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AIS and GPS in Windows

Pairing GPS and AIS with your Windows PC

Since Windows computers do not have a built-in GPS antenna, the Waterkaarten app on Windows requires a separate GPS antenna to show your position on the map. We recommend using a GPS antenna that can (also) be connected to the PC via a USB cable.

The power for this GPS antenna is also supplied via the USB cable and you can position the antenna in the best spot. You can find a good GPS antenna at our partner Vaarwinkel.

Linking your own AIS device

More and more users of Waterkaarten are linking their own AIS device to the app. Don’t have an AIS device yet? For this, our partner Smartmarine has great solutions.

Take for example, the Quark-Elec A026: an AIS receiver that, in addition to being wireless, can also be connected to your PC via USB. This A026 model also has a built-in GPS antenna, meaning you have GPS and AIS in one. This A026 also receives power via a USB cable.

An additional VHF antenna is required for AIS reception. You can find this A026 as a special Waterkaarten deal here.

Be seen with an AIS transponder

If you also want to be visible to the marine traffic around you, you’ll need an AIS transponder: it broadcasts your location to the surrounding ships. Smartmarine is happy to help you with that. For an AIS transponder, you must have a basic marine certificate and you must register your ship and the transponder with the Rijksdienst Digitale Infrastructuur (RDI).

For all peripherals that work via USB, you must first install the manufacturer’s driver. This driver is supplied with the device, or it can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

You can read more here about AIS in our app.