Just a quick note that I’m giving the new installation a sea trial for the next few days aboard Two Lucky Fish, and I’ll be posting general trip details on my Twitter account.

Yeah, the cabling is still kind of a mess, but it’s working!

“Everybody thinks they can avoid getting a multiplexer, and in the end they always get multiplexers.”
               —Brad Christian, Rose Point Navigation

Yeah, sure, whatever, Brad.

Longtime Navagear readers are aware that I have been avoiding multiplexers for more than three years (here’s the proof). I’ve had a good deal of success.

And also a good deal of…um…unsuccess.

Today I enjoyed a big success, though, completing and testing the installation of a new NoLand AM43 NMEA 0183 multiplexer. So it turns out Brad is right. Again. I’m getting kinda tired of that, Brad!

The guys at NoLand have been very helpful, answering over email some questions I had. The diagram above shows a typical installation, but mine was slightly different. I’ll share my schematic diagram here. The top is some general brainstorming. The bottom shows what’s actually connected to each terminal.

A careful look might reveal something odd: Why does the TLK/com pair connect right back to the unit through the IN1+/IN1-? If the data is already in the multiplexer, why feed it back?

Turns out the TLK port is the only “talker” carrying data received from the PC. I want that datastream aggregated into the primary OUTh port; that’s the one that goes to my Raymarine C-80 chartplotter.

And it works! If I select a waypoint in Rose Point Coastal Explorer and make it “active”, my C-80 asks if I want to engage the autopilot to navigate to that waypoint.

And for the first time, I’ve got AIS targets displaying on both the PC and the C-80. Oh, and I verified that DSC targets sent from the VHF appear on the C-80. I haven’t verified that they appear on the PC, but I expect they will.

It’s only day one, but so far I’m impressed that the NoLand AM43 does what it says it will.

If I had any suggestions for future products, it would be to include one more high-speed input. So there would be 2 high-speed inputs and 1 high-speed output. Why? In addition to the AIS, I want to plug the NMEA output from the C-80 into the multiplexer, to get all the data from the C-80 (autopilot, GPS, depth, speed, etc.) into the PC. That data doesn’t actually require a high-speed pipe, but on my C-80, I have to set a common data speed for both the input and output ports. I can’t set the input to 38,400 baud and the output to 4800 baud.

So right now, I’m still obliged to use a clunky workaround, pulling what data is available from the 4800-baud NMEA-out in my autopilot. That set of data is somewhat incomplete, and it’s a shame, especially since the NMEA out on the C-80 (configured at 38,400 baud so that the input can accept the AIS datastream) isn’t connected to anything right now! I guess I could run it into the PC through an unused USB port, but it seems a shame to run an extra wire for it.

Next time I actually take the boat out of her slip, I’ll put the whole kit and caboodle to the test. Stay tuned!

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL— With two levels of integrated signal technology—a powerful 406 MHZ signal and 121.5 MHz homing capacity plus the option to upgrade to GPS positioning with a cable interface— the new SATELLITE₃ 406™ introduced by Cobham Life Support-ACR Products offers a cost-effective, hard working EPIRB for users in both the commercial and recreational marine industries.

The SATELLITE₃ 406™ has received FCC, IC and MED approvals and is now available in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Using the same reliable Search and Rescue satellite technology that has saved more than 27,000 lives worldwide since 1982, the SATELLITE₃ 406™ is a small and rugged lifesaver with over 53 years of ACR ingenuity and engineering built-in as standard features.

The ACR SATELLITE series has well served commercial mariners and recreational boaters for more than 17 years. The newest generation in this workhorse series of EPIRBs, the SATELLITE₃ 406™ utilizes a proprietary electronics package for faster, more stable 406 MHz emergency transmissions to low-earth orbiting LEOSAR satellites. In an emergency, the user’s registered, digitally coded distress message is broadcast via a powerful 6-watt, 406 MHz signal (SAR notification typically within one hour). An integrated 121.5 MHz homing signal then guides local Search and Rescue efforts.

As an option, SATELLITE₃ 406™ users can pinpoint their location within 100 meters and reduce SAR notification to fifteen minutes by purchasing a GPS interface cable, which can connect the SATELLITE₃ 406™ directly to the vessel’s GPS receiver to continuously update and store precise GPS data. As another option, SATELLITE₃ 406™ users can send non-emergency “I’m OK” messages through the beacon’s self-test protocol when they are subscribers to the new 406Link program offered to all owners of EPIRBs and PLBs.

