Lowrance HDS-7 AIS feed

[chrisclin]

Father Christmas has been very good to me and suggested that he will fund a new VHF for me. I would like to enhance this by going for one of the AIS receiving sets such as the Standard Horizon Matrix 2100. I want to link this to my HDS-7 plotter in the cabin and I also want a second station in the cockpit.
Unfortunately, I am confused as to whether the Lowrance HDS-7 will be compatible as the handbook says 'AIS sentences are not bridged' . There also seems to be an issue with baud speeds as GPS Out data giving position to the DSC radio runs at 4800 while AIS data is at 38200 baud. Standard Horizon seem to recommend the use of a multiplex or but when I contacted the New Zealand supplier, they suggested GPS data could be supplied by a mouse. However, Googling suggested that would restrict the ability to click on a target on screen that would initiate a DSC call. I don't know if that is an issue.
So,
Q1 - can HDS-7 display AIS?
Q2 - do I need a NMEA0183 multiplexor?
Q3 - Should I go NMEA2000
Q4 - Is the Standard Horizon Matrix the one to go for or is there a better one?
Q5 - Is a wired remote better than a wireless one?
Q6 - What have I not considered?
Thanks in advance

 

[mersey]

Get a lowrance link8 and nmea 2000 it. You will need a nmea 2000 starter kit too if you don't have it.

Much easier than messing with 0183 on that unit.

Or simrad rs35 if you want second station option. Simrad and lowrance both navico brands and the link8 and rs35 almost the same. But rs35 supports second station.

 

[FWB]

I have HDS 7 gen1 plotter. I linked it easily to a Comar 2-2000 AIS rx via NMEA2000 using a starter kit. I was also then easily able to link an LGC4000 GPS rx to the network for better GPS accuracy. The plotter only displays dynamic AIS info and MMSI not ships' names etc. I believe that the gen2 plotters may show more info.

 

[superheat6k]

I had the HDS7M then bought the Furuno RO4800 combined VHF / AIS receiver. I could either have the DSC position data from the Lowrance or input the AIS data at a different speed setting, but it couldn't do both as it only has one I/O channel that can only handle one baud rate at a time.

As I hadn't had the Lowrance long I returned it in exchange for the Garmin GPSMAP750 because I was told the Lowrance was fully capable of both functions when it wasn't. Tech support at Lowrance were useless, apparently it was my fault that their box and sales info misled me ! Might work with AIS on NMEA2k and DSC data out on low baud back to the VHF NMEA0183.

Garmin offer an NMEA2k starter kit for around £60. Once installed using this later comms mode is very simple compared with the nightmare matching differently colour coded and the normally minute wires used for 0183.

 

[Skylark]

Tech support at Lowrance were useless, apparently it was my fault that their box and sales info misled me

I had a similar experience. I had an HD7 on the helm and an HD8 at the nav station. I wanted fully independent AIS (Comar) transponder and 3G broadband radar overlays on each plotter. It took months to get it all to work and, of course, it was all my fault.

 

[mersey]

Might work with AIS on NMEA2k and DSC data out on low baud back to the VHF NMEA0183.

HDS nmea 2k to rs35 or link-8 will do both ais and dsc over the n2k no 0183 needed.

 

[ithet]

However, Googling suggested that would restrict the ability to click on a target on screen that would initiate a DSC call.

Get a lowrance link8 and nmea 2000 it. You will need a nmea 2000 starter kit too if you don't have it.
Or simrad rs35 if you want second station option. Simrad and lowrance both navico brands and the link8 and rs35 almost the same. But rs35 supports second station.

If you want the facility to initiate a DSC call direct from an AIS target be aware that the Link-8 (and the similar RS35 one assumes) does not have this feature. I queried this with Lowrance US customer services who confirmed. The SH GX2100 does have the feature (not sure about RO4800/Navicom 650).