Cheap Chinese AIS Transponder

[AngusMcDoon]

I don't use this forum very much but I am not sure what is going on. It has been determined that the unit in question is CE marked. Why are people still arguing about importing non-compliant ones? Is there someone selling even cheaper AIS transceivers that are not CE marked? Are people just reading some of the posts and reacting to them with out reading the thread. I have heard it said that the internet is mainly for arguing with strangers but this seems to be taking it to extremes.

In summary then...

1) If you are doing a personal import of a device into the EU you should confirm that it is CE marked, but this device is, so end of that one.

2) Check that it is the Conformité Europeeane mark and not the Chinese Export one as this is a ruse that some Chinese manufacturers use to circumvent the regulations. It's easy to tell the two apart once you know the difference.

3) If you have any doubts that the CE mark is not genuine, do a cross check against the certificate number (I shall let you know how to do this when I find out), However, as the manufacturer is a major builder of electronic devices imported into the EU as you posted earlier, then I would say that you can assume that the mark represents genuine testing and so the buyer need do no more.

Did anyone mention VAT?

 

[Reptile Smile]

this is a ruse the Chinese use to circumvent the regulations. It's easy to tell the two apart once you know the difference.

When you identify the misbehaviour of a minority as a national characteristic, it's called xenophobia. I never particularly appreciated other nations describing the English as football hooligans. Have never been to a game in my life...

I don't doubt some Chinese companies perpetrate fraudulent acts. You need to come and visit my local market some time similar miscreants don't exist in every country in the world. But I object to you saying 'the Chinese do such and such'. Such prejudice has no place here, I think.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

When you identify the misbehaviour of a minority as a national characteristic, it's called xenophobia. I never particularly appreciated other nations describing the English as football hooligans. Have never been to a game in my life...

I don't doubt some Chinese companies perpetrate fraudulent acts. You need to come and visit my local market some time similar miscreants don't exist in every country in the world. But I object to you saying 'the Chinese do such and such'. Such prejudice has no place here, I think.

Ok, I have edited it to add 'some'. It's not prejudice, it's fact. The C in the fake CE logo stands for "Chinese". They (and I don't mean all 1.4 billion) invented it and no amount of political correctness can hide that. Oh, by the way, xenophobia is defined as "extreme dislike or fear of foreigners, their customs, or their religions". I do dislike industrial fraud which hurts EU companies because I work in electronics manufacturing and so it affects my livelihood. However, nothing I have posted has come anywhere near extreme, so feel free to withdraw your allegation.

 

[nigelmercier]

$401 US for a 12 volt AIS transponder...

Am I missing something? I don't understand this post at all.

 

[prv]

Are people just reading some of the posts and reacting to them with out reading the thread.

Usually, yes

I have heard it said that the internet is mainly for arguing with strangers but this seems to be taking it to extremes.

This isn't extreme...

Pete

 

[nigelmercier]

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.

Can you post it here, or PM me your email address if you can't.

 

[Bi111ion]

2) Check that it is the Conformité Europeeane mark and not the Chinese Export one as this is a ruse the some Chinese use to circumvent the regulations. It's easy to tell the two apart once you know the difference.

Yep I checked that, the one on the certificate is the EU CE Mark.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Yep I checked that, the one on the certificate is the EU CE Mark.

Here's the Chinese Export one on fruit flavoured condoms. I expect it's just a little problem though. (Wait for incoming from the easily offended)

 

[BruceDanforth]

We encountered some 'CE' marked 'residual current devices' from China recently that didn't have any internals except a couple of mechanically linked switches.

 

[Storyline]

It has been determined someone has screen printed 'CE' on it.

Eh ? when did that happen ?

The manufacturer in question also manufactures for Thrane & Thrane.

I also detect remarkable similarity to the derogatory sorts of things that were said about Taiwanese products until they became highly respected. Before the it was the Japanese that were accused of producing sub-standard goods.

It takes companies like this who are prepared to export directly to shake up the market and expose the excessive profits made by some suppliers.

I would have no hesitation using one.

 

[prv]

It has been determined someone has screen printed 'CE' on it.

Eh ? when did that happen ?

What he means is that someone has indeed put a CE logo on the case, but in his opinion it is likely to be fake (in that the approvals it represents don't actually exist).

As far as I can tell he doesn't actually have any basis whatsoever for this opinion, apart from general prejudice against Chinese industry.

Since I started reading this thread on an iPad manufactured in China, and am now replying on a Mac Mini also made in China, neither of which could fairly be described as poor-quality knockoff items, I find the prejudice rather silly.

The Chinese make a lot of cheap tacky ****, they also make a lot of good-quality stuff. This is because quite a large proportion of everything that is mass-produced in the world, is made by them. This is not a state of affairs I think we should be happy about from an economic and political point of view, but it is reality.

Pete

 

[BruceDanforth]

erm..no and I don't really think you can infer my opinion unless you have some telepathy skills so I'd be grateful if you refrain from telling other people what I mean.

As yet the OP has not posted a link to the certificate of conformance which, as a professor, he professes to have.

What he means is that someone has indeed put a CE logo on the case, but in his opinion it is likely to be fake (in that the approvals it represents don't actually exist).

As far as I can tell he doesn't actually have any basis whatsoever for this opinion, apart from general prejudice against Chinese industry.

