easypos N HOOK - Transmitter Manual

Transcription

1 easypos N HOOK - Transmitter Manual easypos N HOOK Maritime Locating System Product No.: A140 Rev. 1.4 Weatherdock AG. Sigmundstraße 180 D Nürnberg Tel. : Fax: info@weatherdock.de

2 Page 2 of 44 Safety Precautions The easyposalert transponder contains Li-Ion batteries. When the device is used at temperatures outside the limits of -20 C and +55 C, the useful battery capacity is reduced. Keep the device away from hot environments, because at temperatures of more than +70 C the batteries inside the vmstrack could cause damage. Li-Ion batteries shall be given to the recycling process and should not be given to the home garbage. The easyposalert produces electromagnetic fields, which could interfere medical devices. For safety reasons store this device so that children cannot reach it. The manufacturer is not responsible for damages or failures that are caused by the easyposalert, damaged battery pack or misuse by the user. Use this device only together with certified equipment. Other equipment could damage the easyposalert. Clean this device with a clean, dry and soft blanket. Do not use aggressive or acid liquids and chemicals for cleaning. Do not open the device on your own. Unpermitted opening of the easyposalert could damage the device and the warranty is lost. LICENSING IMPORTANT: In most countries the operation of a VHF unit using the marine band is included under the vessels marine VHF license provisions. Please contact the relevant authority in your country for more information. In accordance with a policy of continual development and product improvement the easyposalert hardware and software may be upgraded from time to time and future versions of the easyposalert may therefore not correspond exactly with this manual.

3 Page 3 of 44 When necessary upgrades to the product will be accompanied by updates or addenda to this manual. Please take time to read this manual carefully and to understand its contents fully so that you can install and operate your system correctly. Information contained in this manual is liable to change without notice. Weatherdock AG, disclaims any liability for consequences arising from omissions or inaccuracies in this manual and any other documentation provided with this product. DISCLAIMER THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

4 Page 4 of 44 ATTENTION: PLEASE USE THE EASYPOSALERT CAREFULLY AND NOT UNINTENDED. ALSO THE EASYPOSALERT WILL NOT OPERATE AUTOMATICALLY. IT MUST BE INITIALIZED BY THE USER IN CASE OF EMERGENCY All trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 2017, Weatherdock AG. Copying of this document, and giving it to others and the use or communication of the contents thereof, is forbidden without express authority. Offenders are liable to the payment of damages. Revision of the operation manual Rev. 1.0 Author: Jürgen Zimmermann, 20. March 2013 Rev. 1.1 Author: Max Schuster, 21. March 2013 Rev. 1.2 Author: Jürgen Zimmermann, 05. November 2013 Rev. 1.3 Author: Max Schuster, 13. October 2014 Rev. 1.4 Author: V.Vits,

5 Page 5 of 44 DIRECTORY 1 SHORT DESCRIPTION ACTIVATORS AND INDICATORS ACTIVATING ELEMENTS Button "RUN" Button "TEST" INDICATORS GPS LED RUN LED TEST LED Flash-LED OPERATION INSTRUCTION ACTIVATION "TEST" ACTIVATION "RUN" CHARGING THE BATTERIES PROGRAMMING REPORTING RATES ADMINISTRATOR SETTINGS SET IDENTIFIERS FREQUENCY SETTING MOUNTING ON THE BUOY HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORK TECHNICAL DATA DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY SCOPE OF DELIVERY AVAILABLE ACCESSORY FAQ... 38

6 Page 6 of ANNEX RANGE TEST RESULTS SUPPORT WARRANTY... 40

7 Page 7 of 44 1 Short description Figure 1 The easypos N HOOK is a portable battery powered AIS transmitter with an integrated GPS-receiver. The device is intended for the use in locating operations. The easypos N HOOK operates as a VHF-Transmitter and it can be activated in two situations by pressing two different buttons: (A) The locating object wants to inform the searching ship about its position. So the ship, it belongs to, can search and find the locating object. This happens on a frequency

8 Page 8 of 44 in the marine VHF band, which is assigned by the authority of the country. (B) Testing the device (GPS and VHF-Transmitter). The range depends on the height of the transmitter s antenna over sea level. The range is approx nautical miles, if the height of easypos N HOOK antenna is 1m above sea level, assuming that the receiving antenna is at a height of 5m. The Li-Ion battery pack provides a capacity that ensures an operation time of more than 120h (at a reporting rate = 1 min), when activated. This device maintains water tightness down to 10m depth, not unduly affected by seawater or oil and is resistant to sunlight. It withstands drops from a height of 20 m into water. The Li-Ion batteries can be recharged easily using the charging station that can be purchased by an authorized distributor.

