DigitalYacht have announced the iAIS receiver. It will work with iNavX (and MacENC) wirelessly via WiFi, but also has a USB connection.
http://www.panbo.com/archives/2010/09/di...opers.html
There will also be a free AIS plotting (no marine chart) iOS app for the iAIS.
Really impressive. I presume that you still need an external VHF antenna though..
I missed the Southampton boat show this year, but would have loved to have seen iAIS up and running.
Yes iAIS needs an external VHF antenna.
I have heard mixed reports about using an existing VHF antenna with an antenna splitter.
The free iAIS app is now available in the iTunes app store. Having an iAIS receiver makes the app much more useful.
Can iNavX process NMEA data sent by the ShipModul Bluetooth Multiplexor (over BT)?
I have iNavX and a the USB ShipModul multiplexor so I can't test it myself. An iPad getting NMEA data right from the BT multiplexor would be fabulous.
iPad/iPhone/iPod only supports BT Keyboards and headsets, NMEA data must come over WiFi ..
http://www.macsailing.net/fbb/showtopic.php?tid/1178/
You can take the Shipmodul Multiplexer (USB or BT models) NMEA output and connect it to the DigitalYacht iAIS NMEA input. This allows the iAIS to broadcast it over WiFi to iPad/iPhone/iPod.
I have the Digital Yachts Class B Transponder AIT2000 with WLN10HS, and mainly use iNavX for AIS display on an iPad. All works brilliantly. However, there is merit in having the (free) iAIS app on my iPhone as a quick and simple way to assess collision risk when away from the iPad.
iAIS is a very nicely put together app however it has one major drawback: they say in the iAIS help file "iAIS display is Course up not North up, which is much better for AIS display". I strongly disagree with this.
The display is actually COG up. A small yacht approaching a shipping lane in fog may slow right down. With a tide running, the COG may be very different from Heading. If it stops and loses steerage way, its heading may swing and the resultant COG up display will be totally disorientating.
Having a radar in head up mode was, I believe, a contributing factor in the sinking of the yacht Wahkuna by the Nedlloyd Vespucci in 2003. The bearings appeared to be moving as ship's head swung when the true bearings were actually steady. Anti-collision is about avoiding situations where true bearings are steady, therefore a display that is referenced to a true bearing (e.g. North) is essential. I have suggested that DY either make the display North up, or have North/Heading/COG up as user selectable options, with North the default. This needs to be corrected with urgency. At present the display is of limited usefulness, and may even be dangerous.