Does my Matsutec AIS Transponder need its own GPS aerial?

[fredrussell]

…or would the chartplotter its connected to normally provide that info?

I’ve taken a punt on one of these budget transponders (web reviews favourable). It has a co-ax socket on rear marked “GPS antenna” and its own internal gps. As my (Garmin) plotter has its own GPS and internal aerial, I would have thought it will provide GPS coordinates to transponder via NMEA 0183. Is this correct?

As luck would have it there is an obsolete fm aerial mounted on pushpit so I’m hoping to use that coax to link gps aerial (if required) to transponder at chart table, and thus avoid running a new cable through boat.

 

[Bobc]

I have the same AIS unit. It actually works very well.

You need to have an external GPS antenna for the AIS (mine is mounted on the pushpit). Then you need to switch off the internal GPS in the chartplotter so they don't conflict.

One of the cheap GPS antennas from ebay will work fine.

 

[PaulRainbow]

It is a requirement that AIS transponders have their own, dedicated, GPS.

 

[Daydream believer]

You need to have an external GPS antenna for the AIS (mine is mounted on the pushpit). Then you need to switch off the internal GPS in the chartplotter so they don't conflict.
One of the cheap GPS antennas from ebay will work fine.

So how would the chart plotter know where it was if one turned off its GPS?
My pushpit mast ( made from half an extending sailboard boom ) has an aerial selected for AIS transmissions

 

[PaulRainbow]

I have the same AIS unit. It actually works very well.

You need to have an external GPS antenna for the AIS (mine is mounted on the pushpit). Then you need to switch off the internal GPS in the chartplotter so they don't conflict.

One of the cheap GPS antennas from ebay will work fine.

I have never had to switch the plotter GPS off when an AIS is fitted.

 

[PaulRainbow]

So how would the chart plotter know where it was if one turned off its GPS?
My pushpit mast ( made from half an extending sailboard boom ) has an aerial selected for AIS transmissions

The plotter can get GPS from external sources by NMEA, but there should be no need to disable the plotter GPS, in my experience.

 

[Moodysailor]

Echoing above, my experience when installing Raymarine Axiom and AIS was that we could not disable the internal GPS, but we could tell the MFD what GPS source to us as default (priority).

We opted to use the AIS GPS source as default for all instruments onboard, but the internal one was always there as a backup in case AIS was off for any reason.

 

[Daydream believer]

deleted dual post for some reason!!

 

[Daydream believer]

Echoing above, my experience when installing Raymarine Axiom and AIS was that we could not disable the internal GPS, but we could tell the MFD what GPS source to us as default (priority).

We opted to use the AIS GPS source as default for all instruments onboard, but the internal one was always there as a backup in case AIS was off for any reason.

That goes against most posts that I have seen in the past on t& post #3 above , that the AIS transmitter needs its own dedicated GPS. I know that instructions for my one confirms that. Are you sure that you did successfully disable the internal chart plotter GPS?

 

[PaulRainbow]

That goes against most posts that I have seen in the past on t& post #3 above , that the AIS transmitter needs its own dedicated GPS. I know that instructions for my one confirms that. Are you sure that you did successfully disable the internal chart plotter GPS?

You misunderstand, i think.

The AIS must have it's own GPS, it cannot use the plotter GPS (or any other).

The plotter can use it's own GPS, or any other, including that of the AIS (the AIS can send AIS and GPS data over NMEA)

You can set which source to use (as in post #7).

The Emtrak AIS transponders i've fitted have an option in the software to disable GPS output, so the plotter would only receive AIS data and have its own internal GPS as the sole GPS source.

I can't recall having any issues with plotters having internal GPS and GPS data from the AIS though.

 

[Moodysailor]

That goes against most posts that I have seen in the past on t& post #3 above , that the AIS transmitter needs its own dedicated GPS. I know that instructions for my one confirms that. Are you sure that you did successfully disable the internal chart plotter GPS?

It is correct that AIS needs it's own dedicated GPS source, however this can be output the MFD if required. The MFD can then use multiple sources, it should not be necessary to disable anything in the MFD.

I can only report from my own experience, having installed and used the Axiom+ and Vesper XB-8000 AIS this year. I cannot make any claims for other manufacturers kit.

