AIS reception antenna?

[pagoda]

We used a Metz Manta on the aft rail on a previous boat. Worked well.
However new boat signal reception is not so good. No space for more wires up the mast so another pushpit mount is likely.

Anybody using AIS specific antennas or just generic VHF units?

 

[Plum]

We used a Metz Manta on the aft rail on a previous boat. Worked well.
However new boat signal reception is not so good. No space for more wires up the mast so another pushpit mount is likely.

Anybody using AIS specific antennas or just generic VHF units?

I have a 6 inch rubber vhf aerial from an old handheld vhf about 1.2m above the water and i get 8+ mile range for ships. I also have a home made aerial of a length that is supposed to be correct for AIS and that is 2m above water and i get 8+ miles range on that. Ship aerials are always high enough for your aerial not to need much height.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Champagne Murphy]

I use one of these,
https://seamarknunn.com/acatalog/Sh...Stub-Antenna-HA156C-AIS-SM818_HA156C_AIS.html

Does the job

 

[LadyInBed]

I use a standard (old) VHF whip and can pick up ships at 50nM, but the whip is mounted on top of my mizzen

 

[RichardS]

We used a Metz Manta on the aft rail on a previous boat. Worked well.
However new boat signal reception is not so good. No space for more wires up the mast so another pushpit mount is likely.

Anybody using AIS specific antennas or just generic VHF units?

If you want max reception distance then a splitter is the way to go.

Richard

 

[One A.]

No complaints about mine http://shakespeare-ce.com/marine/product/5250-skinny-mini-vhf-ais-antenna/

 

[Salty John]

If you use a VHF antenna make sure it has the bandwidth to give good performance up to 163 MHz. Some antennas give a range only up to 160, 161 or 162 MHz.
Many AIS antennas are standard VHF antennas with two inches lopped off the whip which moves the tuning point up from mid-range to 162 MHz. This is fine but you may get reduced performance down at the lower end of the frequency range should you wish to use the antenna as back up for radio.
For use with a splitter or if you ever intend to use it for radio as well as AIS, I'd recommend a good full range VHF antenna.

 

[lw395]

Height is good, not so much for maximum range out on the open ocean, but for seeing around headlands, islands, bends in the river.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

I have a splitter AND a stubby on the push pit. TBH I can’t see much difference between the two in reception. Both are perfectly adequate in terms of forewarning.

 

[[70521]]

We used a Metz Manta on the aft rail on a previous boat. Worked well.
However new boat signal reception is not so good. No space for more wires up the mast so another pushpit mount is likely.

Anybody using AIS specific antennas or just generic VHF units?

If you use a VHF antenna make sure it has the bandwidth to give good performance up to 163 MHz. Some antennas give a range only up to 160, 161 or 162 MHz.
Many AIS antennas are standard VHF antennas with two inches lopped off the whip which moves the tuning point up from mid-range to 162 MHz. This is fine but you may get reduced performance down at the lower end of the frequency range should you wish to use the antenna as back up for radio.
For use with a splitter or if you ever intend to use it for radio as well as AIS, I'd recommend a good full range VHF antenna.

Following advice from John I have a Metz VHF antenna up the mast and a splitter. Reception and transmission on both systems is fantastic. I can "see" ships at 30 NM and hear Jersey CG transmitting their Marine Safety Announcement from the Exe! All this on an antenna that is c15m above sea level.

 

[GHA]

Anyone tried making a collinear antenna?

http://arundale.com/docs/ais/aerial.html

 

[lw395]

Anyone tried making a collinear antenna?

http://arundale.com/docs/ais/aerial.html

High gain aerials are a poor choice for sailing boats, as the gain comes at the price of directionality. Once you heel the boat, the aerial isn't looking at the horizon.

 

[mogmog2]

If you want max reception distance then a splitter is the way to go.

Richard

Not disagreeing, but why?
Does the splitter have an amplifier in?
Thanks

 

[RichardS]

Not disagreeing, but why?
Does the splitter have an amplifier in?
Thanks

My splitter does amplify the signal but that's not the reason. The reason is purely height. If you have two masts you could have the VHF antenna on one and the AIS antenna on the other but, for those of us with one mast, there can only be one antenna up there so the splitter gives maximum range to both.

A mast head antenna should give from 2x to 5x the range compared to the pushpit.

Richard

 

[mogmog2]

My splitter does amplify the signal but that's not the reason. The reason is purely height. If you have two masts you could have the VHF antenna on one and the AIS antenna on the other but, for those of us with one mast, there can only be one antenna up there so the splitter gives maximum range to both.

A mast head antenna should give from 2x to 5x the range compared to the pushpit.

Richard

Richard,
Doh! Obv.
Thanks
Jonathan