Anyone know a DSC VHF with built-in Navtex and AIS ?

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Boo2

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Hi,

Question as title : SH have had a DSC VHF radio with built in AIS for some time in their GX2100 and now the GX2150, but does anyone know of a VHF with AIS and Navtex ?

Thanks,

Boo2
 
hi,

I very much doubt it. Navtex signal frequency is much much lower than VHF signal frequency. Nav tex transmissions are on 490 and 510 KHZ. VHF is in the frequency band 156 to 174 MHZ - not the K - kilo and M Mega ...
Hence a VHF antenna is not designed for AIS signal reception and vice versa

So, the simple answer ... no
 
Icarus39 said:
hi,

I very much doubt it. Navtex signal frequency is much much lower than VHF signal frequency. Nav tex transmissions are on 490 and 510 KHZ. VHF is in the frequency band 156 to 174 MHZ - not the K - kilo and M Mega ...
Hence a VHF antenna is not designed for AIS signal reception and vice versa

So, the simple answer ... no
Click to expand...

The Silva-S15 had navtex through a separate antenna feed as an optional extra.

The latest sets are able to receive AIS via the VHF antenna and send a output AIS NMEA feed into the network, but I dont know of any that will display AIS, as the screen is too small.
 
The Nexus 2500 has a separate Navtex antenna (2600) which I guess defeats what Boo is trying to find. By the vast frequency difference you will never get a truly integrated system. Only VHF and AIS can be integrated in to one system with a common antenna by nature that they are in the same frequency band.

Personally I would buy a separate Navtex system. A combined VHF / AIS is ok so long as you have an NMEA AIS output to a plotter. Otherwise I cannot imagine a tiny VHF screen being of any use with AIS. Surely these type VHF's are only intended to provide you with the NMEA data and not display it ?

I recently bought a NASA AIS 3 engine and separate Metz antenna. I send NMEA AIS data to my Raymarine C90W plotter which works very well ! I also have a spare VHF antenna as I have an adaptor ready to change the BNC AIS antenna connector to my VHF. Nice to have :)
 
I just installed a GX2100 for the AIS feature. Functions well.

ICARUS39: I disagree with you. The GX 2100 has many range selections and is very useful. I even have it on the cockpit repeater and it does exactly as it says on the tin.

For the Navtex, i got a Furuno 300. Brilliant kit too.

Good luck finding one that does all 3 functions; I looked for a while and found ... nothing.

I would select exactly the same components if I had to buy again.

GL
 
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I had a silva s15 with navtex and a few times I left it on to receive the navtex and came back late from the pub to the DSC alarm sounding! There was no way to turn it off or even down. I ended up soldering a small switch in to the speaker wire.

I ended up with a standard horizon 3500 VHF and furuno navtex, both excellent bits of kit.

I can see the sense of VHf and AIS but I think I would keep the navtex separate, not that you asked that question.
 
Any given Navtex station only broadcasts in a few timeslots each day, so you really need to leave the receiver on 24/7 to catch them, at least while you're on board. Certainly if you want to check the forecast when you get up in the morning, you'll need to have left it on overnight. The VHF, on the other hand, most people turn off when not at sea (and some people some of the time even then). So it doesn't really make sense to combine them.

Pete
 
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