Cell phone AIS

Here is a link to an app that does AIS....anybody know anything about this??

Amazon.com: FleetMon mobile - live AIS ship positions: Appstore for Android

I am a Marine Traffic AIS lurker. I learned about cell phone AIS one day when I was watching a boat come into Solomons harbor and then later that day it was in the grocery store a few mile away from any docks.

For entertainment, yes. For navigation, No

All those apps do is show you what's on the fleetmon or MarineTraffic web site, and it's wholly unsuitable for navigation, and does not meet any of the definitions for actual AIS.

The web sites, and related apps, show you ships that are within range of randomly located land-based receivers, operated by volunteers. Actual AIS is based on ships that are within range of YOU since YOU are the receiver, not something in someone's living room somewhere not near you. Ships that are of concern to you are those around you, not those around bubba's living room.

There are only two actual definitions of an AIS system, and they are Class A and Class B. Both are full transceivers (send and receive). AIS receivers don't meet any specification or meet any qualification for AIS. Some people have even started calling receive-only devices "Class C AIS". There is no such thing, other than in the imagination of some marketing guy.

Thanks guys, guess I did not save the 1000 I hoped to....nice thought.

I will echo what TT said. BUT....it is a reference. We use it while tanker surfing to find out how fast that ship is going and usually use it with good results. So while we do not use it for navigation, it is useful in this regard.

Baker said:

I will echo what TT said. BUT....it is a reference. We use it while tanker surfing to find out how fast that ship is going and usually use it with good results. So while we do not use it for navigation, it is useful in this regard.

Click to expand...

Extremely well said. Marine Traffic served me well for two years. It really helped with commercial traffic in Long Island sound and on a very foggy day when I was crossing the traffic lanes for the Verrazano Narrows, I was albe to plan my crossing an hour in advance.

Now, having said that, once I got real AIS, all the close encounters stopped.

Nothing like real AIS. Crossing the Okeechobee waterway, I was coming to a sharp corner. Coming in the other direction was a 50'+ sport fish doing 30 knots. The AIS was showing this on the plotter in real time. Trees were blocking past the corner, so no image on radar. The AIS image gave me time to angle closer toward shore. Since I was also broadcasting AIS, he saw me, before seeing me and backed down to displacement speed. Have it on both boats, wouldn't be underway without.

Ted

You also have to remember if you have AIS on your VHF which is networked to your GPS by NMEA 183 or 2000 you only see what is out there. You are not transmitting so others cannot see you. IN the case of OC Diver, if he wasn't transmitting, he could at least see the sportfish coming and call him directing on the VHF.