Connect boat instruments

Use your boat's own GPS, compass, depth sounder, wind instruments, speed log,

water-temperature sensor, or AIS receiver in AnchorQueen.

This page deliberately separates what the current release can read from

features still being built. A Wi-Fi connection alone does not prove that every

kind of data in the stream is supported.

Compatibility in this release

The NMEA instrument decoder currently understands:

GPS position: RMC, GGA, GLL

course and speed over ground: RMC, VTG

heading: HDG, HDT

speed and heading through water: VHW

depth: DPT, DBT

water temperature: MTW

wind: MWV, MWD

Direct NMEA AIS sentences — !AIVDM and !AIVDO — are not decoded in this

release. Signal K remains the current way to combine local AIS and instruments

in one on-board connection.

Before you connect

Keep the iPhone or iPad aboard and within range of the equipment's Wi-Fi.

Power the gateway, radio, AIS transponder, and any NMEA 2000 backbone.

Join the boat or device network in the iOS Settings → Wi-Fi screen.

A “No Internet Connection” label is normal for a device-only network.

Return to AnchorQueen and open Settings → NMEA.

For a normal Wi-Fi stream, choose NMEA over TCP. Use UDP only when the

manufacturer specifically configured a unicast UDP destination; broadcast

UDP reception is not yet supported.

Enter the host and port from the relevant guide below, then tap Apply &

Connect.

Read Live Diagnostics. A working source should update Last Sentence

and at least one of Position, Depth, or Wind.

> Prefer TCP for the first test. It is easier to diagnose and avoids the

broadcast-listener limitation in the current release.

Signal K

Signal K is the most complete current connection: it can carry own-vessel

position, instruments, and nearby AIS vessels together.

Connect the iPhone to the same network as the Signal K server.

Open Settings → NMEA and choose Signal K.

Tap Scan for Servers.

Tap the server name to fill its address and advertised port.

Enable Stream Other Vessels (AIS) if the server receives AIS.

Enable Signal K Position only if you want the server's self fix to

replace device GPS for the chart and SafeAnchor.

Add an access token if the server requires one, then tap Apply &

Connect.

The usual port is 3000, but discovery uses the port the server actually

advertises. Leave Use TLS (wss) off for a normal private boat network unless

your server administrator specifically enabled it.

[Signal K discovery specification](https://signalk.org/specification/1.5.0/doc/connection.html)

Which sensor does AnchorQueen use?

In the current release, AnchorQueen shows the connection transport, while the

Signal K server normally supplies its selected/default value when more than

one sensor publishes the same item. The app does not yet expose the embedded

Signal K sensor name for every reading. Local Signal K AIS wins over an

internet AIS report with the same MMSI while the local report is fresh.

The planned multi-equipment connection system will preserve the individual

sensor or gateway behind every value. Selection will happen separately for

position, depth, wind, heading, speed, and temperature: your chosen source

first, then a valid fresh source, then the configured priority. One new packet

will not silently replace every reading, and AnchorQueen will not combine wind

angle from one instrument with wind speed from another without saying so.

Diagnostics will show two ages: when the instrument measured the value and

when AnchorQueen last heard from the connection. This prevents a cached old

reading from appearing live immediately after reconnection. Data remains

read-only; these rules do not permit AnchorQueen to control the source device.

Device guides

B&G and Simrad GoFree

GoFree-capable Navico displays advertise an NMEA 0183 TCP service on the boat

network. The port can be dynamic, so the display or its service advertisement

is the authority — do not assume 10110.

Current setup:

Enable wireless/GoFree networking on the compatible MFD and connect the

iPhone to that network.

Find the MFD's NMEA TCP host and port in its network/service information.

In AnchorQueen choose NMEA over TCP, enter those values, and tap

Apply & Connect.

Important limitation: Navico documentation for some B&G displays states that

AIS VDM/VDO is not bridged between NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183. A VHF/AIS device

present only on the NMEA 2000 backbone may therefore never appear in the

GoFree NMEA stream. A physical high-speed NMEA 0183 AIS input or a dedicated

NMEA 2000-to-Wi-Fi converter may be required. Automatic GoFree discovery and

direct AIS decoding are both planned, not current.

[Navico GoFree Tier 1 networking specification](https://manuals.bg.navico.us.mrzen.net/discontinued/GoFreeTier1NetworkingSpecification.pdf)

Garmin Signal VHF

Garmin Signal VHF can broadcast NMEA 0183 data over Wi-Fi, including supported

data translated from its NMEA 2000 network. Garmin documents TCP port 39150.

Enable Wi-Fi on the radio and connect the iPhone to the radio/boat network.

On the radio, open its network settings and note the displayed IP address.

In AnchorQueen choose NMEA over TCP.

Enter the displayed IP address and port 39150.

Tap Apply & Connect and check Live Diagnostics.

Supported translated GPS/depth/wind sentences can appear now. AIS targets from

VDM/VDO will appear only after AnchorQueen's direct-AIS decoder ships.

[Garmin Signal VHF manual](https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-376DCF06-863E-4772-9B73-834F8852F379/EN-US/SignalVHFOM_EN-US.pdf)

Vesper XB-8000 and WatchMate Vision

Factory access-point connection:

Transport: TCP

Host: 192.168.15.1

Port: 39150

Join the Vesper Wi-Fi using the credentials supplied with the unit, enter the

values above under NMEA over TCP, and tap Apply & Connect. If the unit

was configured to join another boat network, use the address assigned on that

network instead.

Position or other supported relayed instrument sentences may update now;

direct local AIS display is planned.

