[PUP] AIS

[Dave Cooper]

We just received our new SmartRadio AIS receiver SR161 for Christmas and
connected it up thru a Milltech provided serial to USB adapter to our laptop
running Coastal Navigator.

Not a good out of box experience...nothing showed up on CN. After a few days
of working with Gregg at Coastal Navigator as we had no response from
Milltech, the vendor, we discovered that our other serial to USB adaptor
that is used for our GlobalStar data connection for our email was blocking
the new one from working even tho all the computer ports seemed to be
working and all the drivers were updated.

It is now working well but we have observed that lots of large ships (well
over 300 tons) are not broadcasting any signals. We are less than a mile
from the ferry terminal where they have 3 or 4 boats daily coming and going
plus I have at least 10 oil tankers in visual, within 5 miles, at all times.
Moving the antenna doesn't seem to be any help. So I don't think it is a
signal strength issue.

Can it be that this many ships over 300 tons are in violation of the
international laws requiring the use of transponders?

Has anyone else been able to verify the use or lack of use of AIS on ships?

Very curious to me........

Cheers

Dave & Nancy
Swan Song
Roughwater 58
Puerto La Cruz
Venezuela