Radar & AIS recommendations

[nads]

Hello, I have a classic Sunseeker (1988 San Remo 33) based in the UK. I'm inland but planning to move house by the coast so think I should get a radar and AIS as I may be in busy shipping areas.

I currently have a Raymarine Element 7s, Raymarine i40 (speed/depth) both connected by Seatalk.
I also have a icom M330 VHF radio with dedicated VHF & GPS antennas, however, it is NOT registered to my MMSI number and not sure it can be changed easily.

Can anyone advise what equipment would be best suited. I'd like it all to be integrated, so I can replace VHF if necessary (or other items).
Do I need separate antenna for the AIS?
Will the current Seatalk converter be adequate, or do I need some sort of extension?
Wireless or wired Radar?

I'm not interested in fishing or other activities, just blasting around the coast! Maybe a few day trips to marinas up/down the country.
I have attached a crude image of my current setup.
I will be doing the work myself so feel it is not good etiquette to ask my marina for all this information and then not use them to instal! Although they may be supplying the equipment as a Raymarine dealer, if I stay on brand.


As built:


Boat for reference:


Raymarine Element 7s - powered up:


All instruments/equipment:

 

[harvey38]

Guru @PaulRainbow is the font of knowledge on such things and hopefully be along soon with suggestions.

What I do know is an AIS can share a VHF antenna using a splitter but a separate, dedicated antenna is preferable.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

IMO get a Raymarine Axiom bundle with a Quantum 2 Doppler Radar as a bundle is the chaeapest way to buy them. I have these and they are excellent IMO, but not particularly cheap. In weather mode it is very good to be able to see rain/squalls approaching.

For AIS do you want receive only or also a transmit function?

If receive only then replace the VHF with a combined VHF AIS receiver, and connect it to your SeatalkNG backbone using an NMEA2000 to SeatalkNG spur cable. Cheapest option for quality/functionality is probably the Standard Horizon GX2410E.

If you want to transmit your position then you need a AIS Transciever, and it gets more expensive and complicated.

You can get a combined VHF/AIS Transciever which is the easiest option as you don't need an antenna splitter and can retain your original VHF antenna.

Or you can keep the VHF you have, buy a seperate transciever and an active antenna splitter, e.g. the Navico NSPL-500. You could have a seperate antenna for the AIS so you don'T need a splitter, but be careful of it's positioning in relation to your VHF antenna.

I have an Axiom + 12", an Axiom 2 Pro S 12" coupled with a Quantum 2 Radar which can be viewed on both plotters, for AIS I have an ICOM MA-510TR AIS Transciever and a Navico NSPL-500 splitter and can confirm they all work nicely together on a SeatalkNG backbone.

There are also a plethora of cheaper AIS Transcievers / splitters which I'm sure will be suggested in other posts.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Hello, I have a classic Sunseeker (1988 San Remo 33) based in the UK. I'm inland but planning to move house by the coast so think I should get a radar and AIS as I may be in busy shipping areas.

I currently have a Raymarine Element 7s, Raymarine i40 (speed/depth) both connected by Seatalk.
I also have a icom M330 VHF radio with dedicated VHF & GPS antennas, however, it is NOT registered to my MMSI number and not sure it can be changed easily.

Any Icom dealer, or Icom themselves can reset the MMSI for you, for a small fee.

Can anyone advise what equipment would be best suited. I'd like it all to be integrated, so I can replace VHF if necessary (or other items).
Do I need separate antenna for the AIS?

Some AIS have built in splitters, otherwise you need a separate splitter or a dedicated antenna. * I would buy an Emtrak AIS with integrated splitter, this also has its own built in GPS so it's easy to fit. It has NMEA 2000, which will connect to your Seatalk NG network using a N2K to STNG converter cable. Don't buy a Raymarine AIS, it's made by Emtrak but costs a lot more.

Will the current Seatalk converter be adequate, or do I need some sort of extension?

There are no spare ports on the converter so you'll need to remove one of the blue terminators and connect either a Tee piece or another 5 way connector (useful if you might add further equipment in the future), then refit the terminator in the Tee or 5 way connector. You then use the N2K to STNG converter cable i mentioned above.

Wireless or wired Radar?

The Element 7 has no Raynet port so you can only use WIFI for radar.

I'm not interested in fishing or other activities, just blasting around the coast! Maybe a few day trips to marinas up/down the country.
I have attached a crude image of my current setup.
I will be doing the work myself so feel it is not good etiquette to ask my marina for all this information and then not use them to instal! Although they may be supplying the equipment as a Raymarine dealer, if I stay on brand.

