Standard Horizon - excellent service

[vyv_cox]

I installed a GX1500 DSC radio with the remote RAM microphone two seasons ago, beginning of 2007. It has been excellent and made using the VHF from the tiller an easy matter compared with trying to dash below using the set down there. There was a minor problem: the external loudspeaker in the cockpit didn't work so I could only hear through the RAM loudspeaker, not very loud and a rather small speaker.

I thought it might be a problem with the wiring loom so I contacted Standard Horizon in late 2007 and they said return the mic to us. Of course, it was then in Greece. 'No problem' they said, 'send it to us when you have it'. I brought it home at the end of 2008 season, sent it off and they have just sent me a new replacement. No questions and no charge. I am delighted.

 

[Otter]

Does anyone have experience of their plotters interfacing with AIS? I think that might be the way to go for us.

 

[aluijten]

I do. I have a CP300 connected to an AIS receiver. It works fine, however there might be some problems with the connection depending on the AIS receiver you are going to choose.
The CP300 accepts RS-232 connections only. The 'official' NMEA 2.x protocol assumes a RS-422 connection. Although the same in signal structure, RS-422 uses different voltages (simply put).
My CP300 is still on the original firmware, which is great because that firmware ignores AIS class B transponders. That way my plotter screen is not cluttered with yachts carrying a AIS transponder.

As you may have guessed I'm not a big fan of yachts carrying a AIS transponder /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

Cheers,

Arno

 

[Otter]

Thanks for the reply - what brand of AIS engine do you use?

BTW I'm not in favour of yachts carrying AIS transponders either - it will encourage reckless pilotage at night and in fog where "if I can't see them on AIS then there's nobody there". The screen will get cluttered and the commercial boys will do the sensible thing and turn off class B from their screens - and then the yacht who's relying on his transponder gets a painful shock.

 

[aluijten]

I'm using the Smart Radio model SR162 (http://www.stentec.com/shop/hardware?_globalsearch=SR161|SR162|SR162G)

This is a dual receiver set that receives both AIS channels simultaneously. It works great, although I did need do make a conversion for the aforementioned RS-422 to RS-232 problem. I solved it by using a capacitor in series with the negative (?) signal line of the AIS receiver. I don't recall the exact way I hooked it up, but I might have it written down somewhere.
By the way, these days there are more offerings for dual-receiver units as this one is fairly expensive.

Cheers,

Arno