Buying an AIS transponder, which VHF radio to buy to effectively use it?

[ronstory]

Nick--

Thanks, this reminded me to make an update. I had purchased last year a Lowrance Link-8 but was dumb and didn't check if it supported a remote. After looking at the Simrad stuff, I realized the case, bracket and connections/wiring looks the same. So I'll just install the Lowrance for debugging the system and then upgrade to the Simrad and two of the remotes.

That also saves me from running yet-another-cable to the binnacle since I already have power there for the chartplotter and the autopilot. Just more stuff to install.

[ChrisseH]

Any recent update on the availability of the GX6500? And has anyone practical experience in using this device?

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I have the Vesper xb8000 and the B&G V50 VHF which is a great combo: no need for nmea0183 and both put AIS on the N2K network. Love the remote which has an inductive charging cradle.

I have the same two devices, and find they don't play together well. The VHF has an AIS receiver and always alarms to tell me the Vesper is about to collide with us. I have to turn off AIS on the B&G, which means I lose use of the cute little PPI screen on the B&G.

To me, the B&G was a waste of money. The two things I wanted (backup AIS receiver and display) are turned off. I like having the remote but I find it doesn't get the use I thought it would. The B&G has enough other quirks and bugs that I would never buy another.

[continuouswave]

Originally Posted by ChrisseH

Any recent update on the availability of the GX6500?

A comment was recently made that there is no record of Standard-Horizon even submitting it to the FCC for approval. If true, that does not engender much enthusiasm for it being available soon.

Originally Posted by ChrisseH

And has anyone practical experience in using this device?

I haven't seen any first-hand report on the radio from an actual owner.

And the most visible public face of Standard-Horizon marine electronics, Jason Kennedy, is no longer with Standard-Horizon to give us any news.

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by ChrisseH

Any recent update on the availability of the GX6500? And has anyone practical experience in using this device?

I emailed Standard Horizon today inquiring about the status of the GX6500. I'll pass on anything I hear. Failing that I'm going to pester the SH reps at the boat show">Miami Boat show in a couple of weeks. They had the radio on display last year, so they better have some answers this year ;-)

-David

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by Davidhoy

I emailed Standard Horizon today inquiring about the status of the GX6500. I'll pass on anything I hear. Failing that I'm going to pester the SH reps at the Miami Boat show in a couple of weeks. They had the radio on display last year, so they better have some answers this year ;-)

-David

To my pleasant surprise, I heard back from SH already. Unfortunately the gentleman could not provide any specifics, other than to say "we have good expectations that we may see it come summer".

-David

[continuouswave]

The Standard-Horizon GX6000 Marine Mobile Transceiver has received a GRANT OF EQUIPMENT AUTHORIZATION CERTIFICATION as of January 4, 2018, issued under the authority of the Federal Communications Commission by a Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB; see more below in a follow-up posting). As far as I can tell, this means the device has been approved for sale in the USA for its intended purpose as a licensed station transmitter in the VHF Marine Band service.

Note that this device is NOT the AIS transponder model, GX6500. Before the FCC can certify any AIS transmitter device, the USCG must first certify it meets maritime standards.

For more details please see my longer articles at

Standard-Horizon GX6000, GX6500 - CONTINUOUSWAVE

[bensolomon]

Originally Posted by Privilege

As a slight thread drift, does anyone have any experience/input in relation to the Digital Yacht AIT3000? It has a built in wifi so it can broadcast straight to your iPad. This will give a much bigger screen than my Raymarine e7 or a VHF radio. It also has an antenna splitter so one aerial can be used for VHF and AIS. As an AIS novice, it seems that trying to read a signal on a VHF radio screen would make the system almost unusable if there are more than a couple of AIS boats around?

I almost bought one at the Annapolis boat show. It has everything....built in wifi to send out to a tablet and cell phone, a built in multiplexer so you can send DSC information to any DSC VHF as well as being able to send the AIS information out to a chartplotter, a built-in VHF antenna splitter, and it's own gps antenna. This device is on my list of things to add this summer.

If you already have a chartplotter on board, and you already have a VHF radio capable of DSC, this is the device to get, in my opinion. It also has an exceedingly low power draw.

I have an old Garmin 420c, and an Icom 503 with remote mic at the helm. I connected my old Garmin to the DSC VHF and it works very well. I want to keep my current configuration and add the AiS.

[jeffrobbins]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

I almost bought one at the Annapolis boat show. It has everything....built in wifi to send out to a tablet and cell phone, a built in multiplexer so you can send DSC information to any DSC VHF as well as being able to send the AIS information out to a chartplotter, a built-in VHF antenna splitter, and it's own gps antenna. This device is on my list of things to add this summer.

If you already have a chartplotter on board, and you already have a VHF radio capable of DSC, this is the device to get, in my opinion. It also has an exceedingly low power draw.

