Complete Integrated Electronics Suite for next to nothing.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:31 pm

Yes I agree these antennas will help id you on the fringe How ever It tells you in the info that you also need a good base signal , and most marinas only put a weak signal ( why would they spend the money to serve free loaders) , and can't pick up a signal thats fades out in a 1/4 mile at 5 or even 2 miles with a booster , I seen all types of rigs a none are that great per the owners

now that antenna can increase the range of there output greatly but what good is that if you have no incoming signal ?

Ready
I check one of the references they listed on the site , it was a AD , Like would trust anything they say .

Don't believe all you read on the net .

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:03 pm

Dual Screens showing Chartplotting (left) and Interactive AIS (right)

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z43 ... 318076.jpg

Closer view of the Chartplotter. Currently with no overlays. With the GPS tied in , the charts will move with the vessel. I have the whole east coast loaded.

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z43 ... 318077.jpg

This next shot is the interactive AIS system. Same view of NY Harbor but with the vessels currently in view and transmitting their IDs

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z43 ... 318078.jpg

If you "Mouse-over" any one of the AIS IDs currently in view on the chart, you can get expanded info about that vessel:

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z43 ... 318079.jpg

This final pic is of the Vessel Information System "Dashboard". Displayed data can include over a dozen boat and environmental metrics depending on the NMEA0183 sensors you want to attach.

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z43 ... 318080.jpg

The system has a long way to go, but this will give you a flavor of the basic "look and feel" I am putting together.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:58 pm

Interesting

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:23 am

prowlersfish wrote:Ready
I check one of the references they listed on the site , it was a AD , Like would trust anything they say .
Don't believe all you read on the net .

When I read in forums the experiences of boaters I tend to be satisfied it is valid.
I changed to a composting head based on that kind of research... and have found that was a wise choice after one season.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 6:33 am

That can be true but when they list a refrence and you check it and its just a ad , thats not to good IMO , and the qoutes from people on it one one said anything like it works over a mile or two , like the maker claims .

untill marinas use high power wifi , I don't see the point . And why would they ? unless they charge for it ? Our marina wifi is fair the marina next to use has a stronger signal but guess what the charge for it , ours is free ,but you need a code.

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:47 am

As part of my moving aboard "Basket Case" I moved my "in-progress" computer-based navigation and vessel information system aboard. You may remember the dialog we had in this post about WiFi reception, signal propagation and antennas?. OK, so after the system was re-assembled, I plugged in my standard Linksys USB wireless device and was able to see four networks - all of them at a very low signal quality. I attached to the Lincoln Harbor network and despite the low signal was able to get into the internet albeit with slow screen refreshes. Then, I yanked the Linksys wireless "thumb", deleted the software and installed the driver for my new "SuperPass" external antenna. However, the Superpass also came with a 6" rubber stalk antenna for "close-in" usage inside the boat. So, since I hadn't yet installed the 2 ft external antenna on the hardtop, I decided to test the system with just the small 6" close range antenna first. I was happy to see that now I had 35 networks in view with more than half of them at a 75% or greater signal strength. I was pulling the Lincoln Harbor network at 94% and 54 MBPS data throughput rate. When accessing the net now, it was like I was hard wired to the network. So...boys and girls, all those wireless signals are out there all the time. it's just that your antenna isn't good enough to "see" and amplify them enough to be useful. I can only guess how many networks my 2 ft Superpass external antenna will pull after that one is mounted. My guess is over 100 and many will be from across the Hudson from Manhattan.

dollarbill · Post by **dollarbill** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:52 pm

Any of the commercially available AIS software programs are not by any means real time. Could be an hour to two hours old. That ship has already sailed. Literally. I would like to be wrong on this.

Realtime AIS availability would be available through Digital Yacht iAIS out of the UK. Not sure if the Standard Horizon AIS receiver VHF is NMEA capable. - but that would be an entry level AIS.

Engine/Navigation/Climate/Engine room web cam/engine alerts/holding tank monitor available through Maretron and all on an iPad.. but this is kind of expensive stuff.

http://www.maretron.com

Navigation is not big for me due to me being on a lake but I have used my iPad and iPhone for navigation using Navionics. AIS is not going to be real big here either... One thing that is pretty neat with this Navionics is that I can send my position/speed/heading via email to anybody and they click on it and it pulls up a Google map with the position of them and me. You can also import the waypoint in to Navionics if you received an email position.

