Adding AIS 100 to C90w?

[s/v 'Faith']

Preparing for a VI trip, looking to add AIS to a Raymarine C90w (w radar).

Thinking this should be an easy 'plug and play' solution;



AIS 100 AIS Receiver

Low Cost High Performance Dual-Channel AIS Receiver

For Use with Existing Plotter and Radar Systems

High Speed NMEA Output



Item #: 258648 Brand: Digital Yacht Model #: ZDIGAIS100


Anyone have one? Any thoughts?

Of course I could pay 2x as much for the Raymarine AIS350 Receiver, but not seeing a big benefit....

Oh, and I am planning to mount a 'stubby' VHF antenna on the dodger to rx the VHF signals... really just looking for 5-10 miles of rx area for collision avoidance on those late watches...



I did think about a SH Matrix 2150 (have used before) but the boat has a SH horizon w a remote mike... by the time I switch out the radio and remote mike it will be much more investment...

THoughts?

[jeremiason]

I tried that route once with a Nobeltech AIS Receiver with my E-120 and discovered the baud rate differences screwed with the ICOM VHF Radios and their DSC...

Also you need to check if you have any NEMA connections avaiable, otherwise you will be purchasing a Raymarine NEMA Multiplexer to accomodte the extra connections.

So you spend $180 for the AIS receiver, $50 for the antenna, $20 for the wire and possibly another $200 for the multiplexer.

Or you go to Ultimate Passage and spend $432 for a plug in Raymarine AIS350 that is plug and play, requires no additional wires or antennas (Has a VHF Splitter) and has no Baud rte issues.

[chuckr]

we run a raymarine c70 and a couple of years ago installed a acr class b unit and it was a simple plug and play -- we wanted to not only see but be seen and on some late night sails and ais says the big ship is going to be close it was great to call them and have them respond that yes i see you on our ais --
and a lot of people we sail with have the receiver only and they can tell where we are --
acr makes a great unit

just my opinion
chuck patty and svsoulmates
in trindad for hurricane season

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by jeremiason

I tried that route once with a Nobeltech AIS Receiver with my E-120 and discovered the baud rate differences screwed with the ICOM VHF Radios and their DSC...

Also you need to check if you have any NEMA connections avaiable, otherwise you will be purchasing a Raymarine NEMA Multiplexer to accomodte the extra connections.

So you spend $180 for the AIS receiver, $50 for the antenna, $20 for the wire and possibly another $200 for the multiplexer.

Or you go to Ultimate Passage and spend $432 for a plug in Raymarine AIS350 that is plug and play, requires no additional wires or antennas (Has a VHF Splitter) and has no Baud rte issues.

Absolutely do not want to have to go the multiplexer route...

Thanks for the post.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by chuckr

we run a raymarine c70 and a couple of years ago installed a acr class b unit and it was a simple plug and play -- we wanted to not only see but be seen and on some late night sails and ais says the big ship is going to be close it was great to call them and have them respond that yes i see you on our ais --
and a lot of people we sail with have the receiver only and they can tell where we are --
acr makes a great unit

just my opinion
chuck patty and svsoulmates
in trindad for hurricane season

Thanks Chuck,

Not too interested in transmitting. I see the day where this will be too easy for the 'authorities' to make mandatory... I am unwilling to increase the compliance rate to hasten that. Receive only is what I am looking for, but I apprecaite your expeience with the ACR unit.

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

Thanks Chuck,

Not too interested in transmitting. I see the day where this will be too easy for the 'authorities' to make mandatory... I am unwilling to increase the compliance rate to hasten that. Receive only is what I am looking for, but I apprecaite your expeience with the ACR unit.

Don't discount the Class B unit too quickly....

The Raymarine AIS 650 and its predisessor the AIS 500 have a silent feature that allows you to turn of the transmitter, while still receiving.

I have found that in busy ports, including my old home port of San Francisco and now here in the Panama Canal area, the transmitting AIS has been very helpful.

While cruising the coast between SF and Panama I have had a number of ships contact me directly via VHF radio, either for intentions or just to shoot the breeze in the middle of the night.

Also the Rymarine AIS units have memory or what they call friends list, which idetifies previously tagged vessels and identifies them in red outline... It is nice where you are looking for buddy boats.

[s/v 'Faith']

Going to go with the 350. The only question now is to use a splitter, or add a second antenna above the dodger.

I know VHF range, and 25miles is a maximum expectation... anyone with an AIS antenna with a 'height of eye' of something like 12'?

What kind of AIS rx range are you seeing?

[jeremiason]

I have two VHF antennas on m boat... One on the Mast at about 65' and one on an antenna tree on the transom at about 13'.

To see how much difference there was I switched the AIS unit between the two units while I was still berthed in San Francisco Bay.

On the mast head I ws receiving as far as 43 miles.

On the lower antenna the distance was decreased to about 13 miles.

Range of VHF is determined by height of the antenna as well as the other considerations.

[s/v 'Faith']

Thanks Tom, that is what I suspected.

I am surprised / impressed by the 43 mile contact... must have had an awfuly tall superstructure on that one!

[jeremiason]

Once you get out onto the ocean you will see contacts much farther away than that.

When I did that test, I was at the dock in Alameda (San Francisco East Bay) and the ship was 43 miles west, over the San Francisco Pennisula.

You will receive better once you are away from urban sprawl...

Coastal Cruising, I routinely recieve complete AIS information out to about 50-60 miles and partial information out over 100 miles.

[chuckr]

sorry for the long delay but out cruising with no internet -- agree with tom - it is not a matter of the authorities it is a matter of other ship - doing a long sail from panama to jamaica we had several big ships come our way and they called us and we discussed how to pass safely - one super tanker wanted to know if we were under full sail and when i confirmed and was 42 deg on wind he said he would alter course for us - some with with a passanger ship who saw us on his ais -

as for the splitter idea - we have run into a lot of folks who us splitters and some with success and some have real problems -- i am a simple guy who does not want to get to problems and have the antenna on our bimini top - we can see targets over 20+ miles away -
we have sailed down the entire coast of the western carib, across the carib and down the eastern coast - i would not go with the transmit but we each have our own level of tolerance

just my opinion
chuck patty and svsoulmates
in trinidad for hurricane season

[xymotic]

I had an 8' antenna on the bimini, the tip was probably 15' up. My record was 62 miles... it was a tall ship presumably with their antenna atop one of the masts.

If you haven't already bought the AIS have a look at the Em-Trak ones, NEMA 2000 makes them REALLY easy to install.