I was intrigued to stumble across the Solent AIS site the other day, which apart from streaming live VHF marine radio traffic from the Solent also provides online live mapping of commercial shipping. Each of the balloons is clickable to reveal details about the ship with the page updating every 60 seconds so you can actually track the ships in real time, so, for example you can watch and listen to Red Jet 4, the Southampton to Cowes hydrofoil. There are other useful links on the site including webcam links in the Solent and detailed background information about AIS, the system used to transmit ships coordinates plus stacks of useful marine information.
Kutos to the site owner who provides the site out of his pocket using an array of VHF radio receivers, AIS decoders, computers and google maps.
We happen to be living right on the edge of Southampton Water in Hythe these days so we are lucky to be able see huge ships just a few hundred metres away navigating Southampton Water, this site is just the icing on the cake. I think I’ll be having a go at building my own AIS set-up soon thanks to the DIY instructions included on the site. (We’re also on the main flight path for Southampton Airport so kind of radio scanning heaven really though I still prefer the car park at Hatton Cross).
A caveat – in the UK it’s illegal to listen to marine VHF radio unless you are at sea or it’s a requirement of your job. The authorities turn a blind eye to hobbyists listeing providing the don’t make use of any information they may hear and do sensible things like use earphones when listening in public areas, ditto Airband too actually.
(maps © google of course but somehow I don’t suppose Uncle Ed and the google maps team will mind me publishing this..)
Update 13th march 2009
Combined APRS/AIS google maps mashup
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4 users responded in this post
Phil,
I run http://www.OrwellAIS.com that does a similar job to the site you have shown above. It’s an interesting point you make about AIS and the british law. Driving into work today I was thinking about such companies as Lloyds who activily sell AIS information at their http://www.lloydsmiu.com/lmiu/ais/index.htm site. I feel sure that the Lloyds lawyers would have confirmed the legal position before offering such a service?
Martin
Hi Martin,
it was the radio voice traffic as I was referring to, the last time I looked at the Wireless Telegraphy act it said you could only listen public broadcasting, radio hams and standard Time Signals.
I’m guessing there are exemptions for schemes like AIS as it’sfor the most part safety traffic? The law might have changed by now but somehow I doubt it.
Hi from a retired Brit on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada. Many moons ago i used to be a national daily newspaper Shipping correspondent based at Southampton.Boarding the big liners was my job and interviewing VIPs.
There were the occasions I rubbed shoulders with the late Queeen Mum when she walked the quay at what was then the Ocean Terminal below the bow QM and QE.
I was thrilled when an “eavesdropper” emailed me this week and told me I could listen live to Solent shipping.
So far I have not been able to tune channels 11 or 12. Could anyone send me an email address so that I can contact ais live please. I got the wonderfully graphic intro and a brief voice of a girl mentioning channel 11 and that was all. Far to good to miss.
Touching on the subject of discretionary listening, here in Canada all frequencies are open and I not only monitor Vancouver Port radio.
but anything my Ic-7000 and shortwave radio reads.
There is no legal restraint. Selling equipment is an industry here in North America. One lot I am not interested in is the police and much of it is successfully scrambled anyway.
Satelite listening is another hobby gradually taking off. Perhaps the powers that be in the U.K are unaware that the media have their own set ups to obtain information and don’t have to adhere to rules and regulations which are donkey’s year out of date and serve no purpose.
Good listening to everyone.
George Clogg.
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