AIS receivers

[dkircher]

Hi all,

I noted some discussion of AIS in this topic area. My question is: Do any of you have experience with AIS receivers? I need to update my VHF radio, so I have been looking at the Standard Horizon VHF with AIS. I acknowledge that the Standard Horizon screen is too small and that the AIS output needs to be displayed on my chartplotter. Do any of you have this radio? Your thoughts?

I still haven't decided whether I need AIS. However, ferries and big ships are frequent in the Northwest. And most are moving pretty fast...

[loubennett]

I don't have the Standard Horizon unit but I have looked at it with their rep. Looks like a great idea both from a price and mounting space point of view. It also means you don't need an extra VHF antenna. I have been hoping Icom would match it. When i upgrade my chartplotter this Spring I'll seriously consider this unit. Here on the Chesapeake I don't feel a strong need for AIS. The path of the ships are very predictable. Could help with the tugs and barges though. Puget Sound is different. Deep water everywhere so large vessels have more choice of course. Be sure your chartplotter supports AIS. If it does the interface should be easy.

[mhanna]

Good topic...
I ordered a Standard Horizon GX2150 2 weeks ago but it has not come in yet. Be aware that this radio is a AIS receiver only (it does not transmit out your position).
I was not in the market for an AIS unit, but while researching for a DSC unit I found this and it was only marginally more.
Note that there are actually 2 units, the gx2100 and the gx2150.
The 2100 requires 2 NMEA connections (#1) a 4800 baud for the unit to get location info and a second (#2) a 38400 baud for the AIS info to get back to your chartplotter.
The 2150 can do the above and as an option you can only use 1 NMEA connector at 38400 to do both the position download and the AIS upload (If you only have 1 NMEA connector on your chartplotter this could remove a big headache.
There are a few other minor changes as well, the link below explains.
http://www.standardhorizon.com/indexVS. ... Archived=0

Bottom line is I needed a new VHF and figured this would give me the DSC and AIS came along with not much of a hit and I do not need another antenna.

Matt

[johnthekayaker]

I have been looking at the ACR 2675 to use with my PC based Navigation software.

Check out this site to monitor live AIS marine traffic. http://www.marinetraffic.com/


John Loos
A27 SC
A32 CB

[brookesmith]

I've decided not to get an AIS receiver as I have Verizon Broadband connected to a wireless network using a cradlepoint ctr500 router and this gives me Internet access MOST everywhere I boat. I use intellicast.com for weather, http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov for live buoy weather observations and the marinetraffic.com for AIS to my MacBook which also used MacEnc navigation software. Having a GPS & Internet connected computer gives you a lot of the same information as the radar & AIS.

[dkircher]

Great Ideas. I have the Standard Horizon GX2150 and am about to install it. I'll also check into Verizon wireless as a supplement. I think that in our waters, reception could be an issue. It gets into wilderness fairly fast when you travel the Inside Passage. Thanks.