vesper marine WatchMate 650 User manual

Owner's Manual
WM650-C3.11-0905

Trademarks
AISWatchMate is a registered trademark of Ves er Marine Ltd. All
other roduct names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
res ective owners.
Copyright Notice
Co yright © 2009, Ves er Marine Ltd.
Unless otherwise indicated, all documentation and o erating
software contained within this roduct or distributed with this
roduct is co yrighted by Ves er Marine Ltd. All rights are reserved.
Exce t for short quotations in a review, no ortions of this document
or the software contained within this roduct may be re roduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means without rior written
ermission of Ves er Marine Ltd.
Portions of this roduct use FreeRTOS v5. Source code is available
u on request from Ves er Marine.
Intended Use
This roduct is intended to be used on leisure or commercial vessels
(excluding IMO/SOLAS class). Ves er Marine has designed and
manufactured this roduct 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 ublication. However, we reserve
the right to change s ecifications, installation and o erating
- 2 -

instructions without notice as art of our ongoing roduct
develo ment and im rovement rograms.
No liability can be acce ted for any inaccuracies or omissions in this
document, or any other document rovided by Ves er Marine Ltd,
although every effort has been made to ensure it is as com lete and
accurate as ossible.
Warnings
An AIS receiver and the AISWatchMate works in coo eration with
other vessels and systems such as trans onders and GPS. The
accuracy of this device and the AIS system can be affected by many
factors, including equi ment failure or defects, environmental
conditions and incorrect installation, handling or use. Ves er Marine
does not warrant that this roduct is error-free. It is the user’s
res onsibility to exercise common rudence and navigational
judgment. This device should not be relied u on as a substitute for
such rudence and judgment. Always maintain a ermanent watch so
that you can res ond to situations as they develo .
The rudent mariner will not rely on a single aid to navigation. The
user should verify the information obtained from the AISWatchMate
is in accordance with ex ected 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 ro er
seamanshi .
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.
- 3 -

To rovide rotection against the damaging effects of UV light, it is
recommended to re lace the cover when not in use.
Take care when cleaning to avoid damage:
●Be careful when wi ing the dis lay screen to avoid
scratching. Use a clean soft dam cloth.
●Do not use acid, ammonia, solvents, or any abrasive roducts.
- 4 -

Table of Contents
Trademarks.....................................................................................2
Co yright Notice............................................................................2
Intended Use...................................................................................2
Technical Accuracy........................................................................2
Warnings.........................................................................................3
Glossary..........................................................................................9
Introduction...................................................................................11
Range.......................................................................................12
Bearing.....................................................................................13
Closest oint of a roach (CPA).............................................13
Time until CPA (TCPA)..........................................................13
Im ortant Information..................................................................14
S ecifications................................................................................15
Requirements................................................................................17
GPS Datum..............................................................................17
Installation....................................................................................18
Installing the dis lay................................................................18
Items Needed.......................................................................18
Configuration...........................................................................18
Routing GPS Data Through the AIS Receiver or Using a
Trans onder with a Built-in GPS........................................18
Routing GPS and AIS data Direct to the AISWatchMate...19
Configuring each ort in setu ............................................20
Examining received data.....................................................22
Wiring......................................................................................23
Wiring to an AIS receiver...................................................25
Wiring to a Trans onder.....................................................26
Wiring to a Com uter..........................................................27
Wiring to a Chart Plotter.....................................................28
Connections to Common Chart Plotters..............................29
- 5 -