Available in two categories, the SATELLITE₃ 406™ Cat. I EPIRB comes with the Sea Shelter₃™ bracket, which is fully enclosed and made of high density, UV-stabilized polyethylene for years of extreme abuse. The Cat. II EPIRB comes with a standard QuickDraw™ low profile bracket and is easy to install on a bulkhead.

The SATELLITE₃ 406™ is loaded with high efficiency electronics that offer reliable performance, responsiveness and accuracy. It carries Class II non-Hazmat batteries, which will allow the beacon to transmit for a minimum of 48 hours at -20ºC (-4ºF). The EPIRB weighs 1.3 lbs (586 g) measures 7.0 x 4.2 x 3.6” (17.7 x 10.7 x 9.1 cm)

An EPIRB is a satellite-signalling device of last resort, for use when all other means of self-rescue have been exhausted and where the situation is deemed to be grave and imminent, and the loss of life, limb, eyesight or valuable property will occur without assistance. All beacons must be registered online at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov following purchase. There are no monthly service fees for 406 MHz beacons.

MSRP for the Category I SATELLITE₃ 406™ is $950 and $890 for the Category II. MSRP for the optional GPS interface cable is $125.

Ben Ellison has this story at Panbo:

Sorry, but I’m going to start off this week with depressing news:  The U.S. Coast Guard — which I’ve always thought of as a major proponent of DSC VHF — recently issued a Safety Alert that treats one of its core features as a hazard.  In fact, the Guard now "strongly recommends disabling theautomatic channel switching feature…"  Does this mean that placing direct DSC calls to AIS targets — a function that seems to be nicely designed into the DSC system, and one that many of us are enthusiastic about — may not work well?  Yes, it probably does.  But, then again, the USCG found itself between a rock and a hard place…

Read more

Regular readers may recall my feature on Realtime float plan updating with Twitter. My Facebook friends are certainly aware of it; they’ve grown accustomed to my cryptic status updates, which generally follow this form: “Two Lucky Fish underway Friday Harbor to Anacortes. 2 POB.”

This summer, I’m hoping to spend a good deal more time “off-grid”, in terms of cellular coverage. This presents a problem.

To back up a bit, I’ve been really happy using Twitter as a kind of "real-time float plan" manager. It lets my friends and family know where I am, how many POB (persons on board), where I intend to go, and what sort of conditions I’m encountering. There are two problems:

1. I haven’t found a location-aware Twitter client for Windows that will work with plain old NMEA (serial port) GPS data coming into my laptop from my Shine Micro Class B AIS unit. The upshot: I can’t feed my location data directly into Twitter, which is just kinda stupid.
2. if I’m out of cell coverage, I can’t tweet at all. And on my 22-foot C-Dory, I’m not about to install expensive pay-by-the-character satellite communication gear.

So my current thinking is that the new SPOT 2 (with two "I’m OK" messages, one configured to "Two Lucky Fish is underway" and the other set to "Two Lucky Fish is secure") would solve both problems:

1. Even when I’ve got cellular coverage, the SPOT-generated tweet offers the location-aware functionality I want, hopefully with a TinyURL Google map link or something included in my Tweet/Facebook update. Then I can augment the SPOT-generated "Vessel underway" tweet with unique text such as "Enroute Deception Pass, ETA 1430, 2 POB.”
2. And when I’ve got no cellular coverage, my online presence degrades somewhat gracefully (Thanks to Steve Roberts for suggesting the phrase “graceful degradation”), retaining the "vessel underway" and "vessel secure" location-tagged tweets. I can always provide folks with more details once I’ve got Wifi or cell coverage ashore.

That’s the plan, and it seems like it’s all within reach, this season.

More later, as I figure out the details…

You know, folks, I do my best, but there is just an awful lot of marine technology to keep up with these days! Thank goodness there’s Panbo, without which I wouldn’t be nearly as up-to-date on some very interesting product technology.

Take the Jotron AIS-SART Ben discusses here:

I once heard a gentleman who probably knew what he was talking about complain fairly bitterly about the electronic radar reflectors called SARTs.  He said they’d been pushed on the GMDSS by a member nation where they were made and that they’d never proven themselves effective in search and rescue operations.  Which is just one reason why the new Jotron AIS SART is an interesting development…

Read more

Wow! I’m VERY interested in this product line. So I’ll echo Ben Ellison’s query over at Panbo this morning: Any of our readers have any experience with the NaviCom RT650 VHF/DSC/MOB/AIS?

