tophatyachts.com

Hi,

Anyone got AIS, or looked into it?

This Standard Horizon GX2100 looks interesting http://www.standardhorizon.com/indexVS. ... rodID=1560 , the gx2100 is now discontinued & on special from some US stores.

cheers
shaun

You don't need it for coastal sailing especially if day sailing only.
Very rearly seen on cruising yachts.

Phillip

Hi All,

Well since my last post on this subject back in 2011 I have changed my ideas and am now the proud owner of an AIS unit.

BUT!

I am having trouble deciding how to set the thing up.

Option One:
Get a splitter for the UHF radio, extra cost $230.

Option Two:
Get a separate antenna, but as there are no fittings for attaching it to a rail has to go on a flat plate/deck.
cost $70+ cost of SS fixing plate and fixing.

So what have those who have AIS done and how has it panned out.
There is talk that radio broadcast power is lost with a splitter. Is this true in practise?

I am a huge fan of ais And believe one day it will be required on all offshore vessels
I can see when a ship is coming out of a river before I attempt to cross, and around Newcastle and Mackay where there are about 50 ships at anchor it's easy to see which ones moving. Just last week a French boat was hit off Mackay after sailing half way around the world. Singlehanded sailors need all the help they can get keeping watch. Mate I could rave on about this for a while.

As for set up at first I used a splitter as it only turns off the VHF for a second every twenty seconds or so, and that shouldn't effect anything. Splitters were supplied with the units before 2012. Also 2 anntena up the mast should be 1200mm apart or something. So I went the splitter. After the Tassie trip I wAs experiencing problems with the alarm going off all the time with the target being me some 50m astern. The problem was the shore based ais that send the signals up to the Internet were sending my signal back to me. I had this fixed with a patch from the dealer. What I'm saying here is if you're thinking of an Internet purchase as I was with that radio one you'd better be able to get service in Aust. I went for the raymarine In the end and got the sender/receiver unit so I show up on the ships screens.
but I digress
As it turned out I wasn't receiving VHF calls from some boats and had to have messages relayed to me. Sometimes closer boats couldn't be heard And boats further away could although they could hear me. I took off the splitter and put a VHF antenna on the stern rail and let the ais remain on the mast. Problem solved and it works a treat now.

On the down side with all this techno gear when it doesn't work it causes me to panic and it takes a while for the fact that I still have a compass and chart and know where I am.

Thanks Rob,

That's a lot of food for thought, many thanks.

I should have said that I only have the reciever as I considered there is not enough
traffic in Aus to justify a B Class AIS [not like it's the English Channel!]

From what you have said I think I will have to go the way of a dedicated antenna, cut to the correct lenght.
I think most of the power problems come from the incorrect antenna lenght for the AIS when we use our VHF antenna.

Back to the drawing board.

I have just had my GME Chartplotter fitted and was considering also getting a GME AIS Receiver attached at the same time. In the end I deferred this until a later date. My elelctrician advised me to not use a splitter as the VHF is too important to muck around with and recommended the use of a separate antenna, fixed to the rail near my 2 solar panels, set above the stern.
I originally believed that if I was to hook this up to the chartplotter I would need to use a NMEA 2000 connection, but according to the Instruction Manual of the Chartplotter, this is not necessary.
Hope this helps
Kevin
Wayward Lady (Mk111)
Williamstown, Vic

Thanks All,

Have ordered the separate AIS antenna today as I have worked out a way of fitting it to my solar panel supports.

Will post a photo of the completed job next month as the antenna will not get here until late next week.

Thanks all for the input.

Hi Phillip, what AIS unit did you get and was the price reasonable? the price of radars etc. is a lot better these days. Seems like you have been doing heaps to your boat. There is another Mark 1 in Mooloolaba in good nick but different set up for the outboard with the stern folding down. I need to have a better look at it. Cheers

Peter,

I got the GME AIS R120 for $189 at the Sydney Boat Show plus an extra $80 for the antenna and base, $269 all up.

See more about Seaka in "What I did today"