9 Page 9 of 44 2 Activators and Indicators 2.1 Activating elements Button "RUN" Figure 2 Pressing the button RUN, the easypos N HOOK enters the Search" mode (transmitting locating object's position without alerting the AIS). If this button is pressed again for 3 seconds, the search mode will be terminated and the device is turned off Button "TEST" With the button "TEST the device can be activated in case of testing the VHF transmitter, the integrated GPS receiver and the battery charge state.

10 Page 10 of 44 The Test mode can be terminated by pressing the TEST button for 3 seconds. The easypos N HOOK turns off. 2.2 Indicators GPS LED The green LED with the marking GPS is blinking, when the device receives GPS signals and is able to get a position fix. If the GPS LED does not blink, there is not GPS reception possible RUN LED The green LED with the marking RUN" is blinking, when the easypos N HOOK is activated in case of search (transmitting locating object's position) TEST LED The yellow LED with the marking "TEST" is blinking, when the easypos N HOOK is in test mode Flash-LED The white LED is flashing, when the easypos N HOOK is in RUN or TEST state. It is used to support the search in darkness.

11 Page 11 of 44 3 Operation Instruction 3.1 Activation "TEST" Figure 3 Press the button TEST. The white bright flash LED shows the battery charge:

12 Page 12 of 44 Figure 4 The TEST-LED starts flashing every 2 seconds. As soon as a GPS position is available the GPS-LED start flashing too. The easypos N HOOK starts transmitting eight VHF messages. The unit turns off after transmit all messages or after 5 minutes if it does not find a GPS signal. With the easypos N HOOK VHF receiver connected to a chart plotter or laptop with navigational software you can check the transmission of the easypos N HOOK. Normally the chart plotter or navigational software shows a ship symbol on the display. The information of the unit ID (9 characters) starting with is shown together with the device name and ID. The test mode can be interrupted earlier by pressing the button TEST for more than 3 seconds. The LEDs stop flashing and the device turns off.

13 3.2 Activation "RUN" Page 13 of 44 In regular situation, where the locating ship is searching for the locating objects, you use this activation. Figure 5 Press the button RUN and take care that the easypos N HOOK has got line of sight to the sky. This ensures best GPS reception conditions.

14 Page 14 of 44 The ON-LED starts flashing every 2 seconds. As soon as a GPS position is available the GPS-LED starts flashing too. The easypos N HOOK starts transmitting a position report every minute or different reporting rate. The reporting can be changed with the Programmer(#A124, normally done by your distributor). If the unit loses a GPS position fix, then the GPS-LED stops flashing but the easypos N HOOK will transmit the last known position. With the easypos N HOOK receiver connected to a standard chart plotter or laptop with navigational software, which are able to show AIS targets, you can check the transmission of the easypos N HOOK transmitter. Normally the chart plotter or navigational software shows an AIS ship symbol on the display. If you move the cursor to that symbol, you get additional information about the easypos N HOOK transmitter. In the VHF messages of the easypos N HOOK transmitter there are following information included: Unit-ID: (9 digits) Position : Latitude & Longitude with a resolution of 1/ of a minute, Speed over ground (SOG) : drift due to currents, Course over ground (COG), Buoy's name: (20 characters) programmable name of the buoy (transmitter device) Buoy's destination: (20 characters) where the buoy belongs to (location or ships name)

15 Page 15 of 44 The RUN-mode can be terminated by pressing the button RUN for more than 3 seconds. The LEDs stop flashing and the device turns off. The easypos N HOOK works on proprietary frequencies (not international AIS frequencies). That means other vessels do not receive the easypos N HOOK. There for they do not appear on other AIS chart plotters!

