COAA ShipPlotter 12.5.5.4

It displays complete information about ships within the VHF range of your position using the Universal Automatic Identification System (AIS). It is system ships use to communicate their positions to each other as part of the global maritime safety system. It uses a low-cost radio scanner tuned to one or other of these channels.

All ships over 300 tons must carry an AIS system that broadcasts information about the ship to any suitably equipped receiver. The frequencies used are 161.975 (Marine ch 87 AIS) and 162.025 (ch 88 AIS) MHz. Ships broadcast their identity, position, course, speed, and destination so that other ships can take account of their movements.

Features of COAA ShipPlotter

• In Signal Mode, ShipPlotter displays the raw digital signals on your PC screen in a diagnostic display which helps you to set up the system.
• In Message Mode, ShipPlotter displays each decoded message in plain language on your PC screen.
• In Ship Mode, ShipPlotter displays each decoded message in plain language on your PC screen. There is one line in the display for each ship. Depending on which message formats have been received from the ship, the information may contain the MSI number of the ship, its name, destination, expected date and time of arrival, length, beam, and draught, and the latest position report received from the ship.
• In Chart Mode, ShipPlotter displays the position and identification of each ship on a chart of the area. ShipPlotter comes with a general-purpose world map, but you can add your maps to ShipPlotter simply by digitizing a chart to create a BMP or JPG graphic file and calibrating the chart using tools built into ShipPlotter. ShipPlotter can also read BSB format marine charts provided that your system performance, memory, etc., can handle the size of the chart.
• In chart mode, if you right-click on one of the ships displayed in the chart, a pop-up window (right) displays all the data received about the ship you have selected. If you are connected to the Internet, a Search button will access the ITU ship callsign database to discover even more details about the ship, including its port of registry.
• ShipPlotter can store all messages received and decoded in a text file for later analysis. It can also store messages in formats that are not decoded, in a hex format for subsequent decoding.
• ShipPlotter can display the position and identification of ships on a circular display centered on the user's position, which can be a dynamic position based on positions from a connected GPS receiver. This radar display can be either North Up or Heading Up.
• ShipPlotter can decode messages received from a dedicated AIS receiver using NMEA serial format.
  Serial output - ShipPlotter can output demodulated messages to any AIS-compatible serial plotter using NMEA serial format.
• ShipPlotter can include position data from a local GPS receiver on the displayed chart and can automatically center the chart on the current position.
• ShipPlotter can use the Internet to share your messages with others so that all see the totality of messages received by participating users.
• ShipPlotter can share received messages with other instances of the program running on machines over a local area network.
• If you have a selection of charts of your coverage area, ShipPlotter can automatically choose the appropriate chart to display any chosen ship of interest.
  Multiple sound card support - ShipPlotter can choose between multiple soundcards if you have more than one. Subject to processing power, you can run multiple instances of ShipPlotter processing audio from more than one source.