AIS transceiver owners (NOT VHF)

S

South of Heaven

New member
Guys,

I'm having an AIS transceiver and antenna installed tmmrow. It's gonna be networked to my twin Garmin Echomap 7CV's (lower helm and bridge). Gonna be pretty cool, can't wait! With the amount of cruising that I do I realized that it'd be silly to not have AIS on my boat . I bought an EPIRB over the winter too.

My question is this: Do any of you have this type of setup? It receives and transmits, not like the one way AIS VHF radio kind. Does the MMSI number from the DSC radio work for the new AIS or do I have to request a new MMSI from BoatUS? I think I already have a NMEA 2000 backbone on the boat .The previous owner had the autopilot and old GPS networked but we took that GPS out last year. Anyway I'm not worried about it. My mechanic is a retired electrical engineer and sailor......

Here's what I bought.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/em-trak- ... ecordNum=1

2 of these

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/garmin-- ... ecordNum=3


https://www.westmarine.com/buy/shakespe ... ecordNum=1
 
You use your same MMSI number for both DSC and AIS. I have a cheap stand alone unit. (Not connected to my network of electronics.) It's actually a very basic GPS plotter, that has the AIS. In my case, since it's not networked, my VHF receives the signal and echos it to my chartplotter, so I can see myself unless I turn AIS returns on the chartplotter off. Not familiar with any of the other units, but I know my transmitter works well. Others know exactly where I'm at and what I'm doing. :mrgreen: BTW, I use one of my regular VHF antennas (on my secondary VHF) split with a splitter. Everything works fine. Colby
 
Hi Jason!
Think of the MMSI number as one associated with the mother vessel as well as all the other VHF radios used on her (including those in your ditch bag and dinghy as well as all handheld VHF’s on the main boat and AIS).
I’ve had 2 receive-only and 2 transmit+ receive black boxes with Garmin displays before the Garmin AIS 600. The only issues with all 5 of them was much better reliability when they had their own dedicated antenna vs a splitter. It doesn’t even need to be a tall antenna, if you, like me, don’t much care about traffic that is 20 miles away as opposed to 0.5 to 3 miles away. All will display fine via a Garmin N2K backbone/network on both displays.
However, I would have chosen a GPSMAP series with Garmin Marine Network capability (uses ethernet-like plugs) so you could share CHIRP sonar images and radar, waypoints and tracks between displays. A Garmin (or any other) N2K network (5-pin plugs) can’t transfer those items. (Confusing, yes). Although the echo CV unit on the Garmin website claims a ‘data plug to transfer waypoints and routes between displays’ it doesn’t specifically say it will transfer CHIRP or radar, which I assume you want between the helm sets.
That ethernet like plug is huge (over an inch in diameter) and a bear to fish through tight rigging.
Since both Echo units include a Garmin CHIRP transducer, I assume you want to use only one (it’s an 8-pin that must be fished through the rigging tubes from your transom directly to one of your helm units) and have it's sonar output shared between the two displays.
Best of luck, and I hope I’m wrong and both units have Garmin Marine Network capability (they definitely have N2K plugs/capability).
John
 
Thanks guys. My AIS is up and running! Search for my vessel: Slow Lane (In Quincy, Ma).

It worked great yesterday. I did a 50 mile run from Cape Cod to Boston and I saw many AIS targets. Once I got close to Boston I even picked up some collision warnings from ferries running towards me. Good feature but it became kinda ridiculous at one point because there are so many commercial vessels in my area. BUT in fog it would be great! That's why I bought it.

John: Thanks for the reply. I don't know exactly how my boat guy wired everything but I think it's NMEA 183? I'm seeing the AIS on both screens so it's definitely working.

Yes, I have a dedicated antenna for the AIS. The Echomaps were installed last month and he did use 2 transducers. Are they both being used? I think so.

BTW, on a side note. From a bang for your buck POV I think these units are awesome! The charts are spot on (I still run a 10 inch Samsung tablet with Navionics ). No issues with them. The different sonar and chirp stuff seems good BUT I'm not a fisherman. Lol. Initially I thought I wouldn't like the smaller 7 inch screen but after using it I think it's plenty big. I don't think it's small at all. They are only $450 and that includes the transducer. I recommend them! Would be a great addition on any C Dory
 
South of Heaven":30swc4um said:
Once I got close to Boston I even picked up some collision warnings from ferries running towards me. Good feature but it became kinda ridiculous at one point because there are so many commercial vessels in my area.
Click to expand...

I got my AIS receiver up and running at the Friday Harbor CBGT. I have Global Marine Traffic on my computer at home and can watch the ships in Elliott Bay, but that doesn't show the projected course line of the State ferries. In the San Juans, I was sitting in little coves and a course line would sweep over me. I could back out on the chart plotter and see that a State ferry was heading towards me (a mile away). Not an issue as I was in 12 feet of water, but still a nice feature. Sort of like having headlights sweep over you when out walking at night. Just a reminder to pay attention.

Although I used my MMSI for the first time (thanks Colby) and now know that my DSC works, it is not connected properly to my chart plotter. I have read that, because I have a little plotter (Lowrance HDS5), I have only one COM port and have to choose between the plotter showing AIS or DSC. Too bad because it would be nice if the plotter showed the location of who contacted me or, more important, the location of a DSC distress call. I assume that is what happens on a correctly connected DSC to chart plotter.

Mark
 
Hey Mark. Glad I could help. Sorry I didn't get a chance to check you out on radar. But I'm sure you can find anyone else with a radar willing to do that. I'm pretty sure you are a target. I've picked up smaller boats. However, that's not to say that the radar operator is looking for you! :shock: Colby
 
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