AIS Transponder- Matsutec hp33A or hp528A ??

Internal wiring diagram for the HP528a

I've just purchased a new HP528a AIS and it has arrived without the VHF socket (long story short I can send it back, but was looking to see if I could fix it myself).

Does anyone have a picture of the boards inside the HP528a so I can take a look at the VHF wires into the board please? Here is the picture of the board without the VHF connection
HP528a.jpg
 
cotwj1 said:
I've just purchased a new HP528a AIS and it has arrived without the VHF socket (long story short I can send it back, but was looking to see if I could fix it myself).
Click to expand...

If you start fiddling with it you'll probably negate any warranty, so why not just send it back?

PS Welcome to the forums!
 
Like so many others, I read everything I could find on the Matsutec kit as well as other similar offerings. For information, I opted in the end for the Onwa KP39A from http://avesmarine.com/
For £475 this model provides a 7" screen, Class B transponder facility and includes Onwa's K charts [about to release the worldwide chart pack] free as part of the deal.
I can only speak as I find [I have no connection with the company], and like andsarkit's earlier posting, the quality of the kit together with a two year warranty and in my experience, the best possible before and after UK based sales service, by phone and e mail, I am more than happy with my choice. [Alan set up my vessel and other details and inserted the chart card as part of the service so genuinely plug and play]. An initial trial from the marina showed a great chart system [including all nav buoys flashing if you choose that option] and operational AIS. Imho, the two year warranty and UK based helpful and friendly service on its own is worth the extra over the Matsutec kit.
 
I just bought the ONWA KP39A. Its a nice plotter with lots of facilities only the K-Charts ......Uk only half, same with the Netherlands, Baltic is lousy....therefor I need to buy the expensive C-Map. I will only use it as a GPS and AIS transponder. On AIS it does support SOTDMA and CSTDMA. Most fishing vessel in the Baltic are using Class B Transponders with SOTDMA. SOTDMA does not transmit call sign only MMSI Number. CSTDMA ist used by the yachts and transmits the call sign. Its nice to have both modes.
Wonder which C-Maps can be used?
I use at the moment Navionics on an Android tablet. In my sailing area in Poland we had at least 4 map upgrades last year where I sail., if I compare C-Map ( Map available on CMap web side), Cmap looks bad compared with my Navionics charts. The depth info´s are wrong next to my port on Cmap, they show 4 meters and its max 2 meters there, and all the buoys are missing .......in other areas where it is really shallow they show 2 meters....perhaps its only the chart on the web side of C-Map...I will wait with the purchase...
 
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I bought an HP33a via Amazon UK and "GCC-UK", had a couple of email exchanges with them once it arrived. Replies came from China and got lost in translation a little BUT I am very pleased overall. Solidly built with nice (little) screen, firm rubberised buttons and easily install with my boat data soon showing on Marine Traffic AIS. Also bought a new chart plotter Garmin Echomap Plus 75sv (Garmin g3 bluecharts combining Navionics data look good) which I may try and link to the Matsutec at some point. I also needed to talk to Garmin Tech Support about g3 chart updates and the difference between them and Matsutec was chalk and cheese perhaps understandably.

I did ask GCC about the differences between the HP33a and HP528a and was told they were identical other then the rubberised buttons are now vertically aligned to the right of the screen on the newer HP528a rather than below the screen on the HP33a which was apparently what customers wanted? All screen data looks identical and the only other visual difference I can see is at the back where there are 3 ports on the HP33a and 4 on the HP528A with the data cable and power cable now separate on the latter but combined on the former.
 
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Manannan said:
I bought an HP33a via Amazon UK and "GCC-UK", had a couple of email exchanges with them once it arrived. Replies came from China and got lost in translation a little BUT I am very pleased overall. Solidly built with nice (little) screen, firm rubberised buttons and easily install with my boat data soon showing on Marine Traffic AIS. Also bought a new chart plotter Garmin Echomap Plus 75sv (Garmin g3 bluecharts combining Navionics data look good) which I may try and link to the Matsutec at some point. I also needed to talk to Garmin Tech Support about g3 chart updates and the difference between them and Matsutec was chalk and cheese perhaps understandably.

