[Public-List] iPhone AIS receiver

[John Riley]

I played around with that app a while back, and there is simply no way
it is displaying all vessels within a given region.  I looked at the
Chesapeake, areas like Savannah Approach and around New Orleans, and a
few other busy ports.

Sometimes, there was only one or two vessels shown.

Either the app does not get all AIS equipped vessels or there are very
few AIS equipped vessels.  Either way, I'll stick to the Mark I
Eyeball...which has the added advantage of not requiring cell signal...

Apologies if I sound like a technophobic curmudgeon again, but the thing
I really hate about all these "modern tools" (gps, chartplotters, etc)
is that they pull the focus into the boat.  The dangers lie outside and
around me...THAT's where I want to be looking.

Yes, I've been aboard a power vessel going 30 knots where the skipper at
the helm was looking DOWN at the dot on the chart plotter while piloting
his vessel in a narrow channel and with other boats nearby.  Speed was a
problem, but so was focus of attention to a screen at the helm station
rather than out, as "Proper Lookout" demands.

--John



Michael Grosh wrote:
> Android users can use MarineTraffic.com. I use it all the time, and I am on
> a boat with full featured AIS, chart plotter overlay, etc.(AIS is VHF line
> of sight, the smart phone app uses shore stations for unlimited
> range-theoretically).
> Costs nothing.
>
> MichaelGrosh
> #220
> On Sep 23, 2012 7:46 PM, "Greenhouse, Matthew A. (GSFC-6650)" <
> matthew.a.greenhouse at nasa.gov> wrote:
>
>   

-- 
John S. Riley
S/V Gaelic Sea
1972 Alberg 30 #521


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