Icom announce VHF/DSC with integrated AIS Receiver

[JoeQ]

At Excel, Icom announced

A World First, VHF/DSC with integrated AIS Receiver

Not sure if it's good value or not.

 

[wooslehunter]

Nice idea, but if the VHF goes down, you lose the AIS as well. If the price differential is more than an AIS engine it's just not worth it. If it is then it's cheaper but the first comment still applies.

I've tried to split my electronics over 2 circuit breakers. i.e if one circuit goes down, you don't lose everything. The same logic applies to this.

 

[charles_reed]

[ QUOTE ]
Nice idea, but if the VHF goes down, you lose the AIS as well. If the price differential is more than an AIS engine it's just not worth it. If it is then it's cheaper but the first comment still applies.

I've tried to split my electronics over 2 circuit breakers. i.e if one circuit goes down, you don't lose everything. The same logic applies to this.

[/ QUOTE ]

No doubt the same thinking would apply in having a catamaran in preference to a monohull.
/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[wooslehunter]

Absolutely, as long as everything's duplicated & it has explosive bolts to blow off the redundant side. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[fireball]

£575 for the IC-M505 .... which can (currently) be bought for less than £300 - presumably without AIS ... so, its going to cost £300 for the AIS engine part ...
Perhaps worth it if you're thinking about replacing your VHF, otherwise probably not ... I'll wait till the price drops in a couple of years.