[CA] [CA11] AIS on an Element 7

[[email protected]]

I have just upgraded my Raymarine plotter from an A50 (just using nmea0183) to an Element 7 with Seatalkng network.

My AIS transceiver (Comar CSB200) outputs NMEA0183 which I now convert to N2K/Seatalkng using a Quark A032ais converter.

This device is recognised by the plotter as a connected network device and communication seems to be taking place but no AIS related menu items appear on the plotter, e.g. AIS is not listed in the available alarm configuration table.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks
Chris

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Chris,

Unlike Raymarine's MFDs, Element displays do not feature a configuration setting which controls whether AIS targets are shown or hidden ... they are always shown when corresponding data is received by the display. Should
1) the MFD be verified to be updated with LightHouse Sport v3.9.98 software and if not, that its software be updated to this or the latest version of LightHouse sport software; and
2) the MFD have acquired a GPS position FIX; and
2) NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 Data bridge and MFD each be interfaced as individual spurs to a common powered and properly terminated SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 backbone; and
3) should the MFD's diagnostics detect the presence of the NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 Data bridge; and
4) should the Chart application not automatically plot AIS targets, then it would be recommended a NMEA 2000 analyzer (ex. Actisense NGT-1 and Actisense NMEAReader computer software (see screenshot below), etc.) or other chartplotting product be interfaced to the backbone to determine whether the NMEA 2000 backbone is being populated with NMEA 2000 PGNs 129809, 129810, and 129039.

[[email protected]]

Thanks very much - I've got the AIS targets displaying on the Element 7S plotter now but when the Comar CSB200 AIS transceiver is set to transmit my own boat appears on the plotter (obscuring the boat symbol) and the AIS alarm keeps going off.
This doesn't happen on the old Raymarine A50 plotter I replaced.

How do I turn off the own boat as an AIS target?

Thanks

Chris Atkinson

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Chris,

Please verify that the third party AIS transceiver has been interfaced to the system in a manner which would only support one way communications ... AIS transceiver to NMEA 2000 data bridge ... and in that direction only. The reported symptom may also occur if the system features a second AIS receiver (ex. RAY70 w/AIS option, etc.). Should one way communications between the AIS transceiver and the system have been verified, then please respond with a system diagram identifying the make/model of all marine electronics devices, and how these devices have been interfaced to one another.

[[email protected]]

I can verify that the AIS transceiver is only connected via its TX (out) wire to the Quark A032 NMEA-2000k bridge. There is no other AIS equipment on the boat. Just for reference this is the old original system with the Raymarine A50 plotter which just received AIS via NMEA and sent Waypoint data to the ST4000+ via NMEA. The SeaTalkng interface wasn't in use.

I've attached system schematics of current and previous system,

Thanks

Chris

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Chris,

Solving / correcting this issue will require a NMEA 2000 log from the system. Unfortunately, the diagnostic features of LightHouse Sport v3.9.98 do not support logging of NMEA 2000 data as do MFDs running the latest LightHouse 3 software. It would accordingly be recommended that a Raymarine installer be contacted to visit the vessel (and bring an Axiom MFD running LH3 v3.10.71 or later software along) to log the NMEA 2000 output of the Quark A032 NMEA-2000k bridge. During the visit, it would also be a useful data point to determine whether the MFD responds similarly to ownship data as the Element display appears to be doing.

[[email protected]]

I’ll have to look into how viable it is to get a Raymarine installer out to my boat but I think it will be expensive.
Meanwhile I’m working through possible solutions.

1. Could you categorically confirm that the Element 7S running Lighthouse 3.9.138 will correctly display AIS targets (i.e. not own boat) when fed data from a class B transceiver and that working examples exist.
2. Do you have a recommended NMEA0183-2000K AIS converter that you know will work with an Element 7S e.g. Actisense NGW-1.
3. Could you explain what you meant by “determine whether the MFD responds similarly to ownership data” in you last post.
4. I have spoken to the manufacturers of the Comar CSB200 (now called a T200B) and Quark-Elec. Both are puzzled as to why the Element 7S should display my own boat as a target. I know that on OpenCPN charting software on my Android tablet I can filter out my own MMSI AIS target as I gather some MFDs do to but that doesn’t help with the Element 7.

I’ll try again this week to narrow down where the problem lies,
Thanks
Chris

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Chris,

Q1. Could you categorically confirm that the Element 7S running Lighthouse 3.9.138 will correctly display AIS targets (i.e. not own boat) when fed data from a class B transceiver and that working examples exist.
A1. Yes and please note that the latest released version of LightHouse Sport software is v3.9.98, not v3.9.138 ... the latter version is the app version specified within the MFD's diagnostics feature. My Element display running LightHouse Sport v3.9.98 at my desk has been interfaced to an AIS650, AIS700, and AIS5000 via SeaTalkng / NMEA 2000 communications and does not suffer the reported symptom.

A2. Do you have a recommended NMEA0183-2000K AIS converter that you know will work with an Element 7S e.g. Actisense NGW-1.
A2. Raymarine has not officially tested any NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000 data bridges for such purposes specifically with Element displays. We have historically recommended the Actisense NGW-1-ISO-AIS for such purposes. That said, I ran a quick test of my Actisense NGW-1-ISO-AIS with my AIS650 and Element display running LightHouse Sport v3.9.98 and was unable to duplicate the reported issue.

Q3. Could you explain what you meant by “determine whether the MFD responds similarly to ownership data” in you last post.
A3. The NMEA 0183 (and presumably NMEA 2000) transmissions of AIS transceivers included not only data concerning other vessels, but also that of one's own ship. The former are transmitted within NMEA 0183 VDM sentences and the latter are transmitted within NMEA 0183 VDO sentences. Regarding my last response, I had been seeking to determine whether the MFD brought along by the Raymarine installer produced similar symptoms when interfaced to your system.

Q4. I have spoken to the manufacturers of the Comar CSB200 (now called a T200B) and Quark-Elec. Both are puzzled as to why the Element 7S should display my own boat as a target. I know that on OpenCPN charting software on my Android tablet I can filter out my own MMSI AIS target as I gather some MFDs do to but that doesn’t help with the Element 7.
A4. Own ship data is indeed filtered out ... see my response to Q1 and Q2. Each of the systems tested transmits own ship data to system. I suspect that the issue may lie in transmissions of the Quark A032ais converter.

[[email protected]]

Thanks very much for your patient help.
Using your very cogent replies I got back to Quark and they agree the A032ais bridge could be the source of the own boat target display and have sent me a modified firmware update to apply to filter out the VDO sentences. We've rain storms at the moment but will get down to boat ASAP and try it out and let you,
thanks again
Chris

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

You're welcome.