I admit the gadget factor is pretty neat and intriguing... I wont be navigating the high seas with my ipad though.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:54 pm

prowlersfish wrote:untill marinas use high power wifi , I don't see the point . And why would they ? unless they charge for it ? Our marina wifi is fair the marina next to use has a stronger signal but guess what the charge for it , ours is free ,but you need a code.

Not wanting to beat a dead horse but you are still missing the point....
a signal can seem dead when measured by the wireless pickup in a router/PC/laptop which are much weaker than the wifi kits I am talking about.

This is the same as people who can't pickup an OTA (over the air) TV station with rabbit ears on their TV and the neighbour gets it with his rooftop antenna!!
The signal was as "weak" for both people just that one user had the capability to pick it up.

These kits do the same thing... they make weak signals useable.
The real side of a weak connection is the signal from you to the wifi source that the kits solve... boosting the signal from you to the "weak" site

I Quote:
High power - 36dbm (4W) EIRP. The typical laptop puts out a paltry 35-50mW of power. Do the math. That's a significant increase!
my calculation *[80-114 times]*

This is no different than comparing short wave radio operators.... it is their gear that makes the difference not the signal they are listening to.

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:09 pm

"The real side of a weak connection is the signal from you to the wifi source that the kits solve... boosting the signal from you to the "weak" site"

I'm not sure we are disagreeing. maybe semantics? The Lincoln Harbor WiFi signal is weak as measured by my PC's standard wireless card. When I installed the external antenna, the weak signal got amplified and became very usable. The same for my transmissions back to the Wifi site. My point was that these antenna kits are very useful in making a weak (almost unusable) signal into a very strong usable signal. What possible argument could be raised about that?

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:13 pm

Ok from my living room window my laptop sees 45 hot spots, note the power of them..... no open one's

My BadBoy antenna sitting right next to the laptop finds 75 with 5 open.

NOTE first common one is Erato... see the difference in signal strength

I didn't move so it is not the weak signal that changed it is the equipment I am using to pickup the signal.

I hope Paul that you will finally be educated that the marinas and town sites don't need to do anything to their wifi hotspots.... the *boaters* just need to have the right equipment.

I will be able to keep you updated with real on the water results once I get the unit on my boat.

Oh here is the equipment I'm using.... just picked it up today.

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:47 pm

Dollar Bill: The Interactive AIS Ship Positions updates are only a few minutes old:

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z43 ... 318079.jpg

While this is not real time it also doesn't involve the cost of a dedicated AIS receiver. Just another option available to us all.

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:53 pm

Ready123 - are you responding to "Paul" or me (Steve aka "Risctaker" cause if you are directing your last discourse on antenna amplification to me you and I have been saying the same thing right along. I have the same results between my low gain built-in antenna vs the SuperPass High gain one. What did you pay for the "bad Boy" kit?

Steve (Risctaker)

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:51 pm

He is talking to me . I can pick up a lot of wifi at a hi rise condo too .But still impressive
now can you pick it up miles a way ???

And this is a good reminder to secure your wireless so some free loader won't use it ( like me)

dodgeem · Post by **dodgeem** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:25 pm

Aren't the high gain antennas dangerous to be too close too for long periods of time. A buddy of mine sets up wireless antennas for local farmers on their grain silos, works great but he always cautions that if pointed at the neighbors dog too long it can do damage. Not sure he knows what he's talking about though

Heefus · Post by **Heefus** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:01 pm

I like the setup.

I have SeaClear set up, using a USB GPS device, and it works great. With that being said, I won't be running it on the F28 due to piloting from the fly bridge, which is exposed to the elements.

A buddy of mine runs it in the salon bridge, and has no issues.

Way to go outside the box dude, I am sure it will be great.

Trojan Boat Forum

Complete Integrated Electronics Suite for next to nothing.

First Photos of System under Construction

Update on the WiFi part of the system

A couple of points