What Radio to get with AIS

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tonkatoy87uk

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Evening. I'm looking at getting a new radio as-well as a handheld as I don't value mine and crews life on the current aincent thing that we have atm. I'm after one with AIS and GPS if the price is rite. What would be a half decent one to go for? I'm looking to spend up to £350-400 for the one that's the bees knees but doesn't have to be.

any advice please?
thanks

something like this be of any worth??

https://www.marinesuperstore.com/ma...standard-horizon-gx2200e-vhf-with-ais-and-gps
 
If you want AIS and GPS, there aren't many radios to choose from. The GX2200E is certainly the best value, and Standard Horizon has a great reputation. For the handheld, the Standard Horizon HX870E is superb.
 
BandG V50 looks are really good option and under price at £330. .AIS and GPS. Has the option to Add a wireless handheld for an extra £140.

Steveeasy
 
tonkatoy87uk said:
Walking into this a bit blind tbh. Does a radio need to have GPS? When my Raymarine a98 has it any way?
Click to expand...

No, a radio doesn't have to have GPS, but if you get one with GPS it does give you some degree of redundancy. If the plotter dies, the radio will still have your position. Equally, you don't have to have the plotter turned on for the radio still to have position.

If you just want a radio with an AIS receiver, the Standard Horizon GX2100E is a good one to consider, about £60 less than the GX2200E.
 
steveeasy said:
BandG V50 looks are really good option and under price at £330. .AIS and GPS. Has the option to Add a wireless handheld for an extra £140.
Click to expand...

The V50 doesn't have GPS, only AIS receive. Anyone considering it should note that it's basically the same as the Lowrance Link-8, which is only £269 (you pay more for B&G branding!).
 
pvb said:
If you just want a radio with an AIS receiver, the Standard Horizon GX2100E is a good one to consider, about £60 less than the GX2200E.
Click to expand...

Is the Gx2100E still available? I have one and am very happy with it but I thought it had been superseded.
 
I can vouch for the SH GX2200e. I was in a similar position this time last year and after some research made the purchase. Easily connected to my raymarine plotter too so my AIS is overlaid on my charts.

At the time, the cheapest place online was Cactus Navigation.
 
The SH ones are excellent but only connect to other kit via semi-obsolete NMEA0183 which is why I didn't buy one when looking to do the same thing..
Seemed no point in putting old kit in.

The Lowrance/Simrad/B&G ones are NMEA2000. I put in a B&G V50 and Vulcan 7 plotter. Connected old Seatalk Raymarine instruments via a RM Seatalk to Seatalk NG gadget - Seatalk NG is apparently the same as NMEA 2000 but with more expensive wires. Installation dead easy - just worked.

The B&G plotter is not bad, brightish screen, touchscreen seems OK even in rain. Bit slow to redraw sometimes only real downside, but more of an irritation than a problem.
 
Last edited:
Wouldn't you want to display the AIS on your plotter??

If so, that drives your choice.

It puts situational awareness first.

Tony
 
jwilson said:
The SH ones are excellent but only connect to other kit via semi-obsolete NMEA0183 which is why I didn't buy one when looking to do the same thing..
Seemed no point in putting old kit in.
Click to expand...

Integration to an N2K network (generic or STNG) isn't at all difficult. Both the Actisense NGW and the ShipModul Miniplex can do the job. Personally I'd rather have a very good VHF from a top-notch manufacturer of radios, like SH or ICOM, than something from a general purpose instruments company.

And anyway, N2K is not a great deal further out of the Stone Age than NMEA0183, and has apparently failed to gain much inroad on commercial vessels, so NMEA0183 is going to be around for a while.
 
lpdsn said:
Integration to an N2K network (generic or STNG) isn't at all difficult. Both the Actisense NGW and the ShipModul Miniplex can do the job. Personally I'd rather have a very good VHF from a top-notch manufacturer of radios, like SH or ICOM, than something from a general purpose instruments company.

And anyway, N2K is not a great deal further out of the Stone Age than NMEA0183, and has apparently failed to gain much inroad on commercial vessels, so NMEA0183 is going to be around for a while.
Click to expand...
Indeed, I went with the SH2200E plus a ram mike, am seriously impressed, connected to a wifi transmitter, all the data to hand wirelessly around the boat
 
So is there evidence that the GX2200 is better than the B & G V50? To a degree that merits the nuisance/expense of needing the Actisense or similar device to connect to the Vulcan? (The other kit on the boat in question is all Simnet or Seatalkng so will network OK to the Vulcan just with cable adapters.)
The V50 also offers the option of a wireless remote mic, I don't think the GX does.
 
Plevier said:
So is there evidence that the GX2200 is better than the B & G V50? To a degree that merits the nuisance/expense of needing the Actisense or similar device to connect to the Vulcan? (The other kit on the boat in question is all Simnet or Seatalkng so will network OK to the Vulcan just with cable adapters.)
The V50 also offers the option of a wireless remote mic, I don't think the GX does.
Click to expand...

The OP was asking for a radio with AIS and GPS, which is why the GX2200E was recommended. If GPS isn't needed, the V50 is fine, although the virtually identical Lowrance Link-8 is about £80 cheaper.
 
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