Lot of users asking if chart App XY is compatible with AIS Share.
Basically any third party app supporting AIS messages via UDP or TCP should compatible.
To simply test such a connection there is a Debug/Test mode implemented in AIS Share. In this mode you can test the communication at home without need to connect the USB Dongle
David Berry from Practical Boat Owner shows how to make an AIS receiver with an Android Phone or Tablet and a RTL-SDR.com dongle. He use AIS Share to stream data to Boat Beacon a very popular chart navigation app. See the full article on https://www.pbo.co.uk/publication/pbo/february-2019
See also https://pocketmariner.com/dual-channel-ais-receiver-for-under-35-boat-beacon-ais-share-and-rtl-sdr/
Depending on your device you need an USB Micro or USB C cable.
A USB Y has normally less quality but it allow you to keep your device charging at the same time as using the RTL SDR-dongle.
Amazon Deutschland
International Shipping (Aliexpress)
(Budget store – shipping take up to 3 weeks)
Note to all links: As an Amazon Associate and Aliexpress Affilate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Note for Y cables:
It is important that you connect the power and the RTL-SDR dongle to the Y cable first before connecting it to your device otherwise it won’t charge the device – there is a video about this here:-https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rXiyzfP94AU
Note: This is not working on all devices
Search for RTL2832U / 820T / 820T2 USB stick.
I recommend high quality dongles which are more expensive but PPM is fix and stable around 0 or 1 . (0,5 PPM TCXO)
Please note: The antenna delivered with some dongles is more or less only for testing. Don’t expect a good reception
Amazon Deutschland
(all high quality with 0.5 ppm)
International Shipping (Aliexpress)
(Budget store – shipping takes up to 3 weeks)
High quality Aliexpress
Cheap price , but PPM is individual -Aliexpress
Note to all links: As an Amazon Associate and Aliexpress Affilate, I earn from qualifying purchases. .
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
You can build your own antenna see http://www.radioforeveryone.com/p/ais-antennas.html or
https://arundaleais.github.io/docs/ais/aerial.html
or you buy a profesional one (expensive in my mind)
RTL SDR AIS App and AIS Share App
It is an Android app that decodes AIS messages transmitted by vessels , ships, over radio using a cheap USB DVB-T /RTL-SDR stick.
AIS messages are transmitted over VHF.
Channel A: 161.975 MHz
Channel B: 162.025 MHz.
The app decodes both channels simultaneously.
This app needs no internet connection, it decodes the real time received messages.
This is a truly standalone full featured AIS receiver.
The received messages will be translated into NMEA0183 strings which can be forwarded then via UDP or TCP streaming to third-party apps, PC programs or other devices.
Such Apps can display the received AIS data for example on a map along with information about the received objects.
Please note: The app needs additional (very cheap) hardware to receive the radio signals.
Typical cost about ~ 15 -35 €
You need
