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mcw739
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Reged: 15/11/2005
Posts: 78
Loc: England
AIS and Lowrance plotters
      #1912331 - 30/06/2008 13:24

Has anyone tried to connect a NASA AIS engine to a Lowrance plotter via the NMEA0183 port?

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stevebirch2002
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Reged: 11/11/2001
Posts: 1949
Loc: k up your larder - Malvern & P...
Re: AIS and Lowrance plotters [Re: mcw739]
      #1912333 - 30/06/2008 13:25

It dont work......

--------------------
Albin Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703

www.albinvega.co.uk


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aluijten
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Reged: 26/10/2004
Posts: 428
Loc: Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Re: AIS and Lowrance plotters [Re: stevebirch2002]
      #1912378 - 30/06/2008 13:48

I have no experience with either of them, but I did have an issue with the same kind of connection. Maybe this is of some help to you.

The problem I faced that official the NMEA protocol is RS422 and not RS232. The difference between the both is not in the signal pattern but in the signal levels.
Officially RS422 is a current-loop interface and RS232 is positive and negative 12volts.
Some manufacturers claim NMEA ports on their devices but actually implement RS232 interfaces. Also quite a few dialects of both interfaces are around. Sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't
In my situation the AIS produced positive 12 volts as a logical state (say a logical '1') and minus 12 volts as the other logical state).
This means however that when you measure this the polarity on the output wires changes relative to each other. This is also the reason why signal ground is not always the same as power supply ground.
My plotter do not enjoy this as it expected resp. 12 and 0 volts as the logical states.
I managed to solve this by putting in some electronic components.
You could go to a electronics store and buy a suitable device to convert between the two dialects of your devices.


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hubertfairweather
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Reged: 12/04/2006
Posts: 105
Re: AIS and Lowrance plotters [Re: mcw739]
      #1912391 - 30/06/2008 14:02

If it's a signal level problem with the nasa engine then you just connect a 4k7 resistor between the engine output and supply positive.

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Gelfi
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Reged: 26/03/2002
Posts: 49
Loc: Poole
Re: AIS and Lowrance plotters [Re: hubertfairweather]
      #1912709 - 30/06/2008 18:02

Lowrance plotter do not have the necessary software to run AIS. The British agents said at the LBS in January that Lowerance were looking into a software update but it appears not to be available at this time.

I have emailed Lowrance main office but they don't reply so everything is still up in the air

--------------------
The only way to go is by water


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Morgana
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Reged: 28/08/2003
Posts: 12220
Loc: East Coast
Re: AIS and Lowrance plotters [Re: Gelfi]
      #1912792 - 30/06/2008 18:44

Yep... thats the answer i'd have given....

I've just asked Lowrance the same question, as i'd love them to add AIS support to what is already IMHO a good bit of kit.....

--------------------
Bored?.... why not read my blog .... its the developing story of the trials and tribulations of boat ownership!


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jackho
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Reged: 22/03/2003
Posts: 248
Re: AIS and Lowrance plotters [Re: Morgana]
      #1912834 - 30/06/2008 19:15

A general questtion to all. Does this apply to NASA only and all of the new lowrance models? Also can AIS be connected to the Ethernet port as AIS is available on the Lowrance radar input?

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Morgana
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Reged: 28/08/2003
Posts: 12220
Loc: East Coast
Re: AIS and Lowrance plotters [Re: jackho]
      #1912909 - 30/06/2008 20:00

Only a plotter that supports AIS can receive AIS input from any equipment, beit NASA or another, and as far as I know, Lowrance doesn't support AIS.

The input on the plotter will be a function of what the AIS receiver generates.... ie, if it generates AIS data on NMEA0183, then you need to use the NMEA input on the plotter..... I might be wrong, but I think the Ethernet port is used for NMEA2000, and as such would need an AIS receiver that generated an NMEA2000 output, but even then, the Lowrance would ignore AIS input as it isn't programmed to know what to do with it.

--------------------
Bored?.... why not read my blog .... its the developing story of the trials and tribulations of boat ownership!


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mcw739
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Reged: 15/11/2005
Posts: 78
Loc: England
Re: AIS and Lowrance plotters [Re: mcw739]
      #1913166 - 30/06/2008 22:41

Thanks for your thoughts guys. It is as I suspected, will have to wait and hope that Lowrance get themselves sorted and brought up to date!

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