AIS Receiver Information

Hi All,

I just posted a fairly detailed discussion of my AIS setup and experiences on a recent trip to SoCal in the Tanspac forum in case anybody here might be interested.

John

I have the Raymarine E-Series chartplotter plus radar, etc. and am considering buying their AIS system add-on. I'd appreciate any input about the Raymarine AIS from anyone familiar with it.
tx,
Gil Maguire
J/133 Tenacity

Not too sure about the Raymarine AIS add-on but am pretty sure you have to run it with either a chartplotter or nav progam on computer. This means either you fire everything up to look around when you think there may be something to see, or you run it all the time. Don't know what power consumption would be with this setup in your boat but would suspect that it might be substantial.

The stand-alone reciever is another good option that some of the boats in 06 had good results from and reported low power draw.

I just purchased a Simrad A150 Class B AIS transponder that not only recieves info from other vessels, but transmits my boat's information to them. Also calculates CPA and TCPA (closet point of approach, and time to CPA) for me, which the NASA receiver does not. Is stand-alone and supposedly draws less than 1 amp/hr. Contains memory chip for situation recall. Also has sexy colour display with basic world chart to overlay info onto......$1400 CDN

Class B transponders approved worldwide, but not by your FCC, however transmit fuction can be shut off while close to the beach, so unit is only used as a receiver, and trasmit fuction activated once you get a little ways off.

Jim/Haulback

make that $900 before tax. ($1008) after....anybody want one I will mail it on down for you. Not too sure if this price will hold or not. Actually, they may have made a mistake!!!
Jim

Since my last posting, I checked with SeaCas which makes various AIS products that are compatible with various nav systems including the various RayMarine series chart and radar plotters. I have the RM E Series chart plotter with RM radar, plus RM gps, etc. SeaCas has a RM adapter which comes in thru the RM NMEA port. This can be a problem if you have other NMEA 0183 devices using that port. In that case you need an NMEA 0183 multiplexor (about $250). I picked the simplest SeaCas AIS receiver which will be installed in a week or two.

SeaCas is very helpful and responds immediately to email inquiries:

www.seacas.com/oscomm/internal.php

They explained to me that the new RayMarine AIS is a single channel unit (at $1200!) while theirs is dual channel.

Seems like a good company. I will let you know on how it works out.

Best regards,

Gil Maguire
J/133 "Tenacity"

p.s. Our Southern California Pacifric Singlehanded Sailors Association (PSSA) is having its Marina del Rey to Bishop Rock race starting this Friday. This is a 165 race well offshore. It looks like it will be windy. I will let you know my state of enthusiasm for singlehanded overnight sailing after this race.

The next PSSA race is from MDR to Guadalupe Island, about half way down the Baja penninsula and back -- about 630 miles. This starts on March 21. This will be my Transpac qualifier if I am still enthusiastic.

Milltech has reasonably priced single and dual channel AIS receivers..

http://www.milltechmarine.com/products.htm