Reccommendations for AIS Transciever

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Old Bumbulum

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My boat currently has an AIS B reciever and I'd like to upgrade to a transciever. The current unit has an antenna splitter built in so I'd need one, be it built in or seperate to connect the VHF.
It also needs to intereface with NMEA2000.

Any suggestions for a sensibly priced system? Is there practical difference between different models/makes?

Any idea why some standalone antenna splitters cost £60 and others cost £260? What's the difference?
 
Old Bumbulum said:
My boat currently has an AIS B reciever and I'd like to upgrade to a transciever. The current unit has an antenna splitter built in so I'd need one, be it built in or seperate to connect the VHF.
It also needs to intereface with NMEA2000.

Any suggestions for a sensibly priced system? Is there practical difference between different models/makes?

Any idea why some standalone antenna splitters cost £60 and others cost £260? What's the difference?
Click to expand...

I have a Vespermarine XB8000 transceiver which is an excellent piece of NMEA2000 kit but it depends what you mean by sensibly priced and whether you want wifi connectivity. :)

Splitters can be active or passive and suitable for transmission or unsuitable for transmission, as well as the differences in quality.

Richard
 
I also have a Vespermarine XB8000 that in addition to NMEA2000/0183 and USB also outputs everything on WiFi.

The Vesper splitter (separate unit) is active and amplifies the AIS input signals for greater range. There's also an output for FM radio signals if that's any use to you.
 
Don't worry about a splitter, mount a separate antenna on the push pit, this also gives you redundancy should you lose the mast head VHF. I have the B&G NAIS500 integrated into my system via NMEA. It's small, light and draws next to no power.
 
The em-track B100 and S100 combo is probably the best value currently. The SD card slot might be useful, too. It also uses very little power - less than the B&G NAIS500 even.
 
pvb said:
The em-track B100 and S100 combo is probably the best value currently. The SD card slot might be useful, too. It also uses very little power - less than the B&G NAIS500 even.
Click to expand...

+ 1 - fitted this season. GPS works down below so not too many holes.
 
I have a Raymarine AIS 650 (which comes with its own GPS antenna) but a friend bought an em-trak which was significantly cheaper but seems robust , does the same job .
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/em-trak-...265267&hash=item41c5bd3142:g:w9IAAOSwlY1ZJDEw
I have used a separate antenna as it was cheaper than a splitter - but that may well vary depending on the boat and whether a separate antenna can be easily accommodated.

For the antenna I used
https://www.saltyjohn.com/product/metz-manta-vhf-antenna/

I obtained the cable for the antenna from...........
http://www.kcb.co.uk/
 
I have the Vesper Marine XB-6000 which has a build in GPS antenna instead of the WiFi of the XB-8000. It is fitted under the chart table and gets a GPS signal no problem. I bought at SIBS last year as they were doing a package deal with their splitter included.

If I was buying right now it looks like the em-trak is the best value for a TX and splitter combination.

I don't understand this antenna on the transom business myself. Yes buy a stubby aerial, and if ever the mast is lost plug it into the splitter and you regain VHF and AIS.
 
Another vote for Em-Trak. 2 years, goes great, consumes less power, and feeds my plotter too. Do recomment a splitter, as while pushpit antenna does give redundancy, very few masthead antennae fail and the extended range by using masthead is tremendous.
 
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