AIS is fundamental to safe navigation

dAISy Portable AIS Receiver With dAISy all you need to track nearby vessels is a VHF antenna and any navigation software, including free options OpenCPN and qtVlm $75.00   ...item# daisy

AIS is crucial for collision Avoidance Free computer nav apps such as OpenCPN or qtVlm, and other commercial apps provide valuable vessel ID and closest point of approach (CPA) data using dAISy signals. Sample below. Far superior to secondhand sources Live AIS from a dAISy is far superior to internet AIS available on mobile devices. Those data are dangerously delayed and unreliable. For smaller vessels dAISy is a practical solution for smaller vessels without console electronics and limited power. For racing and chartering Ideal for racing and charter skippers who travel to different boats. With a small stubby antenna you are prepared to add AIS safety to any vessel you sail on. All fits unnoticeably in your laptop case. Take part in global AIS reporting Living near the coast or navigable rivers, the dAISy is well suited for reporting local ship traffic to services like MarineTraffic, FleetMon, AISHub or Pocket Mariner who then distribute the data on websites giving you credit for your reporting. dAISy features Very low power consumption, less than 100mW in receive mode (<20mA at 5V) 38400 baud serial output over USB in industry standard NMEA format (AIVDM) No drivers required for Windows 10, Windows 11, Mac OS X+ Robust aluminum enclosure BNC connector for 50 Ohm VHF antenna (antenna not included) Mini-USB connector for data and power (3ft USB cable included) You can monitor the range of signal strengths collected to evaluate different antennas. Made in the USA CPA display of AIS data in qtVlm. The green dots are where each vessel will be in 6 min. The target is marked red because it has a CPA less than the 0.5 nmi (925m) limit we set. This will occur in 7 minutes, at which time the target will pass on our port bow at a distance of 655m. We see that our vessel is slipping north in a current (COG predictor line to the right of the heading line). At the moment of this picture, the target is 1.5 nmi off in direction 353, heading 210 at 8.9 kts. This target is the 148-ft oceangoing emergency response tug Tanerliq ("tun-ul-lik") — a notable vessel in these waters. Review from a regular user "I am very fortunate to be offered the opportunity to race and cruise different boats around the world. It is more common than we would like, but issues or equipment failures occur inevitably after pushing away from the dock. As a result, I tend to bring along extra kit providing redundancy should problems arise. Slightly larger than a stack of 10 quarters, the dAISy USB is a compact unit that can be combined with a small whip or telescoping antenna providing ability to receive AIS. While not a substitute for properly installed AIS equipment, the dAISy is a useful and compact back-up device that can be carried onto any boat. I always take one with me." — Mark d'Arcy, Navigator on Hiro Maru finishing 1st in IRC3 & 2nd IRC Overall in 2019 TransAtlantic Note The dAISy is not a recommended alternative to a full-size, hardwire installed conventional AIS if your vessel is suitable for one. Standard receiver-only units sell for $300 to $800 and should be considered required equipment for vessels that can support them. The unique roles of the dAISy are as explained above. Run dAISy on qtVlm Android mobile device Check out dAISy antenna options Note that third party niche hardware such as the dAISy do not typically run on iOS devices due to excessive Apple license fees, but once you have this running on an Android device using qtVlm, you can then wifi all of the nav data from the device including the live AIS data to nearby iPhones and iPads running any navigation programs of your choice... or to any computers on the boat. Multiple connections work fine. Thus an inexpensive Android phone such as the Galaxy A03s (has GPS and barometer) you have a back up to position, COG, SOG, baro, and AIS. Add our Marine Barograph app to the device and it then also serves as a nav data recorder storing time, position, COG, SOG, and barometer in long-term, easy-to-access data logs.