Simrad AI50 AIS Transceiver - advice please.

[Wandering Star]

My boat is fitted with the above. It’s about 10 years old I imagine. I haven’t used it nor do I understand it’s operation. the boat was last used in AZAB 2012. It appears to be professionally plumbed in and I imagine has an MMSI number stored etc. my questions are:

Is it worth keeping - I’ve never had or usedan AIS receiver let alone a transceiver?

Will the MMSI number still be valid for my boat after 10 years of inactivity?

The “mushroom” type GPS antenna mounted on the pushpit rail and connected to the AIS, is physically damaged, after so long I guess there will have been water damage to the innards, is there anything special about the antenna or should any replacement antenna work?

I’m somewhat scared of it if I’m honest! Can I just turn it on and play with it or will I cause a load of sinkings and confusion amongst the fleet?

Any advice welcomed.

 

[Bilgediver]

A little light reading. Only worth keeping if it works. It will need the GPS to be functioning You can check the AIS is transmitting by monitoring the frequency. A friend with a scanning receiver can help there. This should provide an overlay on your plotter of ships in your area.


Manual.
AI50 Class B AIS transponder User Manual 988-0168-001 - AI50 Iss.1.0 .indb Navico UK

 

[Bilgediver]

A little light reading. Only worth keeping if it works. It will need the GPS to be functioning You can check the AIS is transmitting by monitoring the frequency. A friend with a scanning receiver can help there. This should provide an overlay on your plotter of ships in your area.
There is a setup procedure where you input boat details . In mine that was done using a laptop running running Windows Hyperterm or a similar terminal program.
Manual.
AI50 Class B AIS transponder User Manual 988-0168-001 - AI50 Iss.1.0 .indb Navico UK

 

[KompetentKrew]

You're not going to break anything by turning it on.

The only position the AIS can transmit is the one you're actually in - you're not endangering any ships by transmitting.

Check on Marine Traffic and see if your position is showing.

Whisper on RIBnet explains about replacing the GPS antenna: Simrad AI50 GPS AIS Antenna - RIBnet Forums

The MMSI depends on your registration - is the boat on Part 1 or SSR?

It is clearly better to have a functioning AIS (whether transmitting or receive-only) than not to have one. Some people, myself included, have paid hundreds for this functionality. You might as well fix it.

 

[[2574]]

Good little unit, well worth getting it going. I suspect it won’t interface with your plotter.

 

[Wandering Star]

Thanks for all the advice & links, I’m now motivated to try to fire it up and fix whatever needs fixing. Can’t do much at the moment though as my masts down and the VHF aerial is unavailable for a few more weeks. I really just wanted to know if it was worthwhile keeping it as I’m replumbing all my instruments and sflush mounting them into a new panel - didn’t want to include the AIS display if I was never was going to get it to work!

So thanks everyone.

 

[Tranona]

Deleted - misleading!

 

[Bilgediver]

You're not going to break anything by turning it on.

The MMSI depends on your registration - is the boat on Part 1 or SSR?

It is clearly better to have a functioning AIS (whether transmitting or receive-only) than not to have one. Some people, myself included, have paid hundreds for this functionality. You might as well fix it.

Ofcom take no account of registration when issuing an MMSI first come first served. We all share the same sequence. unless they vary between leisure and commercial.

It is possible that this unit needs to be told who it is before it starts transmission, you probably have to complete at least basic details using a laptop etc. The manual will detail this. The Posh ones have a keyboard built in for this purpose. It will receive without configuring it.

Is the GPS connection multi pin or coax ? It looks like coax in the manual. If this is the case then any of this type of antenna should work. such as below.

?? Universal Marine GPS Active Antenna Boat Yacht BNC 5M cable & TNC Adapter | eBay

 

[KompetentKrew]

I apologise, @Bilgediver - by "depends upon" I didn't mean that "it depends one way or the other", simply that the MMSI is issued by the authorities and your boat has to be registered in order to be eligible for an MMSI. I must admit I'm assuming you can't get an MMSI for an unregistered boat, and didn't check, but I think that finding the boat's old registration would be a good first step.