An interesting new product I didn’t see at the Miami Boat Show is this NaviCom RT650 MOB.  The company site is mostly in French, but MyBoatsGear.com links to a catalog PDF in English, and Foxtrot Marine has the most detail I can find.  This DSC VHF seems to have an integrated AIS receiver much like the Standard Horizon GX2100, plus optional wireless handsets like the Uniden Whams, plus integrated MOB fobs that seem to work a lot like Raymarine LifeTags (with more here).  The latter can apparently even trigger a DSC alert, and, in fact, all the parts make a lot of sense together, at least for some boats.  Has anyone out there tried an RT650, or know why the company hasn’t come to the USA?

Go to Panbo, where the discussion in the comments section is already underway.

[It’s another MadMariner feature from a few weeks back. Since this went live while I was at the Seattle Boat Show, I was able to get some feedback on it right away from the folks at Standard Horizon.

Their position is that the inconvenient NMEA networking requirement I identified is NOT a problem for consumers, and that they hadn’t received feedback from other users about difficulties completing the NMEA networking part of the installation. My situation is unique because I’m continuing, for the moment, to rely an older chartplotter with just one NMEA 0183 port.

If so, I’m thrilled! I would love to learn that I’m the only one who finds this inconvenient. That would be awesome, because this appears to be a tremendous product otherwise. —Tim]

I wrote about Standard Horizon’s new products in the Matrix line of fixed-mount VHF radios when they were first announced back in November. The thing that caught my eye was the AIS integration these models included. The GX2000 accepts the datastream from an external AIS receiver or transceiver, while the GX2100 includes an integrated two-channel AIS receiver, the data from which can be connected to a chartplotter or laptop.

[The GX2000 accepts the datastream from an external AIS receiver or transceiver, while the GX2100 includes an integrated two-channel AIS receiver, the data from which can be connected to a chartplotter or laptop.]

AIS/DSC/VHF integration will be extremely beneficial for most boat owners, in my opinion. It’s easy for propeller-headed geeks like me to forget that the vast majority of recreational boats do not carry AIS receivers of any kind. As one of my cruising buddies put it, "If an AIS receiver is basically just a VHF radio and some kind of a modem, then I’ll buy it when it’s built into the regular VHF radio."

That time has come, my friend. I think these Standard Horizon radios could make AIS a lot more attractive to a significant and largely untapped market: Owners of smaller boats with older, perfectly serviceable navigation electronics.

What makes these AIS-integrated VHF radios so wonderful? Two things spring to mind: usability and ease of installation.

ENHANCED USEABILITY

AIS/DSC/VHF integration makes both AIS and DSC more powerful, and more user-friendly.

The Matrix display acts as a low-resolution AIS and DSC plotter, if it has both AIS and vessel-position GPS data. For small boats and tenders that might not have radar or a chartplotter at all, the display on the Matrix units could prove useful, whether your priority is locating and identifying large vessels (AIS) or locating and making contact with vessels in distress (DSC).

But even more important in terms of shear usability, these two units permit one-button DSC hailing to vessels broadcasting AIS. As I’ve written before (here and here), DSC is a potentially powerful but terribly underutilized communication protocol. It’s really a shame, but users can hardly be blamed if they never use DSC at all.

Have you ever tried to input a MMSI number into your DSC radio while underway? Particularly while you are navigating in fog or other difficult conditions when AIS, radar, etc. are intended to help? I have, and it’s nearly impossible. I’m squinting into a tiny screen that is bouncing around like crazy, and my fingers are fumbling the knob trying to dial in each digit. God help you if you make a mistake. Except in emergencies, when the one-button "Distress" feature comes in mighty handy, DSC just isn’t usable for most of us.

[Instead of keying in a long MMSI number one digit at a time, you just select the AIS target you want to hail, and press the soft-key labeled “Call.” The radio already has the MMSI, so there’s no need for you to enter it manually.]

AIS/DSC/VHF integration like that included in these Standard Horizon units may begin to change that. Instead of keying in a long MMSI number one digit at a time, you just select the AIS target you want to hail, and press the soft-key labeled "Call." The radio already has the MMSI, so there’s no need for you to enter it manually. Nice.

