Position Reporting (Without AIS)

[Foswick]

Aside from AIS (obviously) there are are a bijillion position-sharing options out there. Lots of them require people who want to know your position to use the same app/service. A few provide for a way to share to folks without them having to sign up for anything.

Of course, these non-AIS options depend on some data connection. Not a huge problem, for about 75% of where I cruise, and 100% reliability isn't super important. We just want to be able to let friends know where to find us in case they happen to be cruising by.

Does anyone have a solution they really like? Years ago, I made my own, which allowed anyone with a known link to see our location on a map. Worked great, but I don't know what I did with the source code, so I'd have to rebuild it. Not a huge deal, but it would be better if something great already existed.

 

[degas]

How about Google Maps location sharing? Anyone w/a phone, or even just a browser on a laptop, can use it.

I've had success with the Aqua Map app. It has some location sharing that you can share w/other sailors.

 

[dlochner]

Take a look at NoForeignLand.com

 

[jssailem]

I was unaware of the AquaMap feature on the program. Reading the help site, I found this description of this Social Network feature.

LIVE SHARING
AUGUST 26, 2022​

The Live Sharing connects you to the Aqua Map community (all the users logged with the GEC Account that approved to share their info). When you enable this function, and accept the Privacy Policy, you will share your boat and navigation info with the community and at the same time you will be able to see on the map all the active Live Sharing users position, their My Boat information and their navigation details (speed, course and, when available, depth and wind).

While connected to Live Sharing, you can also chat with other users and easily share or receive your preferred routes, tracks, and markers.​

 

[BarryL]

Hello,

If you are in cell range then the location sharing of your phone is the easiest and cheapest way to go.

If you're out of cell range, I have used the SPOT satellite messenger and the Garmin Inreach device. Both allow tracking by checking a shared map that you create. You provide the URL to the map to people who want to track you.

In my experience the SPOT device was adequate but not great. Some location updates and messages would be lost. The Inreach product has been just about perfect. Tracking is smooth and reliable. Messaging has also been very reliable. Expect to pay around $25 / month for Inreach or SPOT. There are cheaper plans and more expensive plans too. One of the reasons I like Garmin is because my device, GPSMAP 86 SCI is both a chart plotter and a satellite communicator. Since I almost always travel with a handheld GPS, the Garmin unit allows one device to provide a range of services.

Barry

 

[boulevardtalonman]

In HAM radio, we use something called "automatic position reporting system" or APRS. Your position can be seen from any internet capable device. Might look into that

 

[marcham]

Aquamap and navionics both can do what you are asking for...

 

[Foswick]

Yeah, there are tons of options that do this. It is just that every one I have looked at either requires that other parties use the same app, or they are just bloated with a bunch of functionality I don't want. I was hoping someone had something very simple and open-standard that they liked.

I think I'll just write my own. I just got satellite service on my phone, so I can easily post updates to a remote server. Of course, the other party will need some Internet connectivity to be able to pull up my location from the server. But, that's probably OK. This is just for a handful of friends to be able to see if we're in their neighbourhood. So, I don't want to overthink it.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Please do share it when it's ready! I prefer barebones software that aren't made by companies that slip shady code in