AIS Transponder and Vulcan 7 plotter

[UK-WOOZY]

Hi, I would like to get an AIS transponder. Will the below talk with my Vulcan 7 which i got about a year and a half ago? Dont have to get an NMEA network do i ?

Smartfind M10 AIS Class B Transponder

thanks in advance

 

[ctva]

I would think so as it has a NMEA2k interface.

I plugged an old NMEA0183 AIS unit through a converter to 2k and it worked ‘out the box’ with my Vulcan 7 on a full 2k network. You’ll just need the cables to connect it creating a mini network.

 

[pvb]

Hi, I would like to get an AIS transponder. Will the below talk with my Vulcan 7 which i got about a year and a half ago? Dont have to get an NMEA network do i ?

Smartfind M10 AIS Class B Transponder

thanks in advance

Yes it will, but the em-trak B100 will do the same job for £140 less...

EM-TRAK B100 AIS Class B Includeing GPS Antenna

It also has a 3-year warranty. The Smartfind only has 1 year, I think.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Hi, I would like to get an AIS transponder. Will the below talk with my Vulcan 7 which i got about a year and a half ago? Dont have to get an NMEA network do i ?

Smartfind M10 AIS Class B Transponder

thanks in advance

Yes, you'll need to construct a N2K network. You only need three tees, two drop cables, a power cable and a pair of terminators. There are some starter kits around, but be aware that they most likely don't include everything you need.

The AIS you linked to is pricey. The Emtrak B100 is far better value, you will also need a 2nd VHF antenna or a splitter. I've been supplying the Em-trak B100 with their splitter (sailor pack) for less that the price of the one you linked too.

 

[UK-WOOZY]

thanks all for the replies

what about this one with built in antenna and free external

Digital Yacht AIT1500 Class B AIS Transponder With Int GPS Ant (NMEA 2000) (AIT1500N2K)

PaulRainbow: how much would you sell all that is needed for the Emtrak and splitter etc?

 

[vyv_cox]

thanks all for the replies

what about this one with built in antenna and free external

Digital Yacht AIT1500 Class B AIS Transponder With Int GPS Ant (NMEA 2000) (AIT1500N2K)

I have that transponder, although with a Zeus2 plotter. Works fine straight out of the box, although I already had the NMEA2000 network.

 

[UK-WOOZY]

I have that transponder, although with a Zeus2 plotter. Works fine straight out of the box, although I already had the NMEA2000 network.

so an NMEA network is essential? i cannot just connect an NMEA cable direct from the transponder to the Vulcan?

an nmea starter kit is another £80+ on top of the AIS :/

Simrad NMEA 2000 Starter Kit: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

 

[PaulRainbow]

thanks all for the replies

what about this one with built in antenna and free external

Digital Yacht AIT1500 Class B AIS Transponder With Int GPS Ant (NMEA 2000) (AIT1500N2K)

PaulRainbow: how much would you sell all that is needed for the Emtrak and splitter etc?

Nothing wrong with Digital Yacht products, you do need to be mindful that this model has a built in GPS, there is no option to fit a remote/external antenna if you have a problem with the unit picking up GPS.

The Em-trak B100 with splitter is £495 delivered.

Regarding you last post about the need for a N2K network, i already answered that in post #4, you cannot just connect the two units together.

 

[UK-WOOZY]

Nothing wrong with Digital Yacht products, you do need to be mindful that this model has a built in GPS, there is no option to fit a remote/external antenna if you have a problem with the unit picking up GPS.

The Em-trak B100 with splitter is £495 delivered.

Regarding you last post about the need for a N2K network, i already answered that in post #4, you cannot just connect the two units together.

ok. How much would the Em-Trak B100, Splitter and network kit be together?

Nothing wrong with Digital Yacht products, you do need to be mindful that this model has a built in GPS, there is no option to fit a remote/external antenna if you have a problem with the unit picking up GPS.

but they have an external antenna for it too.. confused!