Power Button................................................................................30
Buttons..........................................................................................30
Dis lay Screens............................................................................30
Home Page – Situation Dis lay...............................................30
Range Rings........................................................................31
Plotting Range.....................................................................31
Target count.........................................................................32
Selecting a Target................................................................32
Icon Meanings.....................................................................32
Main Menu...............................................................................34
Target List................................................................................35
Target Dis lay..........................................................................36
CPA Gra hical Dis lay............................................................39
Safety Message List.................................................................40
Safety Message Dis lay...........................................................41
Target Filters.................................................................................42
Range Filter..............................................................................42
S eed Filter..............................................................................43
Alarms...........................................................................................43
Guard Alarm............................................................................44
CPA Alarm...............................................................................46
CPA.....................................................................................46
Time (TCPA).......................................................................46
Target S eed........................................................................47
Your S eed..........................................................................47
Profiles..........................................................................................47
Harbour....................................................................................48
Coastal......................................................................................48
Offshore...................................................................................48
Anchor......................................................................................48
Setu Mode...................................................................................49
General Settings.......................................................................49
- 6 -

Brightness............................................................................50
Contrast...............................................................................50
I/O Port Settings..................................................................50
Port in ut ty e................................................................50
Port out ut ty e..............................................................50
Lost osition alert...........................................................50
NMEA device alerts.......................................................51
Date format..........................................................................51
Language.............................................................................51
Metric or im erial................................................................51
Alarm mode.........................................................................51
Course and heading mode...................................................51
Bearing to target mode........................................................52
Sort targets by riority.........................................................53
Data dis lay in target list.....................................................53
Safety message handling.....................................................53
Turn dis lay off when idle..................................................53
Reset all settings..................................................................54
Settings Associated with Each Profile.....................................54
Target s eed filter................................................................55
Target range filter................................................................55
Guard alarm range...............................................................56
CPA alarm...........................................................................57
CPA alarm - Time...............................................................57
CPA alarm - Target S eed..................................................57
CPA alarm - Your s eed.....................................................58
NMEA Device Alerts and Trans onders......................................59
Troubleshooting............................................................................60
No GPS data dis layed............................................................60
No AIS targets dis layed.........................................................61
Dis lay shuts off......................................................................62
Won't shut off when I ress the ower button.........................62
- 7 -

CPA alarm doesn't sound.........................................................62
Alarms sounds for every target................................................62
Doesn't dis lay magnetic bearings to targets...........................62
Warranty - USA............................................................................64
Warranty - Australia and New Zealand........................................65
Warranty - Euro ean Union..........................................................66
Obtaining Warranty Service.........................................................67
- 8 -

Glossary
AIS Universal Shi borne Automatic Identification
System. A system of trans onders installed on vessels
which send continuously u dated navigation
information. An AIS receiver is used to monitor these
transmissions and the AIS WathMate is used to
dis lay this information and trigger alarms when there
is a risk of collision.
BRG /
Bearing
The location of another vessel ty ically ex ressed as
true or magnetic degrees. May also be ex ressed as
relative degrees from your vessel's heading.
Class A/B There are two classes of AIS trans onders. Class A
are used on vessels which have mandatory
requirements to carry AIS trans onders. Class B are
used on vessels for which AIS trans onders are
o tional.
COG Course over ground. The course a vessel is making
which is not necessarily the same as the vessel's
heading.
CPA Closest oint of a roach. The nearest distance in
nautical miles two vessels will come to one another if
they both maintain their current course and s eed.
Filter A set of criteria used to determine if a target should
be included in the target list, such as its range or
s eed.
GPS Global Positioning System. Used to rovide your
vessel's current osition, course, and s eed.
IMO International Maritime Organization. A unique IMO
- 9 -

number is ermanently assigned to each shi and may
be used to find additional registration information for
a articular 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 trans onder. Vessels may also
transmit their name to facilitate easier identification.
These transmissions occur at a different interval than
osition 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 grou 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 s ecified amount of time. Usually er
minute but may also be er 30 seconds.
SOG S eed over ground. The actual s eed 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 oint of a roach.
- 10 -