16 Page 16 of 44 4 Charging the batteries The easypos N HOOK can optionally be recharged in the Battery-Charger (A121), if you have got no power supply on board, which you can connect to the bracket. The Battery-Charger is an accessory with the product number #A121 and can be purchased from your distributor. Inside the easypos N HOOK there are Li-Ion batteries, which have got a capacity of around 120 h operation time (depending on the transmission interval). These batteries are high quality batteries with very low self discharge. So you can store the fully charged easypos N HOOK for more than three month without a significant loss in capacity. Figure 6 Place the easypos N HOOK into the Battery-Charger. The battery charger must be connected to DC power supply (12 or 24VDC, 1 A). You can charge the unit in any mode. When the unit is off, the LEDs will show the charging status. If the yellow LED is

17 Page 17 of 44 continuously on, the batteries will be charged. When the green LED is continuously on, the batteries are fully charged. In Normal Operating mode (unit is transmitting) the RUN LED or "TEST" LED is blinking every 2 seconds. So you can see the unit is operating. During this mode the batteries will be charged, too. The batteries will be kept full charged as long as the DC power supply is connected. 5 Programming Figure 7 The easypos N HOOK can be programmed with information, which is included in the VHF messages and different settings. The Unit-ID is a 9-digit figure like the MMSI, known from the

18 Page 18 of 44 AIS system. It is a unique number pre-programmed by the manufacturer or administrator. In order to program the easypos N HOOK you need the USB- Programmer device #A124, which can be purchased from your distributor. The USB-cable shall be connected to a PC or laptop. With the Programmer device comes a CD-ROM with the installation software for the PC. Insert the CD-ROM into your PC or Laptop and start the setup program. On the Windows-Desktop you will see the icon of the easypos N HOOK programming software. When you double-click that icon you will be asked to select a country, then following program window will open: Figure 8

19 Page 19 of 44 Now you have to insert the easypos N HOOK into the Programmer. The easypos N HOOK will turn on immediately. You have to wait ca sec seconds until the white LED is turned on only! Figure 9

20 Page 20 of 44 When the white LED is on, go to the next step in the PC software and select the right COM-Port and press "Connect". After that the following picture will occur: Figure 10 The contents shown above are just an example. The buoy s name and the area of activity can be entered or changed. The MMSI is pre-programmed and cannot be changed. The status of the rechargeable battery is also shown on this tab-sheet.

21 5.1 Reporting Rates Page 21 of 44 Another important setting is the reporting rate. This can be changed here to the possible values. 30, 15, 10, 3, 1 minutes, or 30, 10, 6, 2 seconds. When the reporting rate is in the minutes range, the operating time for a full charged battery is about 120 hours. For rates below 60 seconds the operating time is reduced to around 36 hours. It is recommended to use 60 seconds reporting rate. When you are administrator, then you have got a blue dongle, which has to be inserted into a free USB slot. Figure 11 (Administrator - Dongle) Then you do have special rights in order to change other settings of the easypos N HOOK, which are explained in the following chapter.

22 Page 22 of 44 6 Administrator Settings Following settings can only be done by the manufacturer or the administrator and cannot be changed by the end-user. If you have inserted the dongle (see Figure 11), then you will see the hidden page called Administrator 6.1 Set Identifiers Figure 12 The administrator may change the first three figures of the MMSI. The following 6 figures is the serial number of the device. These are read only.

23 6.2 Frequency Setting Page 23 of 44 On the right side you can change the frequency the easypos N HOOK is sending. The frequency must be applied at the local authority (of the country). You can select two different or two same frequencies. When choosing two frequencies, the easypos N HOOK is alternating its transmissions on these channels. The frequency the easypos N HOOK should be equal to the frequencies of the receiving station easyrx2-s or easytrx2-s. Figure 13 Another setting is the Group-ID, which is the Parent Ships MMSI(x) respectively the MMSI, which is stored in the receiving unit : easyrx or easytrx2

24 Page 24 of 44 Only when the Group-ID and the Parent Ships MMSI are the same, easypos N HOOK will be shown on the plotter. It will prevent foreign ships to see the own easypos N HOOK. With the dongle you have the possibility to disable the "Closed Group Identification" on the easytrx2 or easyrx. Devices where the "Closed Group Identification" have been disabled show all easypos N HOOK in the range. So this could be interesting for official authorities like coast guard. Figure 14 In the Figure 14 above you see the "Programming Tool" of the easyrx2-s. The dongle is inserted so you see the "Administrator" page. You see an example setup. Both

25 Page 25 of 44 channels are set to proprietary frequencies and the "Closed User Group" is turned on. There is another special feature, which should be mentioned here. If the customer has got an AIS Class-A or Class-B on board, it might be useful to have this and the easytrx2-s / easyrx2-s also connected to the chart display. Normally you have to disconnect the AIS Class-A/B from the chart display and to connect the easytrx2-s /easyrx2-s. But Weatherdock made it possible to have both combined. You just connect the NMEA0183 output of the AIS Class-A or B to the multiplexer input (MUX) of the easytrx2-s / easyrx-s. Then in the figure above switch on the checkbox "AIS connected to MUX" and press "Program". Now you will see all AIS targets (received by the AIS Class-A/B) and all POS'n'HOOK (received by the easytrx2-s / easyrx2-s) on the chart display at the same time.

