Em-Trak B100 AIS Transceiver DSC NMEA output

I am installing an em-trak B100 AIS transceiver connected to my Garmin echoMAP 74-serias chart plotter (which takes both AIS and DSC info over NMEA 0813). The B100 output AIS NMEA sentences, but I'm not sure if it outputs DSC sentences (I've got a service ticket in with em-trak about this). If the B100 doesn't output DSC over NMEA, I can feed the NMEA output of my Standard Horizon GX1700 (GPS + DSC VHF radio) into the B100 which will multiplex it over the link to the Garmin.

Anyone know if the B100 output DSC over NMEA and anyone have any experience with this transceiver? What type of antenna did you use, a separate AIS antenna or a splitter with your standard VHF antenna?

Got the B100 configured with Seascape's MMSI, connected the external powered GPS antenna (comes with the B100) and the external VHF whip antenna (Shakespeare 4400, VSWR 1.8:1) and loaded the proAIS software on my Mac (El Capitan), connected the B100 to a 13.8V / 3A power supply and connected the USB port to my Mac and I can see other ships in the "Other Vessels" tab, and see that the B100 is getting my lat/lon (it sees 12 sats in my backyard) and I can see that it is transmitting my AIS information. Unfortunately, I'm pretty far inland, so whatever receivers the web-based AIS app uses don't see my transmissions. I'll take the rig out to the water soon and verify that it all works there.

Next is to connect the B100's NMEA 0183-HS port to my Garmin 74dv and make sure that all the AIS info shows up on the Garmin. I'll also be very interested in seeing if the B100 will forward a DSC position report call from my handheld to the Garmin. I tried it earlier tonite but didn't see my handheld show up in "Other Vessels" (not sure if it should do however).

Do you mean DSC alerts, so that a vessel sending a distress signal is highlighted on the chart plotter? I think so, but it has been a long time since I read through the documentation. I did have to get em-trak to send me a custom configuration file, in order to communicate with my Standard Horizon unit, which they did fairly promptly, considering the time zone lag in communication. I think it had to do with one unit sending strings on the low-speed port that the other expected to see in the high-speed port. Even still, the vessel name almost never gets passed successfully to Standard Horizon (non-GPS unit), though it does always show up on my laptop.

Also, I have never "seen" my vessel show up on any web-based AIS tracking app. Although, as far as I can recall, I've only tried while sitting in the marina. At times, I could see other vessels that were tied up at nearby docks... I have confirmed that other vessels can receive my AIS transmissions though.

I have had no success trying to get my AIS to show up on marinetraffic.com, or even to become registered on their system.

They advised me to leave the AIS on all the time, especially when cruising, so the signal could be picked up by any station I got close to. Once picked up, the system adds a vessel to its database.

But I think Class B AIS is just too low-powered, and of all the boat in my marina only two or three show up on Marinetraffic.

However, there is a "Thelonious" currently cruising the Caribbean, formerly in France--a 35-foot sloop whose travels have amused me for a couple of years.

Go figure.

Funny, I have seen our boat show up on Marinetraffic (utilizing their free AIS app on my iPhone). Getting it registered on their site was a time consuming nightmare. I can't understand how our boat "Easy" shows up but yours transmitting with the Vesper does not.

I didn't realize that you had to "register" a boat on those sites. BTW: I notice that the area covered by "Marinetraffic" is larger than for "ShipFinder." Somehow, I thought the data came from the same network...?

Garmin en trak connection

I beleive that the ganmin uses NMEA 0183 4800 baud. En trax Purple wire to Garmin Blue and Garmin Brown to En Trak Grey. The Pink and Yellow wires go to common (Ground and NMEA 0183) on the Garmin 74dv. I hope that this helps.

Tech manuals are written so that the authors understand them, All other must guess!
Bob