver.php
which appears to be quite good but it is not clear whether it is truly
parallel or duplexing.
Any advice?

Regards
Daniel

The AIS system has the ship's transmitter alternating the two
frequencies on a sporadic interval but have all information
transmitted every five minutes. Using one channel means you'll get the
vital data i.e. position, course and speed frequently enough but all
the other ship's data would be slower coming. AIS uses channels within
capability of your VHF radio, 161.875 and 162.025, but most don't
decode the signal (wait and see for the next round of DSC / VHF
radios?). You can get the signal using a plain old VHF scanner and
decode it using your laptop or PC, if you want to do it on the cheap,
see ShipPlotter.com and http://www.discriminator.nl/index-en.html for
which scanners work and how to get the signal to your laptop.
The device you've identified above only gives the raw NMEA ascii
data over a serial line. You'll need a compatable front end device to
display it, ie. Furuno, Garmin, etc ($$$$) GPS plotter. OBTW you will
need a GPS to show where YOU are on any unit unless you want to
reduce LAT-LONG readings in your head. [:

On Feb 27, 2:37 pm, "DaveC" wrote:
On Feb 22, 6:23 am, Daniele Fua wrote:

I am looking around for an AIS receiver, good and not too expensive. I
am a sail cruiser. Is there any strong reason for buying a true 2
parallel channel receiver? I found this receiverhttp://www.yachtbits.com/easyais/easyais_ais_receiver.php
which appears to be quite good but it is not clear whether it is truly
parallel or duplexing.
Any advice?

Regards
Daniel

The AIS system has the ship's transmitter alternating the two
frequencies on a sporadic interval but have all information
transmitted every five minutes. Using one channel means you'll get the
vital data i.e. position, course and speed frequently enough but all
the other ship's data would be slower coming. AIS uses channels within
capability of your VHF radio, 161.875 and 162.025, but most don't
decode the signal (wait and see for the next round of DSC / VHF
radios?). You can get the signal using a plain old VHF scanner and
decode it using your laptop or PC, if you want to do it on the cheap,
see ShipPlotter.com andhttp://www.discriminator.nl/index-en.htmlfor
which scanners work and how to get the signal to your laptop.
The device you've identified above only gives the raw NMEA ascii
data over a serial line. You'll need a compatable front end device to
display it, ie. Furuno, Garmin, etc ($$$$) GPS plotter. OBTW you will
need a GPS to show where YOU are on any unit unless you want to
reduce LAT-LONG readings in your head. [:

The EasyAIS is not a true dual channel receiver.
Also, "the AIS is just for fun" idea is pretty bogus. Ask any cruisers
who've used a receiver while sailing in the vicinity of ships in
limited visability.
Lots of info about AIS at www.panbo.com.

?? "any cruiser" = "any sailor" can sail in *any weather* without *anything*
that require electricity .....

IMHO

Bjarke


"navnut" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 27, 2:37 pm, "DaveC" wrote:
snip

Also, "the AIS is just for fun" idea is pretty bogus. Ask any cruisers
who've used a receiver while sailing in the vicinity of ships in
limited visability.

Yes, and you can give a party without alcohol and survive on rice as
your daily meal ... I agree Bjarke, but must admit, I find it
fascinating and I have a lot of fun with all the new gadgets ... not
necessary, but "nice to have" ... In fact, a lot - if not most - of boat
electronics are "the toys of the man" ... the only difference to our
childrens toys - is the price ...

--
Flemming Torp
Gimle/DEN-61

"Bjarke M. Christensen" bjarkeNG@grevestrand_punktum_danmark skrev i
en meddelelse ...
?? "any cruiser" = "any sailor" can sail in *any weather* without
*anything* that require electricity .....

IMHO

Bjarke

On Feb 28, 4:41 pm, "Flemming Torp" fletopkanelbolle2rp.danmark
wrote:
Yes, and you can give a party without alcohol and survive on rice as
your daily meal ... I agree Bjarke, but must admit, I find it
fascinating and I have a lot of fun with all the new gadgets ... not
necessary, but "nice to have" ... In fact, a lot - if not most - of boat
electronics are "the toys of the man" ... the only difference to our
childrens toys - is the price ...

--
Flemming Torp
Gimle/DEN-61

"Bjarke M. Christensen" bjarkeNG@grevestrand_punktum_danmark skrev i
en bercity.dk...



?? "any cruiser" = "any sailor" can sail in *any weather* without
*anything* that require electricity .....

IMHO

Bjarke- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thank you Fleming. AIS is my cheapo radar for when I'm solo and need
to catch a few winks. I may be hove to or under auto-steering in which
case we may meet unfortunately since neither of us carry AIS
broadcasting equipment but I'm sure we'd fare much better than in
meeting a cargo ship in the fog. Hopefully, I'll have the scanner
running Channel 16, DSC and AIS along with the depthfinder and GPS
feeding all into a PC which will have the sense to wake me should
something not be cricket. I still have a compass, barometer and chart
though and will continue to use them. I'd like to have a sextant but
will survive as long as GPS and DR work. I welcome every technological
"toy" I can afford if it improves my security but I still embrace sea
worthiness and common sense and any defense against manmade perils.
Leif Ericsson never had to worry about super tankers.