January 23, 2007 08:12
I will install AIS this spring. I bought the SR 161, and a "Smart Antenna Splitter" Which lets me splice into my existing VHF radio cable and use the masthead antenna for both the radio and the AIS unit. The active splitter protects the AIS receiver from being fried when I transmit on the VHF transceiver.
My problem is I'm short one USB port. I'm using a PowerBook G4 which has two USB ports and one Fire Wire port. Before the AIS, I used one USB port for the very nice GPS receiver from GPSnavX, and one USB port for the mouse. That allowed us to run the GPSnavX navigation software using a mouse.
Now with AIS I will need one more USB port for bringing in the signal from the AIS receiver. This comes out of the receiver as a serial RS 232, and can be converted using a Keyspan RS 232 to USB converter. It will take the other USB port and we will not have a port for the mouse.
We could run without a mouse using the touch pad, but neither of us likes to work with a touch pad.
I've found some hubs that are not powered that will allow me to plug into one computer USB and have three or even four USB additional connections plug into them. <www.welovemacs.com>
Does anybody know if this is the right way to go?
Will the computer and software sort all this out? The hubs are dirt cheap and look simple, just plug and play.
My problem is I'm short one USB port. I'm using a PowerBook G4 which has two USB ports and one Fire Wire port. Before the AIS, I used one USB port for the very nice GPS receiver from GPSnavX, and one USB port for the mouse. That allowed us to run the GPSnavX navigation software using a mouse.
Now with AIS I will need one more USB port for bringing in the signal from the AIS receiver. This comes out of the receiver as a serial RS 232, and can be converted using a Keyspan RS 232 to USB converter. It will take the other USB port and we will not have a port for the mouse.
We could run without a mouse using the touch pad, but neither of us likes to work with a touch pad.
I've found some hubs that are not powered that will allow me to plug into one computer USB and have three or even four USB additional connections plug into them. <www.welovemacs.com>
Does anybody know if this is the right way to go?
Will the computer and software sort all this out? The hubs are dirt cheap and look simple, just plug and play.