AIS Transmitter / Transponder

[SGIDave]

Thanks Rain. Your link actually didn't work, but I did find it in both my 840 and 541 manuals. According to the manualsl, the link on my chart plotters is: Settings > Other Vessels > AIS > Off. I'll have to check into that in the next few days. Would be nice to just filter out my vessel only, but this may be the next best thing. And since the HP33A has it's own screen showing all targets, I really don't need to repeat them on my Garmins. Wish the Garmin Tech could have told me that on the phone, but I'll see what reply I get to my original emailed request. Colby

Hello Colby,

I'm looking at the manual for the Garmin 800/1000 series plotters. Like Rain says, page 6 (middle of Left column of text) shows how to "deactivate" an AIS target:

Deactivating a Target for an AIS Vessel
1 From a chart or a 3D chart view, select an AIS vessel.
2 Select AIS Vessel > Deactivate Target.

This would be better than completely deactivating AIS functionality and it's associated alarms.

On my boat, I have a Simrad NSS8 along with an older Garmin 740 on the N2K network. AIS receive is fed into the N2K via the VHF. Anyway, the Garmin display gives more USEFUL information about AIS targets than the Simrad. If I could have only one display to show the AIS targets, it would be the Garmin - as usual, they have developed their graphical interface more than other brands. Neither display shows MY boat.

dave

 

[hardee]

I don't know if you can have to much electronics, but I think I have about reached my limit on SleepyC. The ICOM M506 VHF has become a favorite for ease of use, and logical menus. It's AIS out put does not go to my older Raymarine C-120 Classic plotter (MFD), so it is not tied into the "network". The Standard Horizon GX2150 is tied in, and it outputs both DSC and AIS data to my plotter. The plotter also receives AIS data from the Vesper Marine Watchmate Vision AIS transponder, which is programmed through a multiplexer to be the primary AIS signal for the MFD. If the WatchMate is not turned on, or were to fail, then the AIS out put from the 2150 would come through.

That setup was basically designed to provide for redundancy of AIS to the plotter. The ICOM M506 provide AIS redundancy should the plotter itself give up the ghost. In that case, the Standard Horizon 2150 give redundancy to that process as well.

There is also redundancy for the fog horn capability, provided by a 3 way switch from each VHF to the horn.

And Yea, I'm not smart enough to figure out all the nooks and crannies, I just told the guys at Rodgers how I wanted it to work. They did a great job and I give them credit for that. Although it was not all put in at the same time, there was a basic plan from the beginning, and it went in step by step, and has been working in a coordinated and cohesive way.

BTW, I think Rain's link worked for me... at least it took me to where I could look up the manual.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[colbysmith]

Dave, I'm pretty sure that deactivation of target, just means it's not "following" it or showing it's data, but I believe it still remains a triangle on the scope. And when I tried getting to that link with only my boat showing as I was working on it on the trailer, it was not there, so it may be with the AIS target right over my boat, it won't deactivate. Much of this will probably have to wait until spring when I get onto Lake Michigan or somewhere that has several AIS boats. In any case, I will still have a full display of AIS vessels on my new transponder, even if I shut it off on the Garmins.

Harvey, my inventory includes the Garmin 840xs, which also has the HD18 Radar, the Garmin 541S, the HP-33A, the GX2150 with a loudhailer, an older Standard Horizon VHF without AIS, a handheld VHF, and the AP. The two Garmins and the AP are on an NMEA 2000? Network, and the Garmins and GX2150 are on a NMEA 183 network. At this time, I have the HP-33A standing alone. It's all mounted near the Helm, but I still have good out the window vision! And I recently purchased a PLB. Colby

 

[hardee]

Colby,

Maybe you could get someone to tow you around the parking lot, edge of town or a field and see if your AIS is following you :wink: Might be hard to find a reciprocal target though, given the time of year.

As to the inventory, I posted that to show the duplication and redundancy capability. It looks like you have some of the same. I highly think it is a good idea, especially if you are in an area with heavy traffic, or possibility of fog or heavy rain, or will be moving at night. I hope you get that bug worked out, because I like the Garmin system, and if you can get it straight, then J (Rain) on C-Glory should be able to as well. I would replace my RayMarine 218 for almost any excuse and replace with either an ICOM (probably) or Standard Horizon if ICOM does not prove up, but I don't see that happening. It got a pretty good workout last summer already.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

 

[colbysmith]

Harvey, I had to laugh about towing it around the parking lot. Yes, I do like my Garmin plotter, and it would be nice to continue having the targets on that. Just kind of hard to play around with it all this time of year here in the Midwest. And the electronics has come in nice on both Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River! It's all (except the new HP-33A) been used at one time or another! Colby

 

[hardee]

I think you really do want those targets on your plotter. Not sure how the Garmin works but it is probably faster on that than on my RayMarine, where it takes me about 5 second to get CPA and TCPA info from my plotter. Three times that long to get to it on the VHF screen - partly becasue I dont run them in AIS screen on mode. On your Garmin, you probably just touch the triangle target and maybe one other touch to get to CPA and TCPA (the 2 most important reasons to be using AIS.....IMHO)

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[colbysmith]

Got my splitter finally, so finished the install of everything. I did play a little more with the Garmins and the target of my own boat from the transponder. And I was able to shut AIS target plotting off on the Garmins. I did not see any link to deactivate my target, but sure I remember from past cruises with other targets around, being able to activate or deactivate them. I suspect this is not possible with a target so close as my own, but will look into that next season when I'm in an area of more targets. Colby

 

[hardee]

Colby,

There is a way to either disable an alarm from an individual MMSI or disable everything within a certain range. On the WatchMate, both are possible. I believe you can do that on the Standard Horizon AIS receiver. I don't know if that will affect the Garmin display, but I don't think you will want to turn off the AIS targets display on your MFD's.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[colbysmith]

Hi Harvey. You can turn alarms off on either the GX2150 or the Garmins. In fact I leave alarms off, as I got tired of them ringing when I was in the San Juan's, and Lake Michigan. I can always turn them back on, but don't really need the alarms as long as I have a visual cue. I don't know about filter with distance. You can filter when the alarm goes off however, by either time or distance. Colby

 

[hardee]

I leave my alarms on, on the WatchMate, but keep the volume turned off. That way I get the red alarm screen on that (separate) screen, and then I have the targets on the MFD showing. I then clear the alarms on the WatchMate when convenient.

There are no AIS alarms on my (older) RayMarine C-120.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon