AIS Logger is a simple yet effective Windows software designed to receive AIS data from a source and forward it to various destinations. The software is configured as a Windows service that automatically starts in the background when Windows boots up.

Unfortunately, the software is already 15 years old and can only be operated in Windows Compatibility Mode. During testing under Windows 10, no negative effects were observed.

Developer	Erik Olsson
OS	Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10) Compatible Mode
Version	0015 (09.08.2009)
Costs	free
Categories	AIS Forwarder
Pro	Input support for TCP, UDP, and Serial Starts automatically as Windows Service
Contra	Runs only in compatible mode

During the test, using the compatible mode was not an issue. However, that might be different on another system, so be careful or decide to use another software.

Requirements

You can connect the receiver to your PC via USB or direct serial connection
You have identified the COM port assigned to the device on your computer
You have requested to share AIS data and have received the IP and port information
Your operating system is supported by this software

Configuration for Windows

Download the software for Windows here
Unzip the file into a separate folder and follow the guide

Right-click on the file "Setup.exe" and click on Properties
Open the "Compatibility" tab
Check the box for Compatibility Mode and set it to
"Windows XP (Service Pack 3)"
Confirm the settings with OK
Now run the file "Setup.exe" to install the software

Nothing else needs to be changed here,
and the installation should be started with clicking Next
Once the software is installed, you can close everything else

In the Start menu, you can find the Windows search
Search for "Services" and open this system application

Search the list for "AIS Logger"
Right-click to open Properties

In the "Log On" tab, check the box "Allow service to interact with desktop."
In the "General" tab, you can now start the service and then confirm the changes with OK

In the overview, you can now see that the service is enabled ("Running")

Now open the folder where the software was installed
In new Windows operating systems, you can find the files here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\DPSD\AisServiceSetup or
In older non-64bit systems, you can find the files here:
C:\Program Files\DPSD\AisServiceSetup
Open the file "aisclient.exe.config" with a text editor

This is the file to configure the source of the AIS data and where the data should be forwarded. The value in the marked line between <VALUE> and </VALUE> must be adjusted. The following points are important for this:

COMPORT - Here you specify which serial port the AIS receiver is connected to. The port is always entered in the same format, such as COM7, and only the number at the end needs to be adjusted.

UDPHOST1 - Enter the data you received to share your data, which is usually listener.marinetraffic.com.

UDPPORT1 - Enter the port assigned to you for your station. In the example, this is 12345.

Close the file and make sure to save the changes
Now everything is done, and you can check if the data is being received

Example file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <configSections>
        <sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
            <section name="aisclient.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
        </sectionGroup>
    </configSections>
    <applicationSettings>
        <aisclient.Properties.Settings>
            <setting name="tcphost1" serializeAs="String">
                <value />
            </setting>
            <setting name="tcpport1" serializeAs="String">
                <value>5323</value>
            </setting>
            <setting name="comport" serializeAs="String">
                <value>COM7</value>
            </setting>
            <setting name="baudrate" serializeAs="String">
                <value>38400</value>
            </setting>
            <setting name="tcphost2" serializeAs="String">
                <value />
            </setting>
            <setting name="tcpport2" serializeAs="String">
                <value>5323</value>
            </setting>
            <setting name="udphost1" serializeAs="String">
                <value>listener.marinetraffic.com</value>
            </setting>
            <setting name="udpport1" serializeAs="String">
                <value>12345</value>
            </setting>
            <setting name="udphost2" serializeAs="String">
                <value />
            </setting>
            <setting name="udpport2" serializeAs="String">
                <value>5322</value>
            </setting>
        </aisclient.Properties.Settings>
    </applicationSettings>
</configuration>

Next, access your station on MarineTraffic to verify if the data is being received. Please allow a few minutes for the statistics to reflect a successful reception.

If there are unexpected problems and you need to uninstall the software, run the file "Setup.exe" again. The software will then uninstall itself.

Links

What is the best Software for my needs

AIS Decoder

AIS Dispatcher

How can I share AIS data from my AIS Receiver/Transceiver?

Can I avoid using a computer with my serial-port AIS Receiver?