ICOM M505 VHF/AIS connected to SIMRAD NX40 Plotter

[TerryM]

Can anyone help?
I have connected these units as advised but receive no AIS information at the plotter. Has anyone else experience with connecting these units?

 

[pvb]

Did you follow these instructions?

 

[TerryM]

Yes - everything connected and set as advised by Simrad.

 

[rob2]

I didn't think the 505 was an AIS receiver. Did you mean DSC?

Rob.

 

[TerryM]

Icom m505 was produced with AIS receiver. Bought mine late 2009 and fitted it on my boat 2010. Had no information at the plotter. Changed baud rate to AIS rate, still nothing. Returned set to Icom checked out OK. Refitted but still no AIS. I am in the Caribbean so everything takes an age. Looking to see if anyone hascracked this. Both manufacturers helpful but cannot sort it. Common problem when mix of equipment.

 

[SJF]

I would perform the following checks:
• Double check the wiring.

• Check for any settings in the radio for options to enable NMEA output (see NMEA Output on pg 49 of the manual, although this relates to DSC information it may also have a link to AIS data too). Your AIS model may also have additional settings that my non AIS model doesn’t have.

• Try and check if there is AIS data available to receive that’s in range of your antenna (perhaps by one of the various websites showing AIS data such as www.marinetraffic.com).

• Finally, the reason I didn’t get the AIS model of the radio is it’s my understanding that you have to leave the radio set to the AIS channels in order to be able to receive the AIS data. Have you tried leaving your radio tuned to the AIS channels (87/88) to see if that helps. (My understanding of this may be incorrect and I can’t now find reference to this on the web again now but it’s why I got a separate dedicated receiver as this was an unacceptable compromise to me having to constantly scan those channels and risk missing out on data).

Hope this is of some use.
Simon

Edit: Further information can be found in the Icom document at http://www.icomuk.co.uk/files/icom/fieldsetField/255/M603AIS Instruction Manual.pdf, the channels you need to scan should be labelled A1 and A2 (see page 7 of the document). The document is relevant to both the M603 and M505 with built in AIS.

 

[TerryM]

Thanks for your interest - what I need is to find someone who has successfully linked these units. I am concerned that there may be an incompatibility with the AIS data transmission. The unit locks onto the A1 or A2 signal and there is a low data signal output. I only have a basic digital voltmeter so cannot really judge this. The DSC NMEA connects fine. I understand from blogs that the Standard Horizon Matrix has to be connected to the NX40 in a specific way or it will not work.