Which AIS VHF

[robertj]

I'm upgrading my old radio and feel the need for AIS.
I'm not looking for a separate unit but VHF/AIS I can link into my ray marine chart plotter.
Any advice and recommendations please?

 

[funk-an-bord.de]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3kgEesjrpQ
Wilhelm

 

[prv]

I'm upgrading my old radio and feel the need for AIS.
I'm not looking for a separate unit but VHF/AIS I can link into my ray marine chart plotter.
Any advice and recommendations please?

The Standard Horizon GX2100 gets consistently good reviews on here. I have one and am very happy with it.

Pete

 

[mezereon]

I have a Radio Ocean RO4800 recently fitted which I'm pleased with and it has a remote mike option too.
You wouldn't want to use the AIS display on the radio, but it has a NMEA0183 link for your plotter.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I have a Navicom RT-650. Does what it says on the box.

 

[Neil]

I have a Radio Ocean RO4800 recently fitted which I'm pleased with and it has a remote mike option too.
You wouldn't want to use the AIS display on the radio, but it has a NMEA0183 link for your plotter.

I have one of these too. Good radio BUT: did you work out how to directly DSC call a MMSI No. from the AIS list? Also my plotter can't decode the NMEA sentences giving AIS data.

 

[Caladh]

The Standard Horizon GX2100 gets consistently good reviews on here. I have one and am very happy with it.

Pete

+ 1 and i/f to a plotter

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Also my plotter can't decode the NMEA sentences giving AIS data.

It should be able to. Got the port speed on your plotter set at 38400?

 

[prv]

+ 1 and i/f to a plotter

Yes, you definitely need to connect it to a separate display (plotter or dedicated device). The AIS display on the radio is almost worthless, to the point I wish they hadn't bothered and used the "AIS" button for something else.

Pete

 

[davidej]

I have a Navicom RT-650. Does what it says on the box.

+1

We display it on a garmin chartploter

Does anyone know if/how you get CPA/TCPA etc information displayed

 

[prv]

Can you li k it to a chart plotter?

Yes, of course. It has the standard NMEA 0183 output at 38,400bps.

If you already have an NMEA2000 system then perhaps Wilhelm's suggestion would be more appropriate, but the SH could probably still be used (it would depend exactly what kit you had). If you don't know if you have NMEA 2000 then you probably don't and the SH is a good choice.

Pete

 

[dgadee]

The Standard Horizon GX2100 gets consistently good reviews on here. I have one and am very happy with it.

Pete

£36 to change the MMSI number on the Standard Horizon. I also have an RT-650 which I prefer.

 

[superheat6k]

I have one of these too. Good radio BUT: did you work out how to directly DSC call a MMSI No. from the AIS list? Also my plotter can't decode the NMEA sentences giving AIS data.

+1 for the RO4800, which I think is the same as the Navico RT750.

The plotter will need two comms channels - the DSC data to the VHF is Low baud rate e,g, 4800, the AIS data into the plotter is at high speed around 39000 baud. I binned my Lowrance HDS7M because it could not do both at the same time. The Garmin GPSMAP range will work as this has two comms channels that can be individually set to the preferred comms speed.

Not used the DSC functions to call up via MMSI, nor the Distress position function, but this requires a reverse connection from the low speed comms to bring the data from the VHF to the plotter.

I think is is high time some one provided a list of connections to connect one makers bit of kit to another's - re wiring colour codes, as there is no standard, and I guess it is commercial interests of individual makers that stops this happening. Elsewhere it is known as ISO, but doesn't seem to apply to Marine Comms systems, of if it does it is an ineffective standard. Imagine if every manufacturer of household equipment fitted a differing style of 3 pin plug !

 

[prv]

The plotter will need two comms channels - the DSC data to the VHF is Low baud rate e,g, 4800, the AIS data into the plotter is at high speed around 39000 baud.

This is true, but the majority of VHFs don't seem to accept DSC commands over NMEA (Vesper maintain a list of ones that do, but last time I looked it was pretty short). And I'm not sure that many plotters have the ability to send those commands either. So the odds are that there wouldn't be any DSC data going from the plotter to the VHF anyway, even if you were able to make the connection, so the point seems moot at least with current devices.

Pete

 

[mezereon]

I have one of these too. Good radio BUT: did you work out how to directly DSC call a MMSI No. from the AIS list? Also my plotter can't decode the NMEA sentences giving AIS data.

Good point. I seem to remember the mechanism to make a DSC call via the AIS list on the radio itself was tortuous and I don't think it's possible for my plotter to initiate the call.
However, I had no problems linking to the plotter (Raymarine C70). Have you checked the plotter is expecting the faster baud rate?

 

[Neil]

I've gone through the RO manual, but couldn't see how to make a DSC call to a ship on the AIS list - am I missing something? Such a lack of functionality would be disappointing

I only have a Garmin GPSMAP 360C, which doesn't have the ability to decode the AIS sentences. I have connected it to get GPS to the radio without problems, but traffic from radio to plotter isn't on

 

[richardbrennan]

I asked Garmin if I could make calls directly from my plotter via MMSI on my Icom radio and the answer was no, this function is only available if you have a Garmin radio. I assume it's probably the same with other manufacturers, but this was a couple of years ago and it might be possible through NMEA 2000 connections, the link between my radio (ICOM 505) and my Plotter (Garmin 5012) is NMEA 0183.

 

[prv]

it might be possible through NMEA 2000 connections, the link between my radio (ICOM 505) and my Plotter (Garmin 5012) is NMEA 0183.

It is possible in theory through NMEA 0183, the appropriate sentences exist. Unfortunately for some reason few manufacturers of plotters or VHFs have bothered to implement them.

Pete

 

[Neil]

It is possible in theory through NMEA 0183, the appropriate sentences exist. Unfortunately for some reason few manufacturers of plotters or VHFs have bothered to implement them.

Pete

I'd be happy just to call through the radio - the MMSI No.s are there, I'd expect just to highlight the No. and press a button................

 

[prv]

I'd be happy just to call through the radio - the MMSI No.s are there, I'd expect just to highlight the No. and press a button................

Indeed, that's what I do with my GX2100 and it works perfectly well. It's just that the Watchmate AIS display I use has a nice interface - on the screen you use when monitoring a collision risk, there's a button labelled "Call". If only Standard Horizon had bothered to implement all the DSC sentences, this would seamlessly set up a call with that vessel. It offends the perfectionist in me that this button can't be used

A radio with a built-in AIS receiver but no ability to choose who to call from the list of currently visible vessels, on the other hand, seems like a seriously stupid piece of design. Are you saying this is the case for yours?

Pete