oldbilbo
...
Who else wants one from Santa....?
Standard Horizon GX2200E
- Thread starter oldbilbo
- Start date
ScallywagII
Member
Yes there is a lot to be said for this, not least no issues with the connections between different instruments. Also just needing one VHF aerial is a bonus. I have one on the pushpit and one at the masthead. If I wish to contact a ship at sea more than a few miles away I have to swap them over. I considered this long and hard, but ruled it out after asking about the current on standby. I was told 550 mA, or about 7W. Using solar only means at least 30W of panel just to supply this one piece of kit. I should get the meter out and try my separate bits. My impression is that most of the current is used by the VHF. I like to leave the AIS (NASA) receiver on continually at sea, and of course the GPS (Garmin hand-held) has to be on as well. I switch the VHF on if a vessel comes within range and conserve the power otherwise.
Now if Santa wants to provide a towed generator as well as the GX2200E, that would be most acceptable.
Now if Santa wants to provide a towed generator as well as the GX2200E, that would be most acceptable.
Gargleblaster
Well-known member
There are a number of VHF radios now incorporating ais receivers. I bought the Radio Ocean one 2 years ago and found the integrated ais was quite useful. Like Len I keep my VHF turned off most of the time at sea. But as it will receive AIS signals easily at 50 Nautical Miles and I regularly received them at 300 Nm out, I just turn it on every couple of hours for a few minutes to see if there are any ships, fishing boats or other yachts around. I like the idea of a common antenna for both functions. I tend not to talk to ships unless they are bearing down on me and within 4 Nm so I could exist with the VHF antenna on the pushpit.
Robert Wilson
Well-known member
As a solo fellow I would greatly appreciate a command mike to be situated in the cockpit so that I could use the VHF without having to leave the helm and squirm below.
I believe ICOM make one. I don't know if it includes AIS or what the power consumption is.
Santa doesn't come here anymore - I'm solo in more ways than just sailing :sorrow:
:encouragement:
I believe ICOM make one. I don't know if it includes AIS or what the power consumption is.
Santa doesn't come here anymore - I'm solo in more ways than just sailing :sorrow:
:encouragement:NealB
Well-known member
Who else wants one from Santa....?
Well.....yes, please.......that's awfully kind of you.
I'll pm you the delivery address.
G12
Member
As a solo fellow I would greatly appreciate a command mike to be situated in the cockpit so that I could use the VHF without having to leave the helm and squirm below.
I believe ICOM make one. I don't know if it includes AIS or what the power consumption is.
Santa doesn't come here anymore - I'm solo in more ways than just sailing :sorrow:
Standard horizon make an external mic - It's actually way more than a mic and is a full remote control with a matrix display. I have the GX2100E radio and the RAM mic in the cockpit. Both are excellent pieces of equipment.
Robert Wilson
Well-known member
That's encouraging to hear. I'll pop a note in the chimney :encouragement:
ScallywagII
Member
I finally got around to taking a multimeter on board and measuring the current drain from my GPS, AIS and VHF. I expected the total to be at least as much as the GX2200E. In fact the handheld Garmin GPS plugged into 12V used about 50 mA, the NASA AIS about 60 mA and another 50 mA for the backlight, and the M-Tech MT500 VHF around 180mA on standby and another 50mA when receiving a signal. These figures are in line with the makers data. All told about 300 mA or 350 mA with the backlight on. On a blue water passage I always left the GPS and AIS on, using around 100mA between them, a very small price to pay in power terms. The VHF went on when other shipping was nearby.
Has anyone fitted a GX2200E and if so could they please test the standby power consumption to see if it is as claimed, 550mA. That seems a lot, but it has to be said that the range of my VHF is not impressive. Perhaps the extra power gives better performance, or my aerial might not be very effective. I am fitting out a Hurley 27 and will need all these things and are very tempted to buy one of these, but using 5 times as much power to leave the AIS running would not do much to aid restful sleep.
Thanks, Len
Has anyone fitted a GX2200E and if so could they please test the standby power consumption to see if it is as claimed, 550mA. That seems a lot, but it has to be said that the range of my VHF is not impressive. Perhaps the extra power gives better performance, or my aerial might not be very effective. I am fitting out a Hurley 27 and will need all these things and are very tempted to buy one of these, but using 5 times as much power to leave the AIS running would not do much to aid restful sleep.
Thanks, Len
G12
Member
I think my GX2100E uses about 0.8A from memory..... That is with the backlight on but not cranked right up. I doubt the 2200 would use much if any more....
If you're not happy with the performance of your receiver then I suggest an upgrade to the aerial and coax. The best setup I ever had was the GX2100 (that I still have) connected to a Metz Manta aerial at the masthead and using RG8X coax - one single piece from the set to the masthead. The receive and transmit were phenomenal. If you have a bigger boat then there's even better coax you can use but it's much fatter so I went with the RG8X which isn't much fatter than normal but with much less loss per metre.
My new boat has TWO joints in the coax (to be rectified shortly) and although I still have good TX and RX it's not as good as the single length setup.
Rocket radio in Letchford are about the best priced place for the RG8X and Salty John (posts here sometimes) is a good source for the Metz manta. Metz do an AIS specific manta as well....