I have an old Garmin 420c, and an Icom 503 with remote mic at the helm. I connected my old Garmin to the DSC VHF and it works very well. I want to keep my current configuration and add the AiS.

Shameless plug.... have you had a look at a Vesper Marine XB-8000? WiFi plus dedicated collision, MOB and anchor watch alarms built into the transponder itself meaning no reliance on the MFD or other devices for this. Has 0183 & N2K->WiFi built-in meaning it brings nav instruments like depth and wind to smart phones and tablets too. Feeds GPS and/or AIS to a DSC VHF and can even be a primary or secondary GPS source for all other devices over your 0183/N2K network. Controlled by WatchMate apps on Android, iOS and Wear2 smart watches.

https://www2.vespermarine.com/xb8000-ais-transponder

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

... a built in multiplexer so you can send DSC information to any DSC VHF...

If you already have a chartplotter on board, and you already have a VHF radio capable of DSC, this is the device to get, in my opinion.

Are you saying it will send the DSC information from an AIS target to any VHF radio, allowing that radio to "call" that target directly via DSC? That would be quite an innovation.

My understanding (from the beginning of this thread) was that there's no standard for doing that. I'd love to be proven wrong.

Otherwise, I'd say it's doing the same things other AIS devices on the market can do.

[jeffrobbins]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Are you saying it will send the DSC information from an AIS target to any VHF radio, allowing that radio to "call" that target directly via DSC? That would be quite an innovation.

My understanding (from the beginning of this thread) was that there's no standard for doing that. I'd love to be proven wrong.

Two of our other model AIS transponders do this with any modern Icom fixed-mount VHF. Touch a target on the transponder's screen and it automatically initiates a DSC call. However, as you've noted there isn't a way to do this with all VHF radios.

Otherwise, I'd say it's doing the same things other AIS devices on the market can do.

I'm curious if there are other AIS transponders that can translate N2K wind/depth/temp/baro/etc and output that data to any 3rd party app over WiFi? Have a built-in alarm with remote buzzer and silence switch for MOB, Anchor Watch or CPA/TCPA? Or can be used as the primary GPS on N2K? I haven't heard of any that do these but would love to know about them if they do.

[CaptTom]

Thanks for jumping in Jeff! Two questions:

1) Can my XB-8000 (through the app) trigger a VHF call on an iCom radio? If that were possible, I'd toss my B&G radio overboard and buy an iCom in a heartbeat. (OK, I'd actually recycle it responsibly. But I'd THINK about tossing it over!)

2) Can you direct me to the page where it lists the N2K data types that the XB-8000 sends over WiFi? You've mentioned before that new data types are being added regularly, I hope that's still happening. I'm hoping some day to see engine data. All that environment stuff is of less use to me on a power boat

[bensolomon]

Jeff Robbins,

I am a boat owner, and an end user. NOT a rep of any type. To characterize my opinion as a shameless plug is wrong. As a rep of Vesper, you just turned me off big time. I have looked at Vesper products. But.... Because my Icom VHF needs a 4800 baud signal for DSC and my VHF chartplotter requires a 38000 baud signal for the AIS targets, I need a multiplexer. When I evaluated this, your products did not have a built-in multiplexer nor do they have a built-in VHF splitter. So, in order to use the Vesper product to do what I needed to do I would have to purchase a separate VHF splitter, a separate multiplexer, a terminal block, and do all of these wiring connections. The digital yacht product has everything I need built into one unit. Furthermore, I didn't want an extra screen on my nav station. I want to be able to use my existing chartplotter which is somewhat dated and at the same time transmit to my iPad which is my actual chartplotter at the binnacle.

Ben Solomon

[sailjumanji]

Ben, I think you read Jeff's post wrong. The shameless plug comment was referring to his own post.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

Jeff Robbins,

I am a boat owner, and an end user. NOT a rep of any type. To characterize my opinion as a shameless plug is wrong. As a rep of Vesper, you just turned me off big time. I have looked at Vesper products. But.... Because my Icom VHF needs a 4800 baud signal for DSC and my VHF chartplotter requires a 38000 baud signal for the AIS targets, I need a multiplexer. When I evaluated this, your products did not have a built-in multiplexer nor do they have a built-in VHF splitter. So, in order to use the Vesper product to do what I needed to do I would have to purchase a separate VHF splitter, a separate multiplexer, a terminal block, and do all of these wiring connections. The digital yacht product has everything I need built into one unit. Furthermore, I didn't want an extra screen on my nav station. I want to be able to use my existing chartplotter which is somewhat dated and at the same time transmit to my iPad which is my actual chartplotter at the binnacle.

Ben Solomon

Lol.....Jeff wasn't referring to you with the shameless plug comment....