I did ask GCC about the differences between the HP33a and HP528a and was told they were identical other then the rubberised buttons are now vertically aligned to the right of the screen on the newer HP528a rather than below the screen on the HP33a which was apparently what customers wanted? All screen data looks identical and the only other visual difference I can see is at the back where there are 3 ports on the HP33a and 4 on the HP528A with the data cable and power cable now separate on the latter but combined on the former.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback and good to know that there is practically no difference between HP33A and HP528A
 
I'm very tempted by the KP39A, seems amazing value for money to me. My only concern is that the cable sockets at the back seem to look not very waterproof to me. If you scroll down on this page: http://avesmarine.com , you'll see what I mean. For this reason I would be interested to hear from people who have purchased this model (or similar) if they would trust one of these plotters mounted in the cockpit and getting a good soaking or are they more suitable for mounting below decks?
 
The connectors on the Matsutec HP33a look very similar and to my mind are one of the negatives on the Chinese imports, I personally would’nt want them exposed in a cockpit or on a RIB. The Onwa and Matsutec units do have a slightly reduced IP rating of IP56 for the HP33a and IPX5 for the KP39a as oppossed to IPX7 for Lowrance and Garmin chartplotters although in most instances perhaps that is of little significance. However the connecting plugs on my Lowrance and Garmin units appear much more robust and much less likely to be affected by sea water.
 
The connectors on my HP-1228A and prior HP-628A are the plastic bayonet style with O rings within. They look very water tight to me, and I have had no issues with them at all in a flybridge location, although that said they have not yet had a good soaking by seawater, but have had plenty of rain and the plotter lives under a tonneau in the normal damp marine environment.
 
Manannan said:
The connectors on the Matsutec HP33a look very similar and to my mind are one of the negatives on the Chinese imports, I personally would’nt want them exposed in a cockpit or on a RIB.
Click to expand...

Apart from the two aerial connectors, everything on the HP33A is handled by a 10-pin aviation socket. While the socket itself looks pretty waterproof, and good be made more so with some suitable grease, the plug itself is not sealed. If I was using mine outside I would want to pack the plug with something very waterproof.
 
pvb said:
If you start fiddling with it you'll probably negate any warranty, so why not just send it back?

The story is I purchased from ebay and I've been trying to send it back but the seller won't accept it. Just today ebay stepped in and refunded me the money. Which is great news and they say I get to keep the AIS. It would be great to know - purely from a curiosity point of view - how a VHF wire connects internally within the AIS system - Matsutec HP528A 4.3" Color LCD Class B AIS Transponder Combo High Marine GPS

PS Welcome to the forums!
Click to expand...
 
The KP39A uses this plug for all the connections: https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/...&ddkey=https:en-CPC/CPC_United_Kingdom/search
This probably explains the lower IP rating as it is not really suitable for exposed mounting in the cockpit. This is not a problem for me as I have mounted it by the chart table although I am planning a temporary mounting under the sprayhood for occasional use. It is rather a shame as the rest of the unit looks very robust and well sealed.
 
Sure there will be those who have bought direct from China without issue, to me Amazon was safer for that additional protection but on the face of it the Matsutec HP33a is very much fit for my purpose notwithstanding I did a load of research before buying! A relatively simple / cheap connector upgrade and improved product support would pay dividends but units such as these represent very good value for money despite some limitations.
 
cotwj1 said:
The story is I purchased from ebay and I've been trying to send it back but the seller won't accept it. Just today ebay stepped in and refunded me the money. Which is great news and they say I get to keep the AIS. It would be great to know - purely from a curiosity point of view - how a VHF wire connects internally within the AIS system - Matsutec HP528A 4.3" Color LCD Class B AIS Transponder Combo High Marine GPS
Click to expand...

Good result! So what are you planning to buy next?
 
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