Introduction
The AISWatchMate is a low ower consum tion device which
rovides information to assist in avoiding collisions at sea. Because it
consumes very low ower it may be left turned on whenever your
vessel is underway. It works by inter reting Universal Shi borne
Automated Identification Systems (AIS) messages which are sent by
a trans onder installed on other vessels. AIS trans onders are
mandatory on most classes of commercial shi ing. The AIS system
uses two dedicated VHF channels designated for this ur ose and
with the installation of an AIS receiver to ick u these signals and
the AISWatchMate you can view this information. In addition, you
can configure the AISWatchMate to generate alarms whenever the
otential for a collision may exist.
The AIS system rovides several ty es of messages from other
vessels and stations. Each ty e 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 s lit
between two ty es: navigation information and voyage information.
Vessel navigation and osition information is generated by an on-
board GPS or similar navigation device and is sent frequently.
Voyage information contains the shi 's name, its destination, size,
ty e, cargo, etc. This data is ty ically only sent once every few
minutes.
The AISWatchMate rovides a means to view how recently
information has been received from each vessel and this data is
designed to hel you determine how accurate and de endable 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
- 11 -

osition, navigation, and voyage information. Also associated with
each target are com uted data to hel 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 riority ordering if you wish. However, by viewing targets in
a rioritised fashion you can focus your interest on the targets most
likely to ose a collision risk first. Similarly, whenever a target
triggers an alarm you don't have to scroll to find it. The target is
dis layed 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.
Multi le 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 com uted data for each target includes the following items. Note
that in order to com ute this data your vessel's current osition,
course, and s eed 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 com utes the range
(distance in nautical miles) to each target
and dis lays it along with the target
information.
- 12 -

Bearing The bearing to each target is also
dis layed. The bearing may be shown as
magnetic to facilitate quick visual
identification using a com ass or
binoculars. However, if you wish you can
change a setting to dis lay bearings in
degrees true or relative to your vessel's
current heading.
Closest oint of
a roach (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
s eed. It is dis layed in nautical miles to
the nearest tenth or hundredth. As either
your vessel or the target changes its course
or s eed, the CPA (along with all other
com uted data) is automatically
recom uted and redis layed.
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
dis layed in minutes and seconds or just
minutes if the time exceeds one hour.
The AISWatchMate automatically u dates these com uted values
whenever new information is received from a target and also
whenever your vessel's osition, s eed, or course changes. The
information dis layed is always the most u -to-date available but
because the AIS and GPS systems do not guarantee the frequency of
u dates from each vessel it can be inaccurate and can become further
inaccurate as time rogresses without continuous u dates from both
- 13 -

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 dis lay 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 dis lays this
information on the messages age 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 im rove our roducts and
would greatly enjoy hearing from you.
Please contact us through our website www.vespermarine.com or
via e-mail to [email protected].
Important Information
Before using the AISWatchMate, it is im ortant that you read and
fully understand this owner's manual and installation instructions.
Although more vessels continue to install AIS trans onders it is
im ortant to remember that not all vessels carry AIS transponders.
The AISWatchMate can only dis lay information received from
ro erly equi ed and o erated vessels. In addition, the
AISWatchMate relies on the accuracy of the GPS system and your
GPS receiver. A failure or com romised o eration of either of these
systems will reflect on the accuracy of the data dis layed and alarms
triggered by the AISWatchMate.
- 14 -

Specifications
Size (not including cable or
mounting bracket)
208mm wide x 135mm high x
76mm de th
(8 3/16” x 5 5/16” x 3”)
Flush mount thickness 17mm (11/16”)
Power su ly 10-16 VDC – ty ical 1.2 watts
Environmental Watertight (USCG CFR- 46, IP67)
O erating tem erature 0°C to +70°C (32°F to 158°F)
Storage tem erature -25°C to +80°C (-13°F to 176°F)
LCD anel 125mm (5”) FSTN 320x240 backlit
LCD light level Off and multi le levels of
brightness
Serial data 2 orts, (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
O tional NMEA sentences ALR, HDG, HDM, HDT
AIS NMEA sentence required VDM
- 15 -