 

[PaulRainbow]

ok. How much would the Em-Trak B100, Splitter and network kit be together?

PM sent

but they have an external antenna for it too.. confused!

An AIS transponder needs to receive GPS data and to send/receive over VHF.

The GPS antenna can be internal or external, some units have the facility for both. A unit with an external antenna can have its antenna mounted below decks, this often works fine, if it doesn't you simply fit the antenna externally. If the unit only has the facility for an internal antenna, as with the AIS1500, and it won't get a satisfactory GPS reception, it simply won't work correctly. A decent GPS will usually work below decks on most small boats, but no guarantee.

You also need to fit a VHF antenna or a splitter for VHF transmit/receive.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I did mention the N2K components needed for the OPs particular installation and cautioned the the starter kists don't usually have everything you need. Much depends on the kits you buy, as they all vary and the equipment you intend to fit. I listed the parts you need in post #4, compare that to the various kits and add any parts that are not included in the kit.

 

[vyv_cox]

Apologies, mine is the AIS2000, not the 1500.

 

[wawando]

thanks all for the replies

what about this one with built in antenna and free external

Digital Yacht AIT1500 Class B AIS Transponder With Int GPS Ant (NMEA 2000) (AIT1500N2K)

PaulRainbow: how much would you sell all that is needed for the Emtrak and splitter etc?

Hi i just installed the emtrak b100 and s100 splitter and perfect it was just plug and play to seatalkng and all appeared in the c90w (with paulrainbow help to understand that seatalk ng network needed power) For now i even have left the gps antenna inside the panel (pointing up) and works like a charm!

 

[UK-WOOZY]

installed the Em-trak sailer pack over the weekend. Not setup the transmitting side yet as ran out of time, but was receiving AIS and showing other vessels on my Vulcan plotter as sook as the EM-Trak was switched on. thank you
(i still think the nmea bacbone is a rip off when there isnt much to it)

Also to clarify, we provided power to the splitter, AIS AND backbone. didnt find the instructions very clear.

I have a new standard horizon VHF which has nmea 0183, would i need a converter to connect it to 2000?

 

[pvb]

I have a new standard horizon VHF which has nmea 0183, would i need a converter to connect it to 2000?

You might find that you can use the B100's NMEA0183 connectivity, so a call to them would be a good first move. The B100 has a low speed NMEA0183 port which can be used to multiplex data to the high-speed NMEA0183 port. I'd assume (but you need to ask em-trak) that this data would also appear on the NMEA2000 network. Depending on what you want to achieve, this could be the cheapest solution.

The B100 doesn't however transmit GPS or AIS data on the low-speed port as standard, although it may be possible to configure it to do that (again, a question for em-trak).

 

[UK-WOOZY]

ok, thank you. want to use the call vessel option when i tap on them

 

[pvb]

ok, thank you. want to use the call vessel option when i tap on them

I'm guessing you have a GX2000E? And you want AIS data into the VHF so you can call a vessel by finding it on the VHF's screen?

 

[UK-WOOZY]

I'm guessing you have a GX2000E? And you want AIS data into the VHF so you can call a vessel by finding it on the VHF's screen?

its a S.H GX1400GPS/E

 

[pvb]

its a S.H GX1400GPS/E

OK, so when you said you "want to use the call vessel option when i tap on them", I guess you meant when you tap on the Vulcan's screen. If so, it won't work, as the Vulcan only supports that function if the radio has NMEA2000 DSC messaging, which yours doesn't.

 

[UK-WOOZY]

OK, so when you said you "want to use the call vessel option when i tap on them", I guess you meant when you tap on the Vulcan's screen. If so, it won't work, as the Vulcan only supports that function if the radio has NMEA2000 DSC messaging, which yours doesn't.

oh, ok. oh well.

thanks for correcting me. What is the NMEA option for on my VHF then :s

I also have a Lowrance Hds 5 Gen1 on the chart table for backup, i think that has NMEA 2000 so could connect that too