26 Page 26 of 44 7 Mounting on the buoy Please put the easypos N HOOK inside the buoy housing (#B110) before mounting! Figure 15 Please make sure the easypos N HOOK is secured with the cotter (splint)! Figure 16

27 Page 27 of 44 The buoy housing with the easypos N HOOK inside should be mounted on the top of the buoy. The antenna of the easypos N HOOK should not be fixed! Figure 17

28 Page 28 of 44 8 How does the System work On the locating vessel, who is searching for the locating objects, there are several possibilities for receiving and displaying the easypos N HOOK-messages. One possibility is the easypos N HOOK receiver connected to an electronic chart display (see figure). Figure 18 When the locating object has activated the easypos N HOOK transmitter, the receiver gets the VHF messages. A symbol appears on the chart display showing the Unit-ID, name and position of the locating object. So the ship can easily search and find the locating object using the chart display as a navigational system.

29 Page 29 of 44 Figure 19 Moving the cursor to the "locating object's" symbol (here triangle) the following table occurs automatically on the screen: Figure 20

30 Page 30 of 44 So you see the locating objects name and Unit-ID: "DIVER HENRY", If you already have got an AIS-Class A and a Chart Plotter (ECDIS) on your ship, you can use this for displaying easypos N HOOK, too. You just have to place the easypos N HOOK receiver in between the AIS-Class A and the ECDIS. The easypos N HOOK receiver has got an NMEA multiplexer integrated. That means the AIS-Class A data are going directly through the easypos N HOOK receiver to the ECDIS. And whenever an easypos N HOOK signal was received, its position report is going also to the ECDIS as a standard AIS sentence. Please see the following circuit diagram:

31 Page 31 of 44 Figure 21

32 Page 32 of 44 Optionally you can connect an "easypos N HOOK receive indicator", which is an acoustic alarm. Whenever a position report of an easypos N HOOK was received, the piezo alarm is indicating this. You can order this indicator as an accessory. If you want to use a laptop or netbook for displaying the locating object's position, you just connect the easypos N HOOK receiver to the USB port. There are a lot of navigational software on the market (even freeware), which can display AIS targets from the NMEA0183 output of the easypos N HOOK receiver. (Examples of navigational software: Chart Navigator Pro, Sea Clear, Fugawi, Yacht AIS, etc.) Here is an example using the software "Yacht-AIS": Your ship is in the center of the screen and the position of the locating object is plotted relatively. You can see the distance (here 6.62 nm) and the bearing (here 242 ). This software shows also the name of the locating object close to the symbol. So if you have more symbols on the screen, you could easily identify them.

33 Page 33 of 44 Figure 22

34 Page 34 of 44 9 Technical Data Parameter Value Dimension 130 x 30 x 70 mm Weight 380 g DC supply rechargeable Li-Ion(LiMg)- batteries Locating object locating: Frequency band programmable by Frequency distributor : MHz (contact local authority for frequency assignment) Radiated Power 500 mw GPS receiver Approved to IEC VHF-Antenna extended, vertical polarized Operating time (normal operation) min. 120 hours with fully charged batteries Operating time (reporting rates < 60 sec) ca. 36 hours with fully charged batteries Battery storage (fully charged) min. 3 month without significant loss of charge Operation temperature range -10 C to +55 C Storage temperature range -30 C to +70 C Display 3 LEDs and a "Flash"-LED Activators 2 buttons Standards EN V2.3.1, EN V2.3.1 Starts with 88721XXXX, please see Unique ident number your product label on the unit (cannot be changed)

