vesper marine WatchMate 650 Owner's Manual
Owner's Manual
WM650-C3.11-0905
Trademarks
AISWatchMate is a registered trademark of Vesper Marine Ltd. All
other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2009, Vesper Marine Ltd.
Unless otherwise indicated, all documentation and operating
software contained within this product or distributed with this
product is copyrighted by Vesper Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved.
Except for short quotations in a review, no portions of this document
or the software contained within this product may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written
permission of Vesper Marine Ltd.
Portions of this product use FreeRTOS v5. Source code is available
upon request from Vesper Marine.
Intended Use
This product is intended to be used on leisure or commercial vessels
(excluding IMO/SOLAS class). Vesper Marine has designed and
manufactured this product to be used only aboard vessels.
Technical Accuracy
The information contained in this document is to the best of our
knowledge correct at the time of publication. However, we reserve
the right to change specifications, installation and operating
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instructions without notice as part of our ongoing product
development and improvement programs.
No liability can be accepted for any inaccuracies or omissions in this
document, or any other document provided by Vesper Marine Ltd,
although every effort has been made to ensure it is as complete and
accurate as possible.
Warnings
An AIS receiver and the AISWatchMate works in cooperation with
other vessels and systems such as transponders and GPS. The
accuracy of this device and the AIS system can be affected by many
factors, including equipment failure or defects, environmental
conditions and incorrect installation, handling or use. Vesper Marine
does not warrant that this product is error-free. It is the user’s
responsibility to exercise common prudence and navigational
judgment. This device should not be relied upon as a substitute for
such prudence and judgment. Always maintain a permanent watch so
that you can respond to situations as they develop.
The prudent mariner will not rely on a single aid to navigation. The
user should verify the information obtained from the AISWatchMate
is in accordance with expected situations and conditions. The
information is not guaranteed to be accurate or reliable and an AIS
receiver and the AISWatchMate are not a substitute for proper
seamanship.
Vesper Marine Limited cannot be held liable for any injury,
damage or loss caused by, during, or because of the installation,
use or inability to use this device. The AISWatchMate is to be
installed and used entirely at your own risk. By installing and/or
using the AISWatchMate you fully accept this risk and agree to
hold Vesper Marine Limited harmless.
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To provide protection against the damaging effects of UV light, it is
recommended to replace the cover when not in use.
Take care when cleaning to avoid damage:
● Be careful when wiping the display screen to avoid
scratching. Use a clean soft damp cloth.
● Do not use acid, ammonia, solvents, or any abrasive products.
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Table of Contents
Trademarks.....................................................................................2
Copyright Notice............................................................................2
Intended Use...................................................................................2
Technical Accuracy........................................................................2
Warnings.........................................................................................3
Glossary..........................................................................................9
Introduction...................................................................................11
Range.......................................................................................12
Bearing.....................................................................................13
Closest point of approach (CPA).............................................13
Time until CPA (TCPA)..........................................................13
Important Information..................................................................14
Specifications................................................................................15
Requirements................................................................................17
GPS Datum..............................................................................17
Installation....................................................................................18
Installing the display................................................................18
Items Needed.......................................................................18
Configuration...........................................................................18
Routing GPS Data Through the AIS Receiver or Using a
Transponder with a Built-in GPS........................................18
Routing GPS and AIS data Direct to the AISWatchMate...19
Configuring each port in setup............................................20
Examining received data.....................................................22
Wiring......................................................................................23
Wiring to an AIS receiver...................................................25
Wiring to a Transponder.....................................................26
Wiring to a Computer..........................................................27
Wiring to a Chart Plotter.....................................................28
Connections to Common Chart Plotters..............................29
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Power Button................................................................................30
Buttons..........................................................................................30
Display Screens............................................................................30
Home Page – Situation Display...............................................30
Range Rings........................................................................31
Plotting Range.....................................................................31
Target count.........................................................................32
Selecting a Target................................................................32
Icon Meanings.....................................................................32
Main Menu...............................................................................34
Target List................................................................................35
Target Display..........................................................................36
CPA Graphical Display............................................................39
Safety Message List.................................................................40
