FA50 missing vessel length and width?

[Anonymous]

I've been using an FA50 for a few years now and just noticed on Marinetraffic.com that my vessel length and width show as zero. I went into the FA50 config pages to fix this, but it appears that the FA50 does not support that info, or at least I can't find a config page for it. Isn't that required info in the extended vessel info message? All the info that can be programmed in the FA50 is showing up on Marinetraffic, so I believe the FA50 is transmitting correctly and my info is being received.

Is that data just not included in the FA50? Or maybe I need to update the FW in the FA50?

 

[Anonymous]

Solved my own problem. In the FA50 config you can set up dimensions/GPS location info for an internal and an external GPS. Apparently the external GPS that comes with and connects to the FA50 is "Internal" not "External". The manual offers no insight into the difference, so I took it to mean a GPS physically internal to the FA50 similar to chart plotters that have GPSs built into them. And I took "External" to mean the physically separate GPS that comes that you mount up on the mast somewhere.

After setting the location/dimensions for an "Internal" GPS, I am now reporting my boat size correctly.

Now if only the AIS info were retransmitted on N2K by NN3D so other devices on my boat could use it..... but I've stopped hoping that will ever happen.....

 

[Rock Boat Rich]

I tried doing as the OP suggested and didn't get the same result. New FA50 (purchased 2020) was already set up for "internal" antenna and there was no option for adding boat length. What I DID discover is the FA50 generates your boat length based on the information you add for antenna position. Basically it adds up the numbers. So if you enter that your antenna is 6 meters from the bow and 8 meters from the stern, your length will broadcast as 14 meters. Same logic for beam. The correct information is now showing up on all the AIS tracking sites. NOW....does anyone know how I can change the units for antenna location from meters to feet?

 

[Johnny Electron]

The unit HTML firmware is setup for meters as a measurement of antenna placement. It isn't something that should be changing often unless you are moving it from boat to boat. Feet is not an option for this setup.