[Garmin/Vesper XB-8000 connection guidance](https://support.garmin.com/en-PH/?faq=VtH4z3eb6s6w55PoJbNGg9)

Vesper Cortex

Factory access-point connection:

Transport: TCP

Host: 10.1.1.1

Port: 39150

Join the CORTEX-… Wi-Fi using the password printed on the hub label or its QR

code, enter the endpoint above, and tap Apply & Connect. A Cortex joined to

an existing boat network may have a different address.

Supported instrument sentences may update now; direct local AIS display is

planned.

[Vesper Cortex installation guide](https://static.garmin.com/pumac/VesperMarineCortexHubInstallationGuideEnglishDEC21WEBv2.pdf)

em-trak B900 Wi-Fi models

This guide applies to B922, B924, B952, and B954. Factory access-point values:

SSID pattern: _

Transport: TCP

Host: 192.168.2.1

Port: 5000

Join the transponder network, choose NMEA over TCP, enter the host and port,

then tap Apply & Connect. If the transponder is in station mode, use its

configured/DHCP address and port instead.

The transponder's AIS stream is not yet drawn by AnchorQueen. Supported NMEA

instrument sentences multiplexed into the stream may appear.

[em-trak B900 manual](https://em-trak.com/wp-content/uploads/B900-Series-manual-EN-v2.pdf)

Actisense W2K-2

W2K-2 converts NMEA 2000 data to NMEA 0183 over Wi-Fi. W2K-1 is the older,

superseded model; existing installations use the same general workflow.

Factory access-point values:

SSID pattern: w2k-

Host: 192.168.4.1

Default data-server ports: 60001, 60002, 60003

Before connecting AnchorQueen:

Open http://192.168.4.1 in a browser while joined to the W2K network.

Open Data Server Settings.

Select TCP, NMEA 0183 format, and preferably transmit-only/read-only

direction for AnchorQueen.

Note the enabled server's port; begin with 60001 only if the unit still

has factory server settings.

Enter the same host/port under NMEA over TCP in AnchorQueen.

Do not select binary N2K Actisense or ASCII raw-N2K format; AnchorQueen

expects converted NMEA 0183 sentences.

[Actisense W2K-2 manual](https://actisense.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/W2K-2-User-Manual-v1.00.pdf)

Yacht Devices YDWG-02

Factory access-point values:

SSID: YDWG

Host: 192.168.4.1

Transport: TCP

Server 1 port: 1456

Server format: NMEA 0183

Join the YDWG network, enter 192.168.4.1 and 1456 under NMEA over TCP,

and tap Apply & Connect. If its configuration was changed, open the device

web interface and copy the enabled NMEA server values instead.

Use NMEA 0183 conversion, not the RAW protocol. When the server offers a

transmit-only/read-only direction, use it for AnchorQueen.

[Yacht Devices YDWG-02 manual](https://www.yachtd.com/downloads/ydwg02.pdf)

The YDWN-02 NMEA 0183 gateway follows the same principle, but its endpoint is

configuration-dependent: copy the active NMEA server host, protocol, and port

from its web interface.

Digital Yacht WLN10, WLN30, and NavLink2

Common factory access-point values:

SSID pattern: DY-WiFi-xxxx

Host: 192.168.1.1

Port: 2000

Transport for this release: TCP

Join the Digital Yacht Wi-Fi, choose NMEA over TCP, enter

192.168.1.1:2000, and tap Apply & Connect. The gateway web interface is

also at http://192.168.1.1 and shows the configured network mode and incoming

NMEA data.

Digital Yacht also supports UDP, but use TCP with the current AnchorQueen

release: its UDP mode commonly broadcasts to port 2000, while AnchorQueen's

broadcast listener is still planned.

[Digital Yacht configuration guidance](https://digitalyacht.support/how-to-configure-apps-software/)

Generic NMEA TCP gateway

Use this when the device is not listed:

In the gateway manual, find NMEA 0183 over Wi-Fi, TCP server, or

navigation app connection.

Configure its output as NMEA 0183 ASCII, not raw NMEA 2000/CAN/binary.

Prefer a transmit-only/read-only TCP server.

Join its Wi-Fi and enter the stated host and port under NMEA over TCP.

Tap Apply & Connect and check Last Sentence.

The value 10110 is a common NMEA TCP port, but it is not universal. Always

use the gateway's actual setting.

Bluetooth pods

Marine Bluetooth devices do not share one GATT service. AnchorQueen therefore

uses a generic scan:

Choose NMEA over Bluetooth.

Tap Scan for Devices.

Tap the pod, then Apply & Connect.

Check whether Live Diagnostics changes.

A visible pod is not a compatibility guarantee. If it connects but no

sentences arrive, the pod probably uses a manufacturer-specific Bluetooth

service that AnchorQueen does not yet understand.

What “automatic” will mean

The planned equipment picker will:

discover Signal K and GoFree services advertised on the current network;

test documented factory endpoints for a selected manufacturer profile;

show exactly what the stream contains before saving it;

retain and show the original sensor/source for each value;

select duplicate sources per measurement using freshness and captain-set

priority instead of a whole-connection “last packet wins” rule;

remember the successful endpoint and reconnect automatically;

retain manual host/port entry for customized networks.

iOS will still ask permission before joining a Wi-Fi network. AnchorQueen

cannot silently move the device onto a nearby marine network.

Safety

AnchorQueen is read-only in these integrations; it does not control an

autopilot, radio, AIS transmitter, or chartplotter.

Confirm instrument values against the vessel's primary displays before using

them for decisions.

AIS is an aid to situational awareness, not a complete picture of traffic.

If an instrument position feed stops for 30 seconds, SafeAnchor falls back

to device GPS and shows an instrument-feed warning.

Keep built-in GPS available and the device charged while the anchor watch is

armed.

For connection symptoms, see

Troubleshooting → Instrument feed lost

and Gateway connects, but AIS vessels do not appear.