Safety Message Display...........................................................41
Target Filters.................................................................................42
Range Filter..............................................................................42
Speed Filter..............................................................................43
Alarms...........................................................................................43
Guard Alarm............................................................................44
CPA Alarm...............................................................................46
CPA.....................................................................................46
Time (TCPA).......................................................................46
Target Speed........................................................................47
Your Speed..........................................................................47
Profiles..........................................................................................47
Harbour....................................................................................48
Coastal......................................................................................48
Offshore...................................................................................48
Anchor......................................................................................48
Setup Mode...................................................................................49
General Settings.......................................................................49
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Brightness............................................................................50
Contrast...............................................................................50
I/O Port Settings..................................................................50
Port input type................................................................50
Port output type..............................................................50
Lost position alert...........................................................50
NMEA device alerts.......................................................51
Date format..........................................................................51
Language.............................................................................51
Metric or imperial................................................................51
Alarm mode.........................................................................51
Course and heading mode...................................................51
Bearing to target mode........................................................52
Sort targets by priority.........................................................53
Data display in target list.....................................................53
Safety message handling.....................................................53
Turn display off when idle..................................................53
Reset all settings..................................................................54
Settings Associated with Each Profile.....................................54
Target speed filter................................................................55
Target range filter................................................................55
Guard alarm range...............................................................56
CPA alarm...........................................................................57
CPA alarm - Time...............................................................57
CPA alarm - Target Speed..................................................57
CPA alarm - Your speed.....................................................58
NMEA Device Alerts and Transponders......................................59
Troubleshooting............................................................................60
No GPS data displayed............................................................60
No AIS targets displayed.........................................................61
Display shuts off......................................................................62
Won't shut off when I press the power button.........................62
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CPA alarm doesn't sound.........................................................62
Alarms sounds for every target................................................62
Doesn't display magnetic bearings to targets...........................62
Warranty - USA............................................................................64
Warranty - Australia and New Zealand........................................65
Warranty - European Union..........................................................66
Obtaining Warranty Service.........................................................67
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Glossary
AIS Universal Shipborne Automatic Identification
System. A system of transponders installed on vessels
which send continuously updated navigation
information. An AIS receiver is used to monitor these
transmissions and the AIS WathMate is used to
display this information and trigger alarms when there
is a risk of collision.
BRG /
Bearing
The location of another vessel typically expressed as
true or magnetic degrees. May also be expressed as
relative degrees from your vessel's heading.
Class A/B There are two classes of AIS transponders. Class A
are used on vessels which have mandatory
requirements to carry AIS transponders. Class B are
used on vessels for which AIS transponders are
optional.
COG Course over ground. The course a vessel is making
which is not necessarily the same as the vessel's
heading.
CPA Closest point of approach. The nearest distance in
nautical miles two vessels will come to one another if
they both maintain their current course and speed.
Filter A set of criteria used to determine if a target should
be included in the target list, such as its range or
speed.
GPS Global Positioning System. Used to provide your
vessel's current position, course, and speed.
IMO International Maritime Organization. A unique IMO
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number is permanently assigned to each ship and may
be used to find additional registration information for
a particular vessel.
HDG /
Heading
The course a vessel is steering.
MMSI Maritime Mobile Service Identification. Used as a
radio identifier for each vessel with digital radios
such as an AIS transponder. Vessels may also
transmit their name to facilitate easier identification.
These transmissions occur at a different interval than
position information and as a result the name may not
be immediately available. In this case, the MMSI
number is used to identify a vessel.
Profile A group of settings. Profiles allow you to organize
filter and alarm settings and activate them together
when your navigation situation changes.
RNG /
Range
The distance in nautical miles between two vessels.