If you're not happy with the performance of your receiver then I suggest an upgrade to the aerial and coax. The best setup I ever had was the GX2100 (that I still have) connected to a Metz Manta aerial at the masthead and using RG8X coax - one single piece from the set to the masthead. The receive and transmit were phenomenal. If you have a bigger boat then there's even better coax you can use but it's much fatter so I went with the RG8X which isn't much fatter than normal but with much less loss per metre.
My new boat has TWO joints in the coax (to be rectified shortly) and although I still have good TX and RX it's not as good as the single length setup.
Rocket radio in Letchford are about the best priced place for the RG8X and Salty John (posts here sometimes) is a good source for the Metz manta. Metz do an AIS specific manta as well....
G12
Member
I think my GX2100E uses about 0.8A from memory..... That is with the backlight on but not cranked right up. I doubt the 2200 would use much if any more....
If you're not happy with the performance of your receiver then I suggest an upgrade to the aerial and coax. The best setup I ever had was the GX2100 (that I still have) connected to a Metz Manta aerial at the masthead and using RG8X coax - one single piece from the set to the masthead. The receive and transmit were phenomenal. If you have a bigger boat then there's even better coax you can use but it's much fatter so I went with the RG8X which isn't much fatter than normal but with much less loss per metre.
My new boat has TWO joints in the coax (to be rectified shortly) and although I still have good TX and RX it's not as good as the single length setup.
Rocket radio in Letchford are about the best priced place for the RG8X and Salty John (posts here sometimes) is a good source for the Metz manta. Metz do an AIS specific manta as well....
If you're not happy with the performance of your receiver then I suggest an upgrade to the aerial and coax. The best setup I ever had was the GX2100 (that I still have) connected to a Metz Manta aerial at the masthead and using RG8X coax - one single piece from the set to the masthead. The receive and transmit were phenomenal. If you have a bigger boat then there's even better coax you can use but it's much fatter so I went with the RG8X which isn't much fatter than normal but with much less loss per metre.
My new boat has TWO joints in the coax (to be rectified shortly) and although I still have good TX and RX it's not as good as the single length setup.
Rocket radio in Letchford are about the best priced place for the RG8X and Salty John (posts here sometimes) is a good source for the Metz manta. Metz do an AIS specific manta as well....
ScallywagII
Member
Thank you for that. The makers claim 0.55A on standby and 0.9A on max receiving for that model, so in line with your measurements. It is a big increase in power, but still modest in the grand scale of things. I will probably fit one anyway as I will be selling Scallywag and the new (40 year old) boat has an old radio without DSC and no AIS or GPS. I am not keen on lots of electronics, so having three in one box is a bonus, as well as simplifying installation. The one aerial is a big attraction for me. I take your point about a better aerial and cable setup.
Gargleblaster
Well-known member
But if it fails you lose three items not one.
ScallywagII
Member
Very good point John. Another way of expressing the same might be: only one thing to go wrong not four. If the GPS or the NMEA link cable failed, the AIS would not function as a proximity alarm and the DSC would not work on the radio.
As with any other kit on board it comes down to assessing how necessary it is for your intended passage. If it is essential, then you either need a spare or some means of repairing or substituting an alternative that will achieve the same purpose. This will be as true of a VHF as a mainsail, or a bottle of chilli sauce. Assume that anything can break at sea, because at some time it has happened on some yacht.
Len
tonkatoy87uk
Member
I have the gx2200E. How do you go about linking the AIS to a Raymarine A98. via the nmea? or do I to buy another expensive box?
zikzik
Member
A look at the Raymarine website says nmea0183 is included. As it is on the gx2200e. So just connect the correct wires perhaps? If you want to go to NMEA2000 (as I did) you will need a box. I use an antisense unit
Spuddy
Active member
I was on a chums boat for 3 months that had one of those or similar.
The problem I found was that evrything was crammed in on such a small screen. The ship icons are disproportionately large and so the screen seemed full of the blighters. It was very difficult therefore to work out what tactics/avoiding action to take as there didn't seem to be any gaps. Maybe as a supplement to mk 1 eyeball but I'm not that convinced.
Maybe some users have worked out a canny way to make max use it; I'd really like to know as I do tend to miss the obvious
The problem I found was that evrything was crammed in on such a small screen. The ship icons are disproportionately large and so the screen seemed full of the blighters. It was very difficult therefore to work out what tactics/avoiding action to take as there didn't seem to be any gaps. Maybe as a supplement to mk 1 eyeball but I'm not that convinced.
Maybe some users have worked out a canny way to make max use it; I'd really like to know as I do tend to miss the obvious
drydog
Member
oldmanofthehills
Well-known member
http://forum.raymarine.com/showthread.php?tid=83
Both the A98 and GX2200 use NMEA 183, the GX2200 gives the wire out and the instruction to enable output. The link above gives Raymarine advice on it. Sadly my chart plotter does not support AIS input as I have just been through this myself - no point in connecting if nothing can be done with info so i turned it all off again.
Both the A98 and GX2200 use NMEA 183, the GX2200 gives the wire out and the instruction to enable output. The link above gives Raymarine advice on it. Sadly my chart plotter does not support AIS input as I have just been through this myself - no point in connecting if nothing can be done with info so i turned it all off again.