Earlier posts cannot always be relied on, I found a reference to this in the Raymarine firmware updates, it was changed in 2019 (under bug fixes). We are on version 3.15.62 on ours....

v3.8.97

Jan 2019

New Features: CZone Digital Switching, Control and Monitoring JL Audio Media Master Remote Control Search and Rescue Patterns Collision Avoidance Predicted Area of Danger Overlay Dynamic Target Intercept Calculations Electronic Chart Synchronization LightHouse NC2 Electronic Chart Base Map LightHouse Charts Selectable Depth Coloring LORAN-C TD Support LightHouse Apps Manager (AXIOM family exclusive) Rudder Bar visable in Chart App "Sidebar" - even with Pilot control disabled HONK alarm output & Anchor alarm on SeaTalkng Bug fixes: Waypoint import improvements RayControl connection improvements with certain Android Versions Various AR overlay improvements New Navionics Library - To stabilize intermittent performance issues Data Backup now working in Finnish language Quantum Radar "Connection Lost" issue improved on AXIOM/DV/RV Route/ Track/ Vector width change working as expected Fuel Manager - "Fuel Used" at Trip Month now working as expected GPS Priority - MFD now uses internal GPS as lowest priority

 

[Bobc]

The plotter can get GPS from external sources by NMEA, but there should be no need to disable the plotter GPS, in my experience.

That's useful to know. It was the instructions in the Raymarine plotter.

 

[Bobc]

It is correct that AIS needs it's own dedicated GPS source, however this can be output the MFD if required. The MFD can then use multiple sources, it should not be necessary to disable anything in the MFD.

I can only report from my own experience, having installed and used the Axiom+ and Vesper XB-8000 AIS this year. I cannot make any claims for other manufacturers kit.

Earlier posts cannot always be relied on, I found a reference to this in the Raymarine firmware updates, it was changed in 2019 (under bug fixes). We are on version 3.15.62 on ours....

v3.8.97

Jan 2019

New Features: CZone Digital Switching, Control and Monitoring JL Audio Media Master Remote Control Search and Rescue Patterns Collision Avoidance Predicted Area of Danger Overlay Dynamic Target Intercept Calculations Electronic Chart Synchronization LightHouse NC2 Electronic Chart Base Map LightHouse Charts Selectable Depth Coloring LORAN-C TD Support LightHouse Apps Manager (AXIOM family exclusive) Rudder Bar visable in Chart App "Sidebar" - even with Pilot control disabled HONK alarm output & Anchor alarm on SeaTalkng Bug fixes: Waypoint import improvements RayControl connection improvements with certain Android Versions Various AR overlay improvements New Navionics Library - To stabilize intermittent performance issues Data Backup now working in Finnish language Quantum Radar "Connection Lost" issue improved on AXIOM/DV/RV Route/ Track/ Vector width change working as expected Fuel Manager - "Fuel Used" at Trip Month now working as expected GPS Priority - MFD now uses internal GPS as lowest priority

That would explain why I had to disable the GPS on my Raymarine plotter.

 

[PaulRainbow]

That would explain why I had to disable the GPS on my Raymarine plotter.

What plotter do you have Bob ?

 

[Moodysailor]

That would explain why I had to disable the GPS on my Raymarine plotter.

Quite possibly, it is definitely fixed on later versions, and the manual has been updated to reflect that - multiple data sources are OK:

 

[Bobc]

What plotter do you have Bob ?

a98

 

[mattnj]

Got the same...this works....inside....

Gps

 

[PaulRainbow]

a98

That should be OK with multiple data sources. I've fitted AIS to boats with those and the same generation of C series with no issues. I wonder if it's something to do with the Matsutec AIS. Did you actually have a problem, or did you turn the internal GPS off in anticipation of one ?

There were two options you could have chosen, disable the internal GPS or set a preferred data source, either should have worked. Setting the internal GPS might have worked and allowed the MFD to function without the AIS being on.

Just curious.

 

[Daydream believer]

deleted

 

[Bobc]

That should be OK with multiple data sources. I've fitted AIS to boats with those and the same generation of C series with no issues. I wonder if it's something to do with the Matsutec AIS. Did you actually have a problem, or did you turn the internal GPS off in anticipation of one ?

There were two options you could have chosen, disable the internal GPS or set a preferred data source, either should have worked. Setting the internal GPS might have worked and allowed the MFD to function without the AIS being on.

Just curious.

I turned the chartplotter GPS off simply because the Raymarine manual said to. I'll try it with it on next time and report back.