Since I started reading this thread on an iPad manufactured in China, and am now replying on a Mac Mini also made in China, neither of which could fairly be described as poor-quality knockoff items, I find the prejudice rather silly.

The Chinese make a lot of cheap tacky ****, they also make a lot of good-quality stuff. This is because quite a large proportion of everything that is mass-produced in the world, is made by them. This is not a state of affairs I think we should be happy about from an economic and political point of view, but it is reality.

Pete

 

[BrianH]

My goodness, I am enjoying this, it is better than an anchor thread!

I posted earlier that I had met unreasonable prejudices in these forums against AIS; that it was a useless technology for yachties. Now that seems to have morphed into AIS transponders manufactured in China and exported directly, thus bypassing the middleman mark-up.

With regard to: "Did anyone mention VAT?" - when I recently bought my Taiwan-manufactured AIS transponder from a US-based supplier, the courier company imported the package through the Swiss customs and charged me the Mehrwertsteur (MwSt = VAT) accordingly - a standard procedure here that always occurs when I order from a non-Swiss supplier. I can only assume the same mechanism applies in the UK.

As someone has pointed out regarding the gradual acceptance of products from far-eastern manufacturers, I can only report that both my AIS products originating from Taiwan (not the same manufacturer) exhibit excellent construction and the first, bought eight years ago, has functioned continuously since without any faults within its specification. I expect no less from its successor.

 

[pvb]

Here's the Chinese Export one on fruit flavoured condoms. I expect it's just a little problem though. (Wait for incoming from the easily offended)

That's worrying! Do the instructions at the bottom really say "TURN KNOB BRISKLY TO RIGHT THEN TURN LEFT"???

 

[Rivers & creeks]

The unit has now dropped in price, $270 plus shipping, I dislike transponders but this thing is an excellent receiver, GPS and AIS plotter display. I had thought about getting a receiver to hook up to the Raymarine chart plotter but this unit gives some stand alone redundancy so that if the Raymarine plotter stopped working I can still see the AIS targets.

And Brucie D old chap, I cannot believe you are this childishly argumentative in 'real' life; it may feel like you're being well 'ard on this thread but you're coming accross as a little bit silly.

 

[Neeves]

And Brucie D old chap, I cannot believe you are this childishly argumentative in 'real' life; it may feel like you're being well 'ard on this thread but you're coming accross as a little bit silly.

LK, he's named after an anchor, well 2 actually. What did you expect?

Jonathan

Edit, PS, on Price - it took a little while for that price to become accepted?

Maybe try not to be sucked into expensive couriers - China Post is pretty good, its also cheap. They have an excellent tracking system. Anyone looking to buy should preface their discussions with having the supplier provide detail of China Post - as this will keep costs down - but will not diminish your VAT by much

 

[JumbleDuck]

You've been told about the conformance regime for bringing goods into the EU ad-nauseum by people more eloquent than me and I've lost the will to argue with your straw men.

You sound cross. I know about the conformance regime. It's a very sensible idea. However, the EU is not the only organisation to have sensible conformance testing, so as long as appropriate testing has happened somewhere, I would not be too worried.

Perhaps some of the people warning us that Chinese AIS sets will sendd out erroneous messages and render half the VHF spectrum useless could let us know how often this happens in Chinese waters, or how often it happens when Chinese ships enter EU waters.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I just work in electronic manufacturing. Not 'well lard' at all. I'm bowing out. It's your boat. Put cheap **** on it.

The unit has now dropped in price, $270 plus shipping, I dislike transponders but this thing is an excellent receiver, GPS and AIS plotter display. I had thought about getting a receiver to hook up to the Raymarine chart plotter but this unit gives some stand alone redundancy so that if the Raymarine plotter stopped working I can still see the AIS targets.

And Brucie D old chap, I cannot believe you are this childishly argumentative in 'real' life; it may feel like you're being well 'ard on this thread but you're coming accross as a little bit silly.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Perhaps some of the people warning us that Chinese AIS sets will send out erroneous messages and render half the VHF spectrum useless could let us know how often this happens in Chinese waters, or how often it happens when Chinese ships enter EU waters.

As you are obviously referring to me, I'll reply. I did not say than any Chinese transponder will send out erroneous messages. That is just your inferring a meaning that I neither said nor intended to mean. I said that an untested one could if it was made with substandard components, and gave a good example of how that could happen. As the OP confirmed that the device under question is CE marked (and almost certainly FCC as well) many posts back, it appears that there is no AIS transponder made that is not appropriately tested, so that's why they operate as they should - i.e conformance testing working to keep the airwaves in order.

We both agree that conformance testing is essential for a transmitting device. I accept that the device in question is tested and conformant. I also accept that FCC testing is equally as good, although the reason why I discussed CE is because that is the regime operating where the OP is importing the device into, so I don't see the need to discuss FCC. So as far as I can see we have no disagreement.

 

[JumbleDuck]

We both agree that conformance testing is essential for a transmitting device. I accept that the device in question is tested and conformant. I also accept that FCC testing is equally as good, although the reason why I discussed CE is because that is the regime operating where the OP is importing the device into, so I don't see the need to discuss FCC. So as far as I can see we have no disagreement.

I agree that we agree! And I didn't particularly have you in mind over the notion of possible interference.