You must stay on brand for the radar, but can use any brand of AIS.

*Full disclosure, i'm an Emtrak dealer, but i recommend them because i think they are the best.

 

[nads]

Guru @PaulRainbow is the font of knowledge on such things and hopefully be along soon with suggestions.

What I do know is an AIS can share a VHF antenna using a splitter but a separate, dedicated antenna is preferable.

Great, thanks. I have no issue installing another antenna if it is best practice.

For AIS do you want receive only or also a transmit function?

I'd like to transmit also. Thanks for all the other info too.

Any Icom dealer, or Icom themselves can reset the MMSI for you, for a small fee.

Some AIS have built in splitters, otherwise you need a separate splitter or a dedicated antenna. * I would buy an Emtrak AIS with integrated splitter, this also has its own built in GPS so it's easy to fit. It has NMEA 2000, which will connect to your Seatalk NG network using a N2K to STNG converter cable. Don't buy a Raymarine AIS, it's made by Emtrak but costs a lot more.

There are no spare ports on the converter so you'll need to remove one of the blue terminators and connect either a Tee piece or another 5 way connector (useful if you might add further equipment in the future), then refit the terminator in the Tee or 5 way connector. You then use the N2K to STNG converter cable i mentioned above.

The Element 7 has no Raynet port so you can only use WIFI for radar.

You must stay on brand for the radar, but can use any brand of AIS.

*Full disclosure, i'm an Emtrak dealer, but i recommend them because i think they are the best.

Perfect, I'll look into all that.

 

[Dino]

I’m in a similar situation myself. I have an old late 90’s Furuno radar and an old Type 100 autopilot course computer connected to an ST6002 head unit. There’s no gyro on the autopilot and the radar is fairly ancient. I fitted a Raymarine Axiom 9 a few years ago along with i40 speed and depth.
I’d love to upgrade the radar and fit a Quantum to the Axiom and upgrade the autopilot to the new EV400 unit. I’d also like to fit an AIS Transceiver.
I’m finding it difficult to justify spending €5k+ on these upgrades considering I only go to sea eatery few years.
Is the Onwa AIS from Aliexpress worth looking at?
Also, I’ve seen a secondhand course computer that has had a gyro added for reasonable money. Would this be much of an upgrade?

 

[PaulRainbow]

I’m in a similar situation myself. I have an old late 90’s Furuno radar and an old Type 100 autopilot course computer connected to an ST6002 head unit. There’s no gyro on the autopilot and the radar is fairly ancient. I fitted a Raymarine Axiom 9 a few years ago along with i40 speed and depth.
I’d love to upgrade the radar and fit a Quantum to the Axiom and upgrade the autopilot to the new EV400 unit. I’d also like to fit an AIS Transceiver.
I’m finding it difficult to justify spending €5k+ on these upgrades considering I only go to sea eatery few years.
Is the Onwa AIS from Aliexpress worth looking at?
Also, I’ve seen a secondhand course computer that has had a gyro added for reasonable money. Would this be much of an upgrade?

That would be a waste of money, it isn't a proper gyro compass and i doubt you could tell the difference.

 

[Dino]

Good to know. I think my best option is to fit a new EV400 and a new sensor core and head unit. I have a type 3 hydraulic pump so I need to fit the EV400.

 

[ithet]

A Quantum wireless radar scanner can be connected to your Raymarine Element display. No other scanner can be connected.

But, I would concentrate on a good AIS transponder. I have a radar (Quantum WiFi) and although a nice to have, I have never needed it.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Good to know. I think my best option is to fit a new EV400 and a new sensor core and head unit. I have a type 3 hydraulic pump so I need to fit the EV400.

The EV autopilots are vastly better then the older models.

 

[nads]

Thank you all for the input. I think I will buy:

1. Emtrak AIS transceiver with integrated splitter.
2. Raymarine Axiom+ 9 or12 & Quantum Radar Bundle (£1400 difference for 3" bigger).

Is there any value to me retaining my Element 7s as a backup of any sort?

 

[Alicatt]

Boat I was on last week had the Axiom with Quantum radar, not sure what the AIS was but it all worked together very well,

the target and target track feature of the radar were great in helping decide where the multitude of ferries were going, not everything had AIS

 

[jakew009]

If you want to save some money on the AIS transceiver have a look at the Onwa KS200A+

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/365653151710

For just over 200 quid it’s ridiculously good value for money with built in WiFi as well and you can enter the mmsi from your phone. And you can then use it to stream to Navionics on a phone / tablet.

The equivalent Raymarine / Emtrak is best part of a grand and much more fiddly to setup with ProAIS2.