Connect a NASA marine AIS to SeaClear...yes it works

ENQUIRY:

"Steve

Many thanks for the tiny GPS unit that you sent. I have this now up and working well with Seaclear and with the charts, and all that side seems fine.

I still have a problem however with the NASA AIS Engine though (this is new). Whilst I know that you didn't supply this (I would have come to you if I had known of you at the time) I am unsure whether it is actually working, or whether I need to set some 'non obvious' parameter within Seaclear to get it to communicate.

The AIS Engine has the red light on and has 13.4 volt supply. The Green light flickers on very briefly every now and then (once about every 10-12 seconds) The indicator on the Serial/USB converter flickers when first turned on, and thereafter very rarely. Windows says it knows its there and is working..

I have installed a new Marine VHF antenna as the one first tried was pretty grotty, and well pitted.

The Seaclear display is set to Automatic Off, it has the AIS panel showing, and 3 radar rings set to 4,8,12 nm. and all the tick boxes ticked.

From my workshop I can currently see 4 stationary vessels, and 6 vessels going in and out of the Thames and Medway between 3 and 7 miles away. I have checked www.AISHUB.net and all of these vessels plus a couple I can't make out are transponding on the AISHUB screen.

Am I doing something wrong ? I have tried every configuration I can think of .

Best regards and happy new year

Ron

I believe (if the NASA blurb is correct) that these should clearly display on Seaclear - but I have no feedback whatever. My setup is about 30 feet above water level"

REPLY:

Hello Ron,

Of course we can help, it's probably a com port issue. I take it that the NASA AIS is connected to your PC via a serial to USB connection. You need to find the COM port that the AIS is outputting it's info on. Then you need to connect another RX input on Seaclear to that Com port, baud rate 38,200 ??? I think offhand.

Use the same method you used to connect the GPS, but choose RX2 input for SeaClear. (one for the GPS another for AIS)

If you want to call on 01983 567866 tomorrow I'll gladly take you through it all. 10AM to 6PM.

Kind Regards,

Steve www.visitmyharbour.com

RESULT:

Steve

Very many thanks for your help.

I found the port that the USB/serial connection was using - Com 5 in this case, and done exactly as you said, and hey presto - up it all came. I had in fact tried this before, but I either cocked it up completely, or left the Baud rate at the default setting (4800 on this machine). I remember that Seaclear reported that it couldn't open the port. I am guessing that if the default I/O rate was set to 4800 and it was receiving I/P at 38400 - that's why Seaclear couldn't handle it.

I/O ports are always a bit of a mystery, and I am supposed to have a bit of an idea what I am doing. Plug and Play has never really happened has it.

Sincerely Steve, many thanks, and I look forward to working with you again, and will most certainly recommend this system and Visit My Harbour to all friends and customers.

Very best regards

Ron