35 Page 35 of 44 Parameter Supported AIS messages Environment Value Msg. 1: (AIS or proprietary channel) AIS Positions Report (Dynamic data) transmitted: 6 / 8 times per minute. Unit-ID: 9 figures (unique) Position (Lat and Lon), Speed over ground (SOG), and course over ground (COG). Msg. 5: (proprietary channel only) Transmitted every 4 minutes. Unit-ID, Locating object's name and destination Waterproof: Down to 10m water level Exterior Finish: Highly visible yellow Compass safe distance: 80cm Mechanical shock Drop into water: 20 m Drop on concrete surface: 1m Thermal shock Temperature difference: 45 K Resistance Oil, seawater and sun light resistant

36 Page 36 of Declaration of Conformity easypos'n'hook (Locating device) Part No. A140 Manufacturer: Weatherdock AG, Sigmundstrasse 180, Nürnberg Germany 1) Proved Performance: Up to 10-15nm by a ship with VHF receiver and an receiving antenna height of approximately 5 m height Up to 40 nm (from a helicopter (altitude 1000 ft) Very compact and rigid. 10m water depth level approved 2) Standards: easypos'n'hook is approved according to the standards: EN , V2.3.1; EN , V2.3.1 Additionally following standards are applied: ITU-R M.1371 EN (2002) IEC (2010) IEC (2003) MSC.246 (83) (IMO Resolution) R&TTE Directive 1999/5/EC easypos'n'hook technical specification is according to above standards, with the exception of the POS feature and its functionality.

37 Page 37 of Scope of delivery easypos N HOOK transmitter Manual 12 Available accessory Charger #A121 easypos N HOOK VHF receiver e.g. #A174 VHF antenna easypos N HOOK receive indicator #A052 easyprogrammer #A124 Buoy-Housing #B090 Please contact specialized distributors.

38 Page 38 of FAQ Problem Reason Solution The GPS-LED is blinking at the end of the test Cannot activate the device. Battery change No GPS reception Battery is empty Repeat the test with line of sight to the sky. Recharge the Li-Ion(LiMg) batteries only with the charger station for the easypos N HOOK The Li-Ion(LiMg) batteries cannot be changed because of the sealing.

39 Page 39 of Annex Range Test results Figure 23

40 Page 40 of Support Although WEATHERDOCK strives for accuracy in all its publications; this material may contain errors or omissions, and is subject to change without prior notice. WEATHERDOCK shall not be made liable for any specific, indirect, incidental or consequential damages as a result of its use. WEATHERDOCK components may only be used in safety of life devices or systems, with the express written approval of WEATHERDOCK, as the failure of such components could cause the failure of the WEATHERDOCK device or system. If these fail, it is reasonable to assume that the safety of the user or other persons may be endangered. Contact your local dealer for WEATHERDOCK AIS support. If the dealer cannot help anymore, you can contact our service department: 16 Warranty Weatherdock AG Sigmundstrasse Nürnberg GERMANY Tel: This Weatherdock product is warranted to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for 24month from the date of purchase. Within this period, Weatherdock will at its sole option repair or replace any components that fail in normal use Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer for parts or labor, provided that the customer shall be responsible for any transportation cost. This warranty does not cover failures due to abuse, misuse, accident or unauthorized alteration or repairs. THE WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES CONTAINED HEREIN ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY LIABILITY ARISING UNDER ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE. IN NO EVENT SHALL WEATHERDOCK BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER RESULTING FROM THE USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT OR FROM DEFECTS IN THE PRODUCT. Weatherdock retains the exclusive right to repair or replace the unit or software or offer a full refund of the purchase price at its sole discretion. Such remedy shall be your sole and exclusive remedy for any breach of warranty.

41 Page 41 of 44 If you choose to use the EasyTRX2 and/or/or easysplit or both in a boat, it is the sole responsibility of the owner/operator of the EasyTRX2 to secure the easytrx2 so that it will not cause damage or personal injury in the event of an accident. It is the sole responsibility of the operator of the boat to operate the boat in a safe manner, maintain full surveillance of all boating conditions at all times, and never become distracted by the EasyTRX2 to the exclusion of safe operating practices.

42 Page 42 of 44 Index A Activation 11 Activator 9 AIS messages 12, 14, 35 ATTENTION 4 B Battery change 38 I ident number 34 Indicator 9 Indicators 10 O ON 9 Operation 11 D Dimension 34 F FAQ 38 S Safety Precautions 2 SART TEST. 12 Short description 7 T Technical Data 34 TEST 9 test mode 9, 10, 12, 15

43 Page 43 of 44 Personal notes:

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