Rigger Mortice
N/A
It's not so long ago that we had a certain anchor manufacturer claiming to have all the certificates for his anchor when they didn't exist. Does New Zealand count as the Far East?
Cheap Chinese AIS Transponder
- Thread starter Bi111ion
- Start date
Bi111ion
Well-Known Member
I have a Baofeng UV-5R like that and they are very popular in the Ham radio club of which I am a member. The antenna it is supplied with is rubbish but the transceiver is excellent value. It would be illegal to transmit on PMR channels or on Marine VHF band, but of course it is legal in the ham 2m and 70cm bands. Also it is legal to transmit on any available means if in distress at sea so mine has marine channels programmed in for this purpose. Interestingly it can also pick up the transmission on 406MHz when you test your EPRIB. Actually I think these units are potentially dangerous in unlicensed hands as they could disrupt communications and distress messages. Most ham radios can be fairly easily modified to transmit on just about anything, but the need to look at the circuit board and snip some diodes would deter the casual user.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Would a visiting Chinese vessel be allowed to use one?
Rivers & creeks
Well-Known Member
Exactly, it's a worldwide standard so no matter where they are made, the vessels' using the unit should be transmitting with a common protocol.
Alpha22
Well-Known Member
Do you need a licence for an AIT Transponder??
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
No, it doesn't, but it's a pretty good defense if you are harassed by Ofcom. The guilty party is the seller or importer, not you.
Rigger Mortice
N/A
If you had an AIS setup that was causing problems I suspect that the Coastguard, or other boats, would let you know long before OFCOM would get involved.
Bi111ion
Well-Known Member
You need a ship radio license from Ofcom if it is a UK flagged boat. You just go in to the Ofcom web site and update your license and it is free. Of course you need this to get an MMSI for your transponder anyway. Except MOB transponders, they come with an MMSI already.
By the way the terms of the license say:
Radio equipment1 intended for use on board United Kingdom licensed vessels shall;
(a) comply with the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment Regulations 1999); or
(b) comply with the applicable UK Radio Interface Requirements (published by Ofcom); or
(c) have been previously type approved in accordance with Section 84 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 and with the provision that the equipment has been placed on the market before 8 April 2001. (After 7 April 2000 type approval certificates are not applicable); or
(d) have been previously type approved in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1735 (M+F) published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
So the license conditions can be met in a number of ways. That does not mean that there may not also be other legislation you have to comply with.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
who will know & does that really matter
prv
Well-Known Member
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
It matters because if it is a crock of sheet and starts transmitting random stuff at random frequencies it could cause interference over 2000 square miles of sea. Use whatever dodgy Chinese illegal import receiver or outboard engine you want, but in my opinion, if you are transmitting, spend another £200 and get the right stuff for everyone's sake and not just your wallet.
Last edited:
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Well ok apart from that
superheat6k
Well-Known Member
I will need to what if any selectivity there is on both the RO4800 and Garmin 750. I can mark targets of interest on the Garmin, but the issue is first picking those out from the cheese clutter all over the plotter screen.
May be a while before I get a chance to play in earnest due to the awful weather.
prv
Well-Known Member
It was something of a leading question, because the sad reality is that the filtering on most current plotters is ****.
My point is that proposals to ask (or force) small boats to stop transmitting in busy areas are addressing the wrong end of the problem. What people should be doing is demanding better filtering from the display manufacturers. Keep the data available, but use and display it more intelligently, that's the proper engineering solution.
(For the record, I have a Vesper Watchmate that does a reasonable job of filtering, and I have no transmitter and don't intend fitting one any time soon.)
Pete
GHA
Well-Known Member
prv
Well-Known Member
Or don't sail in the solent
Really not much of a problem anywhere else.
Indeed
Or do as I do, and leave your AIS display turned off in the Solent. In the good conditions when it gets crowded, AIS doesn't provide any benefit anyway.
Pete
Neeves
Well-Known Member
I'm not getting into the rights and wrongs of the debate, and have not read the last series of posts. I was intrigued by the price, especially as China Post is cheap, very effective, items can be tracked and there is no duty nor VAT on such items here in Oz. I contacted the supplier in China direct. He quotes US$270 ex Shenzhen. I'm pretty sure that with a bit of negotiation this price could be shaved. I'm also sure that with persuasion they will find the cheapest way to get a unit to you.
I'm actually not that keen on AIS - larger commercial vessels are few and far between here, they show up on radar and by eyesight and fog is notable by its absence. I see its value but not at the prices the majors wanted, at $270 its no more than birthday lunch, or two.
We have bought a number of items direct from China. My 2t load cell for one, a chain winch (both for anchor testing) a USB microscope (chain testing) etc - they are all cheap, accurate and reliable. We did look at a chart plotter/GPS but it only had Chinese charts loaded (buyer beware!).
But I would not want to get further involved on the thread. I just thought I might provoke another avenue
On a vaguely similar vein - Many of us consider SSB to be both useful and a safety device. It now seems that the costs of, maintaining, compliance are so large that at least one if not the only major manufacturer has moved out of the market denying legal use of, new units, the device in the EU. There are alternatives (but not quite the same). The story seems to highlight a contradiction. Bureaucracy gone mad, or certainly losing focus, seems one comment. To deny, legal, access to SSB for anyone crossing wide open water - Bay of Biscay (or Atlantic) seems daft.
Jonathan
Bi111ion
Well-Known Member
I just got an email from Huayang Tech confirming the HP-33A (and HP-33 and HP-33N) has EU CE type approval. They attached the certificate of conformity.
GHA
Well-Known Member
BrianH
Well-Known Member
The first whiff of anti-AIS so far, mild enough I am pleased to see. A year or two ago the Luddites would would have been out in force with their rants against the technology and how the Mk I eyeball was superior in every way, whenever I mentioned how useful I found knowing name and CPA of a rapidly closing threat. It was the only time ever that I put someone on 'Ignore' after a personal attack for expressing such a view.
I'm surprised at some of the vehemence shown against the OP's acquisition, which, in my view should have been welcomed as a sign of the times, viz. a potentially affordable safety aid. Yes, AID, we all know the limitations ... it's just another possible assistance that could save lives, used intelligently in combination with our basic seamanship.
