Radar and MAC

mortond wrote:
> I am using a Mac Powerbook 15" running MacENC charting software using free
> BBS government charts,
> I have a GPS antenna connected to a USB port.
> I am told I can connect a Radar radome to a serial Miniplex lite and
> thence to a USB port on the Mac.
> The output, from the radome has to include:
>
> $RARSD Radar
> $RATLL Radar target
> $RATTM Radar tracked target
>
> Does anyone know which manufacturer's radome would have the required plug
> and outputs.

The outputs you describe do not come from radar radomes but from the
NMEA output of a radar display, e.g. something that processes the analog
data from a radome and combines it with GPS data into a target position.
So you need a full radar setup, not just the radome.

Radar "black box" systems w/o display do exist, but are not cheap. Koden
makes most of them (Sitex, Nobeltec).

The idea is that if you select a target on the radar using a "cursor" on
-screen that you can see which geographical position this is on the
chart display (MacENC). With recreational radars there is no ARPA, only
MARPA, so you have to point out the targets to the radar first, after
which it will track them. Only the higher-end radars offer MARPA, low
end radars only allow you to select a single target without tracking;
still useful.

So to put it into perspective, what you will NOT get is full radar/chart
overlay -- the radars don't put out this data _and_ MacENC cannot
receive it. There are only a few PC solutions that handle this, and none
of them exist for the Mac AFAIK.

> It all sounds too good to be true to be able to combine all this info. on
> one screen. Apparently AIS can also be displayed using this same setup.

Yes, AIS can be displayed as well. In fact, AIS is more useful to show
on the computer since it displays so much more data, and targets
automatically show up (no action involved). An AIS receiver is also a
lot cheaper than a radar radome + display, and easier to install. Still,
AIS does not help for (a) low visibility (b) small ships that don't
carry AIS transmitters.

My suggestion, given your current setup, is to get an AIS receiver and a
Miniplex Lite.

Hope this helps,

Kees
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC 

Hi kees,

Thanks for the lesson.
I knew it wouldn'y be as easy or cheap as I was originally told.

I think I will follow your advice and get an AIS and Miniplex Lite. At
$169 it is fairly cheap insurance.
Maybe later I will get a Radar and display and hook that up to the MAC

Hi Mys,

Thanks for your comments.
USPS navigation classes drum into you always use dead reckoning and
plotting just in case the batteries go dead.
Electronics are nice but, pencil and paper charts still should be the
primary navigation tools.

Thank you,

David
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC 

Where can I get AIS at this $169 price?
Lee Haefele
"mortond" <klp51d.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:2ed1620dc23c79ca9de0d7c2330b2a8d@localhost.talkaboutelectronicequipment.com...
> Hi kees,
>
> Thanks for the lesson.
> I knew it wouldn'y be as easy or cheap as I was originally told.
>
> I think I will follow your advice and get an AIS and Miniplex Lite. At
> $169 it is fairly cheap insurance.
> Maybe later I will get a Radar and display and hook that up to the MAC
>
> Hi Mys,
>
> Thanks for your comments.
> USPS navigation classes drum into you always use dead reckoning and
> plotting just in case the batteries go dead.
> Electronics are nice but, pencil and paper charts still should be the
> primary navigation tools.
>
> Thank you,
>
> David
>
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC 

mortond wrote:
> I am using a Mac Powerbook 15" running MacENC charting software using free
> BBS government charts,
> I have a GPS antenna connected to a USB port.
> I am told I can connect a Radar radome to a serial Miniplex lite and
> thence to a USB port on the Mac.
> The output, from the radome has to include:
>
> $RARSD Radar
> $RATLL Radar target
> $RATTM Radar tracked target
>
> Does anyone know which manufacturer's radome would have the required plug
> and outputs.
> It all sounds too good to be true to be able to combine all this info. on
> one screen. Apparently AIS can also be displayed using this same setup.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> David
>

For an idea of what you will be able to get with the above NMEA data,
look at this example:

http://www.hypack.com/newsletter/9_99/John_Marinuzzi.htm

Or for that matter, the MacENC website:

http://www.gpsnavx.com/index.php?page=Screenshots (scroll down to AIS/Radar)


--
Kees
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC 

"Lee Haefele" <notanaddress.RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote in message
news:4480e046$0$14127$baae4c71@news.mindlink.net...
> Where can I get AIS at this $169 price?

The $169 was for the MiniPlex-Lite.

Meindert
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC 

http://www.milltechmarine.com/products.htm
This is the $169 AIS receiver.

Miniplex see MacENC website for their recommendations

David
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC 

Hi,

Trumpet blowing for Mac's....sorry!!!!

The MacENC software is a fantastic package for a very small outlay.
One can obtain ENC & BBS charts for free, with updates of course.
Commercial chart packs can also be purchased for a lot less than the usual
Nav black box manufactures.
With Apples move to the Intel chip one can now run PC and Mac programs,
MacENC does run on the Intel box.
If one were to purchase a MAC mini, keyboard, mouse and screen
you would have a computer, entertainment system, internet access and a
fully functional nav. station.

I just might go this route on my boat and use the Powerbook for home use.

AIS connected to a Miniplex, I think it is about $139, connected to Mac
would show one where the 'big boys' and the 'rich boys' are.
With the governments penchant for knowing what and where everybody is it
may be, in the not too distant future, all boats have to have AIS
transmitters on board.
Actually if the price is reasonable that may not be a bad idea!

David
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC 

See if you can buy it using PayPal. They have multiple currency
transactions.
Cuts doen on a lot of the hassles.

David
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC 

"mortond" <klp51d.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:f78956234b3a852225636919af532e28@localhost.talkaboutelectronicequipment.com...
> http://www.milltechmarine.com/products.htm
> This is the $169 AIS receiver.

Wow, that same receiver goes for EUR 299 here in the Netherlands.... ;-(

Meindert
 >> Stay informed about: Radar and MAC