ROT Rate of turn. The number of degrees a vessel is
turning over a specified amount of time. Usually per
minute but may also be per 30 seconds.
SOG Speed over ground. The actual speed in knots a vessel
is making over the ground.
Target Another vessel for which AIS information has been
received.
Target List The set of all targets which meet the filter
requirements.
TCPA The time until the closest point of approach.
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Introduction
The AISWatchMate is a low power consumption device which
provides information to assist in avoiding collisions at sea. Because it
consumes very low power it may be left turned on whenever your
vessel is underway. It works by interpreting Universal Shipborne
Automated Identification Systems (AIS) messages which are sent by
a transponder installed on other vessels. AIS transponders are
mandatory on most classes of commercial shipping. The AIS system
uses two dedicated VHF channels designated for this purpose and
with the installation of an AIS receiver to pick up these signals and
the AISWatchMate you can view this information. In addition, you
can configure the AISWatchMate to generate alarms whenever the
potential for a collision may exist.
The AIS system provides several types of messages from other
vessels and stations. Each type of message is sent at a different
interval based on the navigation status of the vessel. Vessels moving
or turning faster send out navigation information more frequently
than vessels at anchor. Data received from other vessels is split
between two types: navigation information and voyage information.
Vessel navigation and position information is generated by an onboard GPS or similar navigation device and is sent frequently.
Voyage information contains the ship's name, its destination, size,
type, cargo, etc. This data is typically only sent once every few
minutes.
The AISWatchMate provides a means to view how recently
information has been received from each vessel and this data is
designed to help you determine how accurate and dependable the
information may be at any given time.
The AISWatchMate refers to each vessel other than your own as a
target. Associated with each target are the most recently received
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position, navigation, and voyage information. Also associated with
each target are computed data to help determine the risk of a
collision.
The targets are contained within a target list. The AISWatchMate
allows you to view the target list and also examine each target in
detail. By default, the target list is ordered by priority. You can
disable priority ordering if you wish. However, by viewing targets in
a prioritised fashion you can focus your interest on the targets most
likely to pose a collision risk first. Similarly, whenever a target
triggers an alarm you don't have to scroll to find it. The target is
displayed immediately with an indication of the cause of the alarm.
The AISWatchMate utilizes data from your vessel's GPS receiver to
assist you in determining the risk of a collision with each target.
Multiple targets are automatically and continuously tracked
simultaneously. Alarms are associated with each individual target
and when an alarm is muted for one target it does not affect any other
targets which might also trigger alarms.
The computed data for each target includes the following items. Note
that in order to compute this data your vessel's current position,
course, and speed are required. The AISWatchMate receives this
information continuously from your GPS.
If your GPS is not connected, or not providing valid navigation
data, then this information will not be computed or displayed. In
addition, alarms based on this information will not be triggered.
Range The AISWatchMate computes the range
(distance in nautical miles) to each target
and displays it along with the target
information.
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Bearing The bearing to each target is also
displayed. The bearing may be shown as
magnetic to facilitate quick visual
identification using a compass or
binoculars. However, if you wish you can
change a setting to display bearings in
degrees true or relative to your vessel's
current heading.
Closest point of
approach (CPA)
The CPA is the closest a target will come
to your vessel if both your vessel and the
target maintain their existing course and
speed. It is displayed in nautical miles to
the nearest tenth or hundredth. As either
your vessel or the target changes its course
or speed, the CPA (along with all other
computed data) is automatically
recomputed and redisplayed.
Time until CPA
(TCPA)
This is the amount of time until the CPA
will occur. It indicates how much time is
available before the two vessels will reach
their nearest distance to each other. It is
displayed in minutes and seconds or just
minutes if the time exceeds one hour.
