RE: [Cal_Boats] Re: GPS

Using a Smart Radio receiver form Milltech Marine. http://www.milltechmarine.com/products.htm Milltech sells the least expensive signal demodulator @ @$189.00. Upstream, The receiver needs a VHF antenna, so you can either have a small one like a hand held, mount a second VHF antenna, or using a powered splitter, hook into you existing mast tip ships radio antenna. I picked the last option for @ $120. The splitter senses the VHF radio mike keying, and turns off the AIS signal side, to keep from frying the AIS circuit board... All other times, the AIS uses the benefits of the high antenna and collects signals for the AIS box. Connected on the down stream side of the receiver is a serial/USB converter. This converter simply plugs into on of my 4 USB ports. I recall the Receiver came with some rudimentary software for using - seeing the AIS signals. I believe any up-to-date Navigation software should be able to take this input and place the signals on the chart. I use Expedition. So in Expedition set-up, it detects signals on a "comm. Port" you simply tell expedition it is AIS, and the connection is made to software, other software packages, you might have to configure the port data as: 1. * Baud rate: 38400 baud 2. * Data bit: 8 3. * Parity: None 4. * Stop bits: 1 Happy Sailing! Timmo From: Jonathan Deus [mailto:ny… [at] gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2008 12:33 AM To: Lessley, Timm/PDX Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Re: GPS Hi Tim, how do you get the AIS info to the laptop? Thanks, Jonathan