AIS Transceiver

[Kyle Ewing]

I'm planning to add an AIS Transceiver (Em-trak B953, see https://www.milltechmarine.com/B953).  I don't need WiFi or other fancy features, just transmit and receive and NMEA 2000 connectivity.  The B953 has the integrated VHF splitter so I can share existing VHF antenna.  I'll add a transmit on/off (stealth mode) switch to avoid broadcasting at dock.

Any other considerations or experiences?  AIS seems to be a commodity technology with the only consideration being the older CSTDMA and newer SOTDMA. 

[waughoo]

I honestly would recommend the Vesper 800xp if you want ais.  It has all those things you say you dont need, but let me tell you, once you have them, they are pretty sweet.  I think the anchor watch with accommpanying app are super sweet.  It has low power consumption and thus can be left on all the time.  It does have the stealth mode feqture you speak of as well as an external alarm.  Give it a look see before you purchase.  That same company (milltech) is where i bought the last one i installed.

[Noah]

It al depends on how good and easy the AIS interface/display is on your chart plotter. I have a 6 year old Emtrak  B100 transceiver, with a Vesper external VHF splitter. They don't make that model AIS anymore, but all still works fine. However, my B&G MFD is a bit complicated to just turn off the AIS in a crowded harbor situation so at times I would have liked a dedicated AIS unit or at least an inline on/off switch.

[Kyle Ewing]

Thanks, Alex and Noah.  I already have wifi on the network via a NMEA 2000 to Wifi gateway (https://www.yachtd.com/products/wifi_gateway.html) which should give me what the Vesper wifi would.  I'll take a closer look at it.

Kyle

[Steve_in_lex]

I imagine that within 5 or so years, most boats that have radar will have AIS.  But I'm curious about whether we're at the tipping point where it's used by a large percentage of other boats?  I sail on the Maine coast (lots of fog!), not more than 10 miles offshore, and have radar but haven't added AIS.  Thoughts?

[Kyle Ewing]

Steve--Interesting observation about boats with radar also having AIS.  Today on a typical sailing day in Chicago I see a very small percentage of pleasure craft transmitting AIS and a lot of boats with radar.   

I can't see the majority of boat owners around here spending $500+ to transmit AIS when they're only out in nice weather.  I don't want that because it'll clutter up the screen.  I think it'll take something like a mandate before it's in use by everyone, like how DSC is required on all VHF radios.

I'm looking at an AIS transponder because I want commercial ships to see me in conditions where I'm difficult to see on radar.

[waughoo]

I'm a BIG fan of AIS.  I don't see it as screen clutter.  I just see those extra marks as a live data chart with collision avoidance added!  It does only work with boats that are transmitting and in my cruising area, having the commercial traffic on my screen as well as them seeing me on theirs is great.  I've had freighters hail me on 16 via my boat name to clarify my intentions for traffic.  Without the transmit function, it would be much less clear if they needed to contact me (say on radar target notice only, or even visual notice only).  I honestly would love to see all traffic with transponders.  If it is too messy on your plotter, your scale is too far out: Zoom in and it all looks just fine again.

[ChrisOB]

I love my AIS receive overlay on the plotter, especially the trigonometry it does with CPA and such. I upgraded to transmit with the lesser vesper (no-wifi as I have a hub already) for a 2 yr cruise. The transmit is a nice piece of mind, I got hailed by some big ships in close quarters, and its great for buddy boating.  I was waiting forever for the integrated VHF one, seems like its still not out.  It has the built in coax splitter and everything.  Unless you are going on a big trip, I'd get the receiver and wait on the transceiver.  My old Standard Horizon GX2000 overlays the AIS fine on my chart plotter (good backup I guess, as currently the vesper is doing the overlay).

This is the one that I wanted, saw it at the boat show in Annapolis in 2017:
https://www.panbo.com/standard-horizon-gx6500-a-loaded-vhf-radio-also-integrated-with-class-b-ais/

[MarcZ]

Standard Horizon GX 6500 never went into production - unfortunately.
Looks like B&G just released V60-B with integrated transponder however price is definitely higher than what standard horizon was promising.

[crieders]

i just added Furuno radar first watch with which uses TZ i boat for map overlay and I understand that they also have a module for AIS that is affordable that I am looking into.