The AISWatchMate automatically updates these computed values
whenever new information is received from a target and also
whenever your vessel's position, speed, or course changes. The
information displayed is always the most up-to-date available but
because the AIS and GPS systems do not guarantee the frequency of
updates from each vessel it can be inaccurate and can become further
inaccurate as time progresses without continuous updates from both
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vessels.
Always check to see how long it has been since an update was
received from a vessel when relying on this information,
particularly in close situations. You do this by examining the “age”
of the target. See the target display section for more details.
The AIS system also includes messages broadcast from other vessels
and shore stations which may be used to send navigation warnings,
weather information, etc. The AISWatchMate displays this
information on the messages page and by default is configured to
sound an alert when a message is received.
We are always interested in your suggestions, comments, ideas, and
criticisms. We continuously strive to improve our products and
would greatly enjoy hearing from you.
Please contact us through our website www.vespermarine.com or
via e-mail to support@vespermarine.com.
Important Information
Before using the AISWatchMate, it is important that you read and
fully understand this owner's manual and installation instructions.
Although more vessels continue to install AIS transponders it is
important to remember that not all vessels carry AIS transponders.
The AISWatchMate can only display information received from
properly equipped and operated vessels. In addition, the
AISWatchMate relies on the accuracy of the GPS system and your
GPS receiver. A failure or compromised operation of either of these
systems will reflect on the accuracy of the data displayed and alarms
triggered by the AISWatchMate.
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Specifications
Size (not including cable or
mounting bracket)
208mm wide x 135mm high x
76mm depth
(8 3/16” x 5 5/16” x 3”)
Flush mount thickness 17mm (11/16”)
Power supply 10-16 VDC – typical 1.2 watts
Environmental Watertight (USCG CFR- 46, IP67)
Operating temperature 0°C to +70°C (32°F to 158°F)
Storage temperature -25°C to +80°C (-13°F to 176°F)
LCD panel 125mm (5”) FSTN 320x240 backlit
LCD light level Off and multiple levels of
brightness
Serial data 2 ports, (EIA RS-232 / CCITT
V.24)
Baud rates 4800 and 38400
Protocols IEC 61162-1, NMEA 0183,
NMEA 0183 HS
Standards NMEA V2.x/V3.01,
ITU-R M.1371-3
GPS NMEA sentence required RMC
Optional NMEA sentences ALR, HDG, HDM, HDT
AIS NMEA sentence required VDM
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AIS Messages All Class A and Class B position
reports, voyage data, static data,
aids to navigation and broadcast
safety messages
(1,2,3,5,14,18,19,21,24A,24B)
Maximum number of
simultaneous targets
128 (if more, then the lowest
priority target is replaced)
Maximum number of
simultaneous messages
32 (if more, then the oldest message
is replaced)
External alarm Maximum 2A. It is recommended
that the user provide a fuse to
protect against overload. If you
require more than 2A then you must
provide an external relay.
Vesper Marine is committed to continuously improving our products.
As a result, specifications may change and there may also be
differences between the product and this manual.
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Requirements
The AISWatchMate is available in several packages depending on
your situation. If you purchased an AISWatchMate without an AIS
receiver or transponder, then you must supply one.
In addition, a suitable VHF antenna must be supplied by the user and
a GPS is required to provide position and navigation information for
the user's vessel.
The following are required for installation:
● AIS receiver or transponder that outputs NMEA 0183
“VDM” sentences at 38400 baud (IEC 61162).
● A suitable VHF antenna or antenna splitter for the AIS
receiver or transponder.
● A GPS unit that outputs NMEA 0183 “RMC” sentences at
4800 or 38400 baud. Some AIS receivers and transponders
include an integrated GPS. If you have one of those, then it is
not necessary to use another GPS.
● 10-16 volts DC power.
GPS Datum
Your GPS should be set to output position data using the WGS 84
datum. Because WGS 84 is the datum used by the AIS system,
inaccurate bearings, range and CPA calculations may result if the
GPS datum is not set properly. Please consult the owner's manual for
your GPS for more details.
