VHF DSC AIS integration

[Champagne Murphy]

Looking at the current VHF market there are a couple (probably more) of VHF sets with integrated AIS receivers and displays.
2 questions;

Will those sets transmit the AIS plots to a chart plotter? (Yes, I know chartplotters are falling behind iPad plotters).

Are there any sets yet which also act as Class B transponders?

 

[ex-Gladys]

Yes, to the first question, I connected a SH GX2200 to a Garmin GPSMAP 751 for a mate.

I asked your second question at London Boat Show, and the answer was a resounding no...

 

[Champagne Murphy]

That was quick!
Cheers.

 

[prv]

Will those sets transmit the AIS plots to a chart plotter? (Yes, I know chartplotters are falling behind iPad plotters).

Yes, that's the point. You don't want to try to use the radio's own display to do AIS, except perhaps for ocean crossings where you just need notification that your one ship per week is coming past.

Are there any sets yet which also act as Class B transponders?

Standard Horizon have the GX6500, but there are three problems:

• It's very expensive.
• The AIS transmission needs a separate aerial, which negates most of the benefit of a combined unit.
• It's not yet available, despite being displayed at shows in 2016. Apparently they are having difficulties getting FCC approval in the US, I don't know if they're also having similar difficulties elsewhere or just holding off till they can sell worldwide.

Pete

 

[Hoolie]

The Standard Horizon GX6500 has that capability, though I'm not sure it's available in the UK yet.

ps must learn to type faster ... ...

 

[Heckler]

Yes, that's the point. You don't want to try to use the radio's own display to do AIS, except perhaps for ocean crossings where you just need notification that your one ship per week is coming past.
https://www.svb24.com/en/standard-horizon-gx6500-vhf-marine-radio-system.html


Standard Horizon have the GX6500, but there are three problems:

• It's very expensive.
• The AIS transmission needs a separate aerial, which negates most of the benefit of a combined unit.
• It's not yet available, despite being displayed at shows in 2016. Apparently they are having difficulties getting FCC approval in the US, I don't know if they're also having similar difficulties elsewhere or just holding off till they can sell worldwide.

Pete

https://www.svb24.com/en/standard-horizon-gx6500-vhf-marine-radio-system.html

 

[Heckler]

Looking at the current VHF market there are a couple (probably more) of VHF sets with integrated AIS receivers and displays.
2 questions;

Will those sets transmit the AIS plots to a chart plotter? (Yes, I know chartplotters are falling behind iPad plotters).

Are there any sets yet which also act as Class B transponders?

I did the cheaper option, SH2200 hard wired to a vYacht Wifi unit which squirts wireless data around the boat to my pads with opencpn on or dedicated ais viewer. no transmit but am happy with just seeing the big ones coming at me in the Gib Straits!

 

[lpdsn]

Will those sets transmit the AIS plots to a chart plotter? (Yes, I know chartplotters are falling behind iPad plotters).

SH sets output NMEA0183 VDM sentences at 38.4Kb. If your chartplotter will take that then just feed it in directly.

If your chartplotter needs N2K then either the ShipModul Miniplex or an Actisense gateway will convert.

AIS is not practical over NMEA0183 at 4.8Kb - it's just not fast enough.

 

[jwilson]

Early last year fitted a B&G VHF (Simrad electronics rebadged with different front panel) which feeds AIS data via both NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183 outputs. This displays AIS targets (receive only) on a SH-180 plotter at the chart table via 0183 and a B&G plotter via 2000 at the helm. Only downside is that whilst you can also use the radio LCD screen and control knob to scroll through the target data, there isn't a simple buttonpress to call one up on DSC - you have to write down the MMSI and input that on the radio buttons. Hard to believe that something as basic as that got forgotten in the design.

Apart from the Simrad/B&G ones there is a Lowrance with similar specs. Installing the B&G one was easy, just connected up cables and it all worked, after a brief dive into the older SH plotter menu to set data rate on 0183 input.

I looked at the 2016 So'ton Boat Show for a VHF with combined AIS transmit-receive and 0183/2000 compatibility, and the suppliers exhibiting had details of the about to be released SH6500 which according to the specs seemed to be perfect, but there then seemed to be huge delays with actual boxes on sale. It still does not seem to be actually available.

I see no point now in fitting anything new that only works on NMEA 0183.

 

[prv]

https://www.svb24.com/en/standard-horizon-gx6500-vhf-marine-radio-system.html

Yes - note the orange text on that page saying "Unfortunately unavailable at the moment."

Pete

 

[lpdsn]

Yes - note the orange text on that page saying "Unfortunately unavailable at the moment."

Pete

I thought that was the bit that he was trying to highlight.

 

[pvb]

Only downside is that whilst you can also use the radio LCD screen and control knob to scroll through the target data, there isn't a simple buttonpress to call one up on DSC - you have to write down the MMSI and input that on the radio buttons. Hard to believe that something as basic as that got forgotten in the design.

Some manufacturers have thought about it - with my Garmin plotter and Garmin radio, I can select an AIS target and then select "Call with radio", and the MMSI is sent to the radio automatically.

 

[prv]

I thought that was the bit that he was trying to highlight.

Maybe - hard to tell when he just posted a link without saying anything. Maybe it wasn't meant to be either, but just providing a picture of the radio for interest's sake?

Pete

 

[prv]

Some manufacturers have thought about it - with my Garmin plotter and Garmin radio, I can select an AIS target and then select "Call with radio", and the MMSI is sent to the radio automatically.

There's even a standard NMEA sentence to do that between different manufacturers' kit, but sadly not all plotters send it nor all radios understand, so only some combinations work. Vesper AIS displays send it, and Vesper used to maintain a published list of radios known to understand it.

Pete

 

[Yellow Ballad]

There's an update on the GX6500 on here, it doesn't sound good.

https://www.panbo.com/archives/2016...f_radio_also_integrated_with_class_b_ais.html

 

[lpdsn]

Maybe - hard to tell when he just posted a link without saying anything. Maybe it wasn't meant to be either, but just providing a picture of the radio for interest's sake?

Pete

You're right hard to tell for certain.

 

[Hoolie]

There's an update on the GX6500 on here, it doesn't sound good.

https://www.panbo.com/archives/2016...f_radio_also_integrated_with_class_b_ais.html

That article is nearly 18 months old - so hardly an "update". Nevertheless SH do seem to be still struggling to get their GX6500 radio approved

 

[Yellow Ballad]

That article is nearly 18 months old - so hardly an "update". Nevertheless SH do seem to be still struggling to get their GX6500 radio approved

Read the first paragraph

1/6/2018 Warning: Before you get excited about the GX6500 combo Class B AIS and VHF, know that it is still not available for purchase and according to Standard Horizon may never be available. I do not know the details of the apparently failed approval process, but I'm sure that SH was once confidant that it could be approved, and I know they're embarassed about what's happened. Meanwhile, the less ambitious but still feature rich GX6000 also hasn't shipped, but apparently that may change this year. ~ Ben

 

[Heckler]

I thought that was the bit that he was trying to highlight.

:encouragement:

 

[Hoolie]

Read the first paragraph

Mmm - I hadn't noticed the 2016 archive had been edited ... ...

FCC approval seems to be a very opaque process. For some reason not well explained, a few years ago they withdrew approval for the ICOM M802 HF SSB, It had been on the market for ages but ICOM had to withdraw it for quite a while.until the FCC re-approved it - without any major design modifications.