EASY INSTALLATION

Second, and just as important for owners of smaller boats with limited space and smaller chartplotters, AIS/VHF integration makes it much easier to install AIS.

To begin with, it’s easier to install one component rather than two, and it’s easier to install one antenna rather than two. The GX2100 model, which includes an onboard dual-channel AIS receiver, requires only one antenna, eliminating the bother and expense of installing a second antenna for AIS. Antenna manufacturers tell us that AIS units should really have dedicated antennae tuned to the AIS frequencies, but my own unscientific testing indicates that regular VHF antennae work just fine for AIS.

But beyond these basics, the new Standard Horizon Matrix AIS radios really shine when it comes to NMEA networking. Or they ought to, anyway.

DISAPPOINTMENT

Longtime readers will remember all the trouble I had trying to network my AIS receiver, my DSC VHF radio, and my chartplotter.

[I'm really impressed with the thought that went into the design of these new AIS-integrated VHF radios from Standard Horizon. They are definitely on the right track.]

The trouble was that my Raymarine C-series chartplotter only sports a single NMEA connection, which can be configured for either low-speed 4800-baud or high-speed 34,800 NMEA 0183 data traffic. AIS requires the high-speed connection, while virtually every VHF radio on the market requires the slower connection.

These new Standard Horizon models, equipped to handle high-speed AIS data traffic, seemed to offer the ideal solution to the sort of problem I experienced: Just one high-speed, two-way NMEA 0183 connection between my plotter and the VHF/AIS would allow all the data to move where it needs to: GPS data from the chartplotter would get to the VHF, supporting location-tagged DSC calls, including distress calls; AIS data from the VHF’s integrated AIS receiver would get to the chartplotter, so it could be displayed there; DSC data – such as the location of a vessel placing a DSC "Distress" call – would get from the VHF to the chartplotter, allowing it to be displayed there as well.

This is great. No $300 NMEA multiplexer needed. No kooky NMEA traffic runarounds to get the data where it’s needed. And at long last, my chartplotter’s single NMEA 0183 port won’t prevent me from enjoying the full benefits of all my marine electronics.

Imagine my disappointment, then, when I dug deeper into the Matrix GX2000/GX2100 manual and read the following: "The GPS must have the NMEA Output […] set to 4800 baud." Wait, what? Why? To make matters even worse, the DSC message are, apparently, fed back through this same tiny NMEA pipe. They aren’t aggregated into the high-bandwidth NMEA pipe that carries the AIS datastream.

I figured I must have misunderstood, so I made contact with Standard Horizon directly, where I reached Product Manager Scott Iverson. Scott was very helpful, and he understood the situation I described perfectly, but it was his unfortunate duty to inform me that I had not misunderstood the manual after all.

Besides finding this frustrating for my individual situation, I find it perplexing, as well. If the Matrix AIS units are capable of handling high-speed AIS traffic, why require a second, low-bandwidth NMEA port as well?

I doubt that my situation is all that unique. Lots of boaters have older chartplotters that work fine, but have a limited number of NMEA ports. I write Navagear, and I have no plans to upgrade my 2004 chartplotter at this point. And although most newer chartplotters include more than a single NMEA port, that’s no reason to use up two of them when one could handle all the traffic. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

I appreciate that the Matrix AIS units need to receive GPS coordinates, and aboard many boats, that NMEA data will come in at 4800 baud. So the possibility of an incoming 4800-baud datastream must be supported. But there’s no reason the VHF’s outgoing DSC data needs to move at 4800 baud; certainly not if the chartplotter on the receiving end is capable of receiving the high-bandwidth AIS datastream.

It’s impossible to design a product that is optimal for every customer scenario. I understand this. And obviously I tend to imagine that the problems I experience are more or less typical for a lot of potential customers who are interested in new technology, but don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on electronics upgrades every year; I could be mistaken about that. Still, I just can’t get over the feeling that requiring two NMEA connections operating at two incompatible speeds represents a small miscalculation in an otherwise amazing product design.

BULL’S-EYE? NOT QUITE

I’m really impressed with the thought that went into the design of these new AIS-integrated VHF radios from Standard Horizon. They are definitely on the right track. In five years, all manufacturers will support AIS/DSC/VHF integration, and we’ll all be a little shocked when we recall that this wasn’t completely obvious way, way back in the early 21st century.