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Installation
Installing the display
The AISWatchMate is supplied with a trunnion mounting bracket if
you wish to mount it above or below a shelf or other support. You
may also mount the unit by cutting a hole in an instrument panel and
mounting it flush. Included is a template you can use to cut the hole
and drill four additional holes for the required fasteners. A gasket is
also included to seal the unit against your instrument panel.
Do not disassemble the unit or remove the screws which hold it
together. The unit is sealed and disassembly will void the warranty.
If you require service or assistance please contact your dealer or
Vesper Marine.
Items Needed
Two 4mm screws for mounting the bracket to a support surface
or four 3mm machine screws for flush mounting in a panel.
Configuration
The AISWatchMate may be configured in several ways. There are two
serial ports for data input and output. You can route AIS or GPS data
into either input port and take output for a chart plotter or computer
from either port. However, the speed of each output port must be the
same as the input speed for that port. To configure the ports use the
“I/O port settings” within setup mode.
Routing GPS Data Through the AIS Receiver or Using a
Transponder with a Built-in GPS
This configuration requires the AIS receiver to be able to accept GPS
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data and merge it into its NMEA output stream. Some AIS receivers
and all transponders include an integrated or internal GPS and in this
case an external GPS is not necessary. Consult the installation
manual for your AIS receiver or transponder to determine how to
wire these connections.
When using this configuration, the NMEA data stream output by the
AIS receiver or transponder (including GPS data) is wired to the
AISWatchMate serial port 2. This allows serial port 1 to be used to
provide output data to an optional computer or chart plotter that
accepts 38,400 baud NMEA 0183 HS sentences.
This is the default configuration and no settings need to be changed.
Routing GPS and AIS data Direct to the AISWatchMate
Use this configuration if your AIS receiver cannot merge the GPS
data into the output stream or if it is easier to install it this way. The
GPS and AIS receivers are connected directly to the AISWatchMate
which merges the NMEA data into a single data stream that can be
optionally connected to a suitable computer or chart plotter.
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384 0 0
baud
VHF
Ant enna
Opt io n al
computer o r
chart plot t er
AIS
Receiver
GPS
AISWatchMate
384 0 0
baud
480 0 baud
Port 1 Port 2
To use this configuration, you must change the port 2 input type in
setup mode.
Other configurations are also possible. When installing the
AISWatchMate you can route NMEA data from either a GPS or AIS
receiver or transponder to either of its serial ports. You can also route
the combined data stream from the output of either port to a
computer or chart plotter. However, you should avoid sending the
same data stream to both ports.
Configuring each port in setup
When you configure each port in setup mode, you select the type of
device that is connected to that port. This determines the baud rate
and for output ports it also determines which kinds of data will be
sent to that port.
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VHF
Ant enna
Opt io n al
computer o r
chart plot t er
AIS
Receiver
GPS
AISWatchMate
384 0 0 baud
384 0 0 baud
480 0 baud
Port 1 Port 2
Input devices:
None Input is disabled on this port.
AIS Data will be received at 38,400 baud. Use this
setting for AIS receivers and transponders.
GPS Data will be received at 4,800 baud.
NMEA 0183 Data will be received at 4,800 baud. Use this
setting for heading sensors or other NMEA
instruments that you wish to merge into the
output stream.
Output devices:
None Output is disabled on this port.
NMEA 0183 All NMEA 0183 data (GPS, heading,
instruments, etc) received from both input ports
will be merged and output to this port at 4,800
baud. AIS data will not be output to this port.
NMEA 0183 HS All data received from both input ports will be
merged and output to this port at 38,400 baud.
Use this setting when outputting data to chart
plotters. Do not use this setting for a
transponder.
Computer All data received from both input ports will be
merged and output to this port at 38,400 baud.
Do not use this setting for a transponder.
Transponder Data will not be merged and output to this port.
This setting is required for use with
transponders. It allows for acknowledging
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