Steve, Looks like a cool project - for those who have time and ability for that kind of stuff.
As for 'cost justifying' AIS, it really depends on the sailing you do. If you're mostly sailing away from major shipping areas, an AIS receiver can feel more like a gadget than a tool - and therefore hard to justify. If you're sailing offshore or in shipping areas though, it's pretty much the most cost effective safety tool you can have on the boat, imo. You can get a receiver for about the same price as a fancy PFD and you'll get a heluva lot more utility out of your AIS than your Spinlock life vest. (Btw - not saying you shouldn't wear a life vest, just that cheaper ones float just as well as expensive ones) (Disclosure: fwiw, I've done about 10,000 offshore miles with AIS reception on board and it's been really helpful on many occasions) Cheers Colin On 9/28/13, Steve Thomas <sthom...@sympatico.ca> wrote: > And now for something completely different: a kit that will convert a spare > VHF radio into an AIS receiver that will work with > your laptop and includes plotting software, all for under $100. Not exactly > an off the shelf bullet proof solution, but it might > be interesting to experiment with if the thought of using a soldering iron > to install it doesn't leave you faint. I have not tried > it, but for the price I am tempted. Most of the "black box" solutions for > receive only are unjustifiably expensive for what they > actually contain, imho. So far in this discussion, no one has mentioned the > possibility of using a radio with AIS already built in > by the manufacturer, which is another possible solution. Standard Horizon > makes one, and there may be others. > > http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AIS-receiver-plotting-navigation-package-/261288551125?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd602e2d5 > > Steve Thomas > C&C27 MKIII > > > -----Original Message----- > From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com]On Behalf Of Frederick > G Street > Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 5:28 PM > To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com > Subject: Re: Stus-List AIS Transponder Info > > > Alan -- I'd suggest the Digital Yacht AIT2000 Class B transceiver; list is > $699.95. Along with that, if you want to go NMEA2000 > you'll need a Raymarine E55053 SeaTalk2 to NMEA2000 adapter cable, and all > the other NMEA2000 backbone cabling (terminators, tees, > power tap, etc.); or you can just go NMEA0183 if you aren't already using > your 0183 ports on the C80. If you need to interface > your VHF for DSC, it might be a good idea to save the 0183 ports for that > and do NMEA2000; then you'll have at least part of the > backbone system in place for the future. > > > Or you could just feed the VHF from the NMEA0183 ports on the AIS > transceiver; then you won't need to have the C80 on to get GPS > data to the VHF, just power to the AIS (which you'll want on most of the > time anyway). > > > You'll also need a VHF whip for the AIS; or you can get a splitter and use > your existing VHF antenna. Digital Yacht makes a > splitter to go with the AIT2000; it's the SPL2000 and list is $369.95. If > that's the route you're going to take, I'd recommend > putting the VHF, AIS and splitter on the same breaker, so that one breaker > will turn on everything you need to manage VHF/AIS. > Then the C80 (along with the power for the NMEA2000 bus) could live on its > own breaker for when you want it. > > > > I would have put the Raymarine AIS650 on the list, but you'd have to convert > from SeaTalk2 to NMEA2000 to get to a backbone, then > convert to SeaTalkNG to get into the AIS650; and it's a couple hundred bucks > more list than the Digital Yacht. > > > I can source gear for you at decent prices; let me know if you want to > discuss further. > > > -- Fred > > > > > Fred Street -- Minneapolis > S/V Oceanis (1979 C&C Landfall 38) -- Bayfield, WI > > > On Sep 27, 2013, at 3:31 PM, Alan Bergen <alan-at-h...@comcast.net> wrote: > > > > > Fred: > > > > I have a C80 MFD, ST 60+ instrument displays, Autohelm depthsounder and > ST50 tridata at the nav station. The C80 has NMEA 0183 > and NMEA 2000 connections, as well as an AIS connection. > > > > Alan > > > -- Sent from my mobile device _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com