AIS Messages All Class A and Class B osition
re orts, 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
riority target is re laced)
Maximum number of
simultaneous messages
32 (if more, then the oldest message
is re laced)
External alarm Maximum 2A. It is recommended
that the user rovide a fuse to
rotect against overload. If you
require more than 2A then you must
rovide an external relay.
Ves er Marine is committed to continuously im roving our roducts.
As a result, s ecifications may change and there may also be
differences between the roduct and this manual.
- 16 -

equirements
The AISWatchMate is available in several ackages de ending on
your situation. If you urchased an AISWatchMate without an AIS
receiver or trans onder, then you must su ly one.
In addition, a suitable VHF antenna must be su lied by the user and
a GPS is required to rovide osition and navigation information for
the user's vessel.
The following are required for installation:
●AIS receiver or trans onder that out uts NMEA 0183
“VDM” sentences at 38400 baud (IEC 61162).
●A suitable VHF antenna or antenna s litter for the AIS
receiver or trans onder.
●A GPS unit that out uts NMEA 0183 “RMC” sentences at
4800 or 38400 baud. Some AIS receivers and trans onders
include an integrated GPS. If you have one of those, then it is
not necessary to use another GPS.
●10-16 volts DC ower.
GPS Datum
Your GPS should be set to out ut osition 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 ro erly. Please consult the owner's manual for
your GPS for more details.
- 17 -

Installation
Installing the display
The AISWatchMate is su lied with a trunnion mounting bracket if
you wish to mount it above or below a shelf or other su ort. You
may also mount the unit by cutting a hole in an instrument anel and
mounting it flush. Included is a tem late 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 anel.
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 lease contact your dealer or
Ves er Marine.
Items Needed
Two 4mm screws for mounting the bracket to a su ort surface
or four 3mm machine screws for flush mounting in a anel.
Configuration
The AISWatchMate may be configured in several ways. There are two
serial orts for data in ut and out ut. You can route AIS or GPS data
into either in ut ort and take out ut for a chart lotter or com uter
from either ort. However, the s eed of each out ut ort must be the
same as the in ut s eed for that ort. To configure the orts use the
“I/O ort settings” within setu mode.
outing GPS Data Through the AIS eceiver or Using a
Transponder with a Built-in GPS
This configuration requires the AIS receiver to be able to acce t GPS
- 18 -

data and merge it into its NMEA out ut stream. Some AIS receivers
and all trans onders 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 trans onder to determine how to
wire these connections.
When using this configuration, the NMEA data stream out ut by the
AIS receiver or trans onder (including GPS data) is wired to the
AISWatchMate serial ort 2. This allows serial ort 1 to be used to
rovide out ut data to an o tional com uter or chart lotter that
acce ts 38,400 baud NMEA 0183 HS sentences.
This is the default configuration and no settings need to be changed.
outing GPS and AIS data Direct to the AISWatchMate
Use this configuration if your AIS receiver cannot merge the GPS
data into the out ut 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
o tionally connected to a suitable com uter or chart lotter.
- 19 -
38400
baud
VHF
Antenna
O tional
com uter or
chart lotter
AIS
Receiver GPS
AISWatchMate
38400
baud
4800 baud
Port 1 Port 2

To use this configuration, you must change the ort 2 in ut ty e in
setu mode.
Other configurations are also ossible. When installing the
AISWatchMate you can route NMEA data from either a GPS or AIS
receiver or trans onder to either of its serial orts. You can also route
the combined data stream from the out ut of either ort to a
com uter or chart lotter. However, you should avoid sending the
same data stream to both orts.
Configuring each port in setup
When you configure each ort in setu mode, you select the ty e of
device that is connected to that ort. This determines the baud rate
and for out ut orts it also determines which kinds of data will be
sent to that ort.
- 20 -
VHF
Antenna
O tional
com uter or
chart lotter
AIS
Receiver
GPS
AISWatchMate 38400 baud
38400 baud
4800 baud
Port 1 Port 2