The AIS is 10 or more years old, and OP states that he's never used it - presumably the previous owner already programmed it with the MMSI. I guess there will be a menu setting somewhere where it's shown.

MMSIs can be programmed once by the user when they install the device, but they are not supposed to be user-resettable - possibly an engineer's passcode will be required, or the unit will need to be returned to manufacturer or dealer. So it's desirable to keep the boat's existing MMSI, if possible, rather than reregierting and obtaining a new one.

(I am assuming the boat's registration has lapsed in the last 10 years - if it has not then it's likely to be easier.)

 

[Bilgediver]

I apologise, @Bilgediver - by "depends upon" I didn't mean that "it depends one way or the other", simply that the MMSI is issued by the authorities and your boat has to be registered in order to be eligible for an MMSI. I must admit I'm assuming you can't get an MMSI for an unregistered boat, and didn't check, but I think that finding the boat's old registration would be a good first step.

The AIS is 10 or more years old, and OP states that he's never used it - presumably the previous owner already programmed it with the MMSI. I guess there will be a menu setting somewhere where it's shown.

MMSIs can be programmed once by the user when they install the device, but they are not supposed to be user-resettable - possibly an engineer's passcode will be required, or the unit will need to be returned to manufacturer or dealer. So it's desirable to keep the boat's existing MMSI, if possible, rather than reregierting and obtaining a new one.

(I am assuming the boat's registration has lapsed in the last 10 years - if it has not then it's likely to be easier.)

I am pretty sure Ofcom are not worried if the vessel is registered or not as they now give MMSI numbers to handhelds . Yes if the AIS was used on a different vessel then it will have the wrong number in it however if it was used on the vessel it ids no on but was used by the previous owner then it has the correct MMSI number as call sign and MMSI stay with the vessel.

If you check out the manual it shows how to enter the MMSI etc using buttons on the unit. It is that long winded method of scrolling through an alphanumeric list and picking the letter or number you want. Nothing else can be entered till the MMSI is input but it will still work as a receiver. It looks like a good piece of kit and the age should not be a problem unless it has a lithium cell hidden away which may need replacing.

 

[Bilgediver]

Thanks for all the advice & links, I’m now motivated to try to fire it up and fix whatever needs fixing. Can’t do much at the moment though as my masts down and the VHF aerial is unavailable for a few more weeks. I really just wanted to know if it was worthwhile keeping it as I’m replumbing all my instruments and sflush mounting them into a new panel - didn’t want to include the AIS display if I was never was going to get it to work!

So thanks everyone.

Not only display on the AIS but if you have a suitable plotter it will also display on that. Definitely worth keeping.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Yes, but the problem is that the registration may have lapsed - both for the MMSI and for the boat.

I'm sure OP will be fine using the current MMSI just for testing the unit, but they will need to try reclaiming the MMSI or getting it transferred to them.

You still have to have an OFCOM registration for handheld MMSIs, and you need to logon to the OFCOM portal periodically otherwise the registration will lapse.

OFCOM have separate categories for ships radio licenses and for ships portable radio licenses and (I just checked) you need to give the ship's registration details when applying for a ship's MMSI.

 

[Tranona]

To clarify the issue with regard to registration, the boat does not have to be registered as in on the SSR or Part 1. The registration of the device is as a station to which the MMSI refers and all you need is a boat's name and description. The boat I have just bought has an MMSI on here itu.int/mmsapp/ShipStation/list but it is not the same as the one in the radio that came with the boat. I am fitting a new radio (and AIS receiver) so will have to sort out with OFCOM either a new MMSI or transfer of the one listed. The boat is not on either register. OFCOM ask for registration details for obvious reasons but it is not compulsory as registration of leisure boats in the UK is not compulsory.