And as a veteran of the high-tech industry myself (software, not hardware), I can appreciate how difficult it can be when designing a product to place yourself in the position of a customer who is not a "propeller-headed geek" embracing all the latest and greatest technology the moment it becomes available.

Meanwhile, though, out there in the real world, the vast majority of potential customers pick and choose what new technology they’re willing to bother with. If the benefits are clear, the hassle is minimal, and the price is right, they’ll embrace it. I fear that Standard Horizon has unintentionally neglected a portion of the potential market for these innovative radios, and I think that’s a shame.

Nonetheless, I plan to upgrade my VHF radio to one of these new models. I’m looking forward to the benefits of AIS/DSC/VHF integration, once I work out the tricky NMEA data routing!

I generally purchase antenna mounting hardware that allows me to fold antennas, but they can be bulky and expensive. This might be a great solution aboard some boats. The press release:

Whether an owner is trailering the boat, fishing or navigating under a low bridge, getting the antenna down and out of the way should be effortless. The 5247-A Lift-n-Lay VHF whip antenna from Shakespeare Electronic Products Group answers the call. The whip itself simply folds over when needed, especially convenient when covering or storing a boat.

Featuring a low-profile, single-section design, the versatile 3′ Lift-n-Lay is an end-fed, 3dB, base-load VHF antenna with a sealed, copper wire coil. The whip’s stainless steel construction provides extra stability when a boat moves at high speeds.

Making installation easy, the Lift-n-Lay antenna’s SO-239 connector is simply passed through a horizontal surface up to 1/2" thick. A handy L-bracket for mast or side mounting is included.

The convenient 5247-A Lift-n-Lay VHF antenna from Shakespeare has a suggested retail price of $100.95. Coax cable and the PL-259 connector are sold separately.

[It’s another MadMariner feature from a few weeks back. —Tim]

The first major pleasure boat rescue operation of 2010 occurred on January 2. Dennis Clements, 55, was forced to abandon his Cal 39 sailboat Gloria A Dios when it was dismasted and holed in severe weather about 300 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

Gloria A Dios means "Glory to God," and Clements believes he owes his survival to divine intervention. Watching the Coast Guard interview with him, it’s difficult to disagree. His account is moving; very few of us will ever experience the many tiny miracles with which our own lives are blessed in such an unequivocal way as did Clements.

But even the sort of divine intervention Clements received would not have saved him had it not been for the professionalism and cooperation of two powerful organizations, along with a tremendous amount of technology.

[Clements on solid ground once more. USCG photo]

Navagear is a gear and gadgets blog, so I’d like to examine the technology side of this amazing rescue. I admit that this is the least glamorous aspect of the incident. It’s tough to compete with Navy and Coast Guard heroism, let alone divine intervention from the Almighty! So I won’t try. Instead, I’m going to recount the incident as I understand it, focusing on the tools and gear involved.

THE RESPONSE

At the risk of seeming glib, let me refer to the punchline of an old joke. In the joke, a recently deceased flood victim, about to enter heaven’s pearly gates, can’t understand why God didn’t intervene to save him, to which St. Peter responds, "We sent two boats and a helicopter!"

Clements is not like the fellow in the joke, which is probably why he’s alive today. When things became dangerous aboard Gloria A Dios, his ACR Satellite 2 Category II EPIRB was activated. This is an older model, not equipped with integral GPS like the newer units, so it took a bit longer for satellites associated with the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) to zero in on the vessel’s position. EPIRBs are great, but for the record: GPS-equipped EPIRBS are even better.

Once the EPIRB was activated, the U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District went into action. Air Station Elizabeth City launched a HC-130J Hercules aircraft to search for the sailboat. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was transmitted, and satellite Enhanced Group Calls were used to identify other vessels in the area that might be able to assist. A commercial vessel participating in the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) was diverted toward the stricken sailboat.

The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) was conducting air operations not far away, and immediately changed course and sailed at high speed toward the distressed mariner. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard’s Hercules crew was enroute to the source of the EPIRB signal.

The Coast Guard’s HC-130J variant of the familiar Lockheed C-130 aircraft is optimized as a long-range surveillance aircraft. It is equipped with a rich array of sophisticated electronics, including FLIR’s Star Safire III electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imaging system, which generated the visuals you see in the Coast Guard video of the sailboat and the liferaft drop. Keep in mind this video was taken in the midst of severe weather conditions including mixed rain, sleet and snow, yet the sailboat shows up clearly.

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