Transmitting AIS with Garmin

hyndlandguy · 27 March 2021, 10:55

Anyone know how big of a job it is to start transmitting AIS ?

I have a Garmin 922xs Plus and can receive AIS of other vessels on it, but it does not transmit my own position. Is it a big job to start doing it ?

Pikey Dave · 27 March 2021, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyndlandguy

Anyone know how big of a job it is to start transmitting AIS ?

I have a Garmin 922xs Plus and can receive AIS of other vessels on it, but it does not transmit my own position. Is it a big job to start doing it ?

You need a separate black box classB AIS transponder. And a separate antenna or a splitter. Not a major job if you’re handy with the electrical & your head unit is “transmit ready”
It will cost around £600 minimum.
Look at the digital yacht AIT2000 family of transponders.

hyndlandguy · 27 March 2021, 11:29

Great info. Thank you.

So something like the Garmin 800 AIS Black box would do it. It says on the tin, that that is a splitter so I could use my existing antenna?

https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Garmin...hoC2z8QAvD_BwE

Pikey Dave · 27 March 2021, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyndlandguy

..that that is a splitter so I could use my existing antenna?

Looks like it[emoji106] it needs to get a good GPS signal for the built in receiver. Bear that in mind when positioning the unit, otherwise you may have to use an external antenna for the GPS.

hyndlandguy · 27 March 2021, 12:09

Thanks so much for your help. Much appreciated.

Pikey Dave · 27 March 2021, 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyndlandguy

Thanks so much for your help. Much appreciated.

You’re welcome [emoji106]

willk · 27 March 2021, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyndlandguy

and can receive AIS of other vessels on it,

Is it currently receiving AIS or do you mean it has the capability to display AIS targets?

Not being snarky, just if it's a preowned boat, there might be a lot going on in there!

hyndlandguy · 27 March 2021, 13:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Is it currently receiving AIS or do you mean it has the capability to display AIS targets?

Not being snarky, just if it's a preowned boat, there might be a lot going on in there!

Its a new boat at the end of last summer. It receives AIS data and shows other vessels on my chart display that are transmitting AIS. My boat however does not transmit my own position by AIS, so anyone looking for my position on an AIS chart would not see me. I'd like to transmit my AIS position, in addition to receiving AIS data from other boats which it already does.

My apologies if I was not being clear.

jakew009 · 27 March 2021, 14:45

Just buy the Raymarine AIS 700, it’s identical to the Garmin 800 but normally a lot cheaper:
https://hudsonmarine.co.uk/products/...ished-e70476-r

I think they are all made by SRT. Just different cases.

Pikey Dave · 27 March 2021, 16:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Is it currently receiving AIS or do you mean it has the capability to display AIS targets?

Not being snarky, just if it's a preowned boat, there might be a lot going on in there!

I’m guessing the OP has a VHF that receives AIS & is outputting to the plotter.

willk · 27 March 2021, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

I’m guessing the OP has a VHF that receives AIS & is outputting to the plotter.

Most likely, but the potential for an AIS RX only was there too. IIRC he'll have to tell the RX unit to ignore the signals from the RX/TX unit? He'll essentially have my set up then - and I seem to remember collision bells & whistles going off! Mine aren't linked over a network either so the plotters only see one AIS source too - I guess he'll have to select which?

GuyC · 27 March 2021, 16:50

I fitted an Em Trak AIS Transceiver. They are a UK company and were pretty helpful over the the phone.

Between that and some Actisense stuff (also UK based) I've ended up with what seems to be a nice little set up.

I've attached a noddy picture of how it is linked up.

The VHF and the AIS have separate antenna's. I haven't shown the one on the VHF.

Pikey Dave · 27 March 2021, 17:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Most likely, but the potential for an AIS RX only was there too. IIRC he'll have to tell the RX unit to ignore the signals from the RX/TX unit? He'll essentially have my set up then - and I seem to remember collision bells & whistles going off! Mine aren't linked over a network either so the plotters only see one AIS source too - I guess he'll have to select which?

Hmm I had something similar. There’s a setting in the Lowrance menu where you input your own MMSI number & the plotter then ignores it.

Iron Dials · 27 March 2021, 18:15

If you're going to buy an AIS black box I'd suggest Class B+(SOTDMA) which will cost a little more but updates more frequently and transmits at higher power output. Both are useful in a fast moving rib.

https://digitalyacht.net/2018/11/26/class-b-sotdma/

jakew009 · 27 March 2021, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Most likely, but the potential for an AIS RX only was there too. IIRC he'll have to tell the RX unit to ignore the signals from the RX/TX unit? He'll essentially have my set up then - and I seem to remember collision bells & whistles going off! Mine aren't linked over a network either so the plotters only see one AIS source too - I guess he'll have to select which?

Am I missing something or why wouldn’t you just disconnect the VHF nmea transmit wires (and indeed the receive only AIS if fitted) and replace both with the new AIS transceiver?

Iron Dials · 27 March 2021, 19:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakew009

Am I missing something or why wouldn’t you just disconnect the VHF nmea transmit wires (and indeed the receive only AIS if fitted) and replace both with the new AIS transceiver?

The VHF can also display DSC positions on chart-plotter so probably better to keep NMEA connected, assuming if it has AIS rx it is also DSC enabled.

willk · 27 March 2021, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakew009

Am I missing something or why wouldn’t you just disconnect the VHF nmea transmit wires (and indeed the receive only AIS if fitted) and replace both with the new AIS transceiver?

I can't speak for the OP. In my case, the electronics were fitted piecemeal when bargains appeared. I introduced AIS RX via a NMEA2000 VHF which became my primary comms. A NMEA0183 TX set unit popped up for peanuts and I added that - it's completely standalone with its own antenna. I like being able to knock it off when I'm, well, minding my own business

I'm a huge fan of redundancy and the attendant issues are sometimes unique to my setup. A quick count recently revealed 5 GPS receivers on the console - sometimes it's like a wee episode of Highlander and I have to pick one

willk · 27 March 2021, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron Dials

The VHF can also display DSC positions on chart-plotter so probably better to keep NMEA connected, assuming if it has AIS rx it is also DSC enabled.

^ and yeah, that reason too. The VHF and the plotter/s are very interlaced.

jakew009 · 27 March 2021, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron Dials

The VHF can also display DSC positions on chart-plotter so probably better to keep NMEA connected, assuming if it has AIS rx it is also DSC enabled.

Good point. I wonder if it is possible to turn off the AIS sentences but leave the DSC ones.

All this depends what sort of network we are talking about. On modern plotters with nmea2k network you can just configure what sources you want to use for what.

On my console I think I have about 4 gps sources (each plotter has built in gps, vhf has gps, AIS receiver has AIS and autopilot has gps. But I just use the AIS gps for everything as it’s got an external antenna and theoretically the most accurate.

mikehhogg · 27 March 2021, 21:26

I hate to be the one to be negative here but AIS is not all its cracked up to be. signals and data are sometimes intermittant and hours behind real time. we purchased a boat a few weeks ago and used marine tracker to track its progress. the cargo ship that was going to pick it up from an Island off south west coast of uk Stopped transponding after leaving port in penzance.The boat was on the quay the following day even though ais showed it under way at sea.
the boat was transported by road to liverpool where it was put on a ferry to belfast. The stenna ship appeared in the irish sea when in fact it was docked in belfast.. We then had a trawler off the the Irish coast that suffered engine failure and the LE George bernard shaw a naval vessell attended .Ais was 24hours behind. I rest my case