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Old 25-01-2015, 17:35   #1
RDW
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class A AIS

I currently have a Class B receiver AIS connected to a Raymarine E 80 chart plotter. The chart plotter is intergrated with my radar, gps and navonics charts.
I need to upgrade to class A AIS. Required for World Arc.
Can I just buy a unit and plug it into where the other one was ?
Sorry if I am not giving you enough information.
I am just beginning to look into this!
RDW
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Old 25-01-2015, 17:48   #2
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Re: class A AIS

If there is a requirement for you to have Class A AIS, I expect they are requiring a transceiver (Xmit & Receive). Class A's likely would require use of their own GPS and VHF antennas, and the wiring and interface with plotters etc. may be quite different. Class A's are much more $$, and have a lot more functions.
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Old 25-01-2015, 18:45   #3
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Re: class A AIS

I would like Class A and if my boat was a new build I would have it.

The Raymarine 950 Class A is about $3,000 and, obviously, will integrate with your Raymarine chartplotter.

AIS950 Spec. US

I am a bit surprised the WARC requires A Class...


[edit]

I just checked and the World ARC does not require Class A. It requires either Class A or Class B
Quote:
AIS
i. World ARC. A transponder (Class A or B) is a mandatory requirement for World ARC.
http://www.worldcruising.com/CMS/CMS...ns_ENG_Web.pdf

There ya go, I just saved you over $2,000!!!!! Raymarine 650 Class B is about $900.




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Old 25-01-2015, 19:05   #4
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Re: class A AIS

Quote:
Originally Posted by RDW View Post
I currently have a Class B receiver AIS connected to a Raymarine E 80 chart plotter. The chart plotter is intergrated with my radar, gps and navonics charts.
I need to upgrade to class A AIS. Required for World Arc.
Can I just buy a unit and plug it into where the other one was ?
Sorry if I am not giving you enough information.
I am just beginning to look into this!
RDW
It should work ok. There may be some messages from the class A unit that the Raymarine doesn't present on the plotter but that should not be any problem. I think the main reason they want WARC boats to use class A is because the class A units transmit with more power than class B and thus can be heard farther away. Raymarine make a class A unit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by St. Elsewhere View Post
If there is a requirement for you to have Class A AIS, I expect they are requiring a transceiver (Xmit & Receive). Class A's likely would require use of their own GPS and VHF antennas, and the wiring and interface with plotters etc. may be quite different. Class A's are much more $$, and have a lot more functions.
This is their safety requirements:

http://www.worldcruising.com/CMS/CMS...ations_ENG.pdf

And yes, they require a class A transponder (there is no such thing as a class A receive only unit so far as I know).
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Old 25-01-2015, 19:06   #5
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Re: class A AIS

From 2015 onwards they require class A I think.
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Old 25-01-2015, 19:10   #6
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Re: class A AIS

MarkJ
The the information I received from World Cruising stated class A transponder.
I checked again after your post.
Thanks for trying to save me $
rdw
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Old 25-01-2015, 19:31   #7
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Re: class A AIS

Comar CSA-300 Class A AIS Transponder
Class A transponder on sale $2499.
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Old 25-01-2015, 21:43   #8
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class A AIS

Class A seems overkill.
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Old 25-01-2015, 22:07   #9
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Re: class A AIS

I was watching the Prince Rupert area AIS system and the commercial ships use Class A while the Pilot boats use Class B. I was quite surprised by the difference in range as the Pilot boats headed out to an incoming ship or to pick up a pilot from an outgoing vessel. The AIS shore receiver there is mounted on the side of a mountain, probably more than 100' above sea level with no obstructions so the difference in range would likely be just the difference in power.
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Old 26-01-2015, 00:23   #10
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Re: class A AIS

we run a raymarine e80 and have for the past several years. we got a aci ais class a - send and receive - with it's own gps and antenna, and it is connected to the e80 via nema.

it works great and has for the past several years.

check other mfgers of ais and a nema feed.
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Old 26-01-2015, 04:55   #11
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Re: class A AIS

Strange, the 2015 world ARC is currently swarming around us now, and almost all of them have class B AIS.

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Old 26-01-2015, 08:45   #12
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Re: class A AIS

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeepFrz View Post
The AIS shore receiver there is mounted on the side of a mountain, probably more than 100' above sea level with no obstructions so the difference in range would likely be just the difference in power.
Power difference is likely the largest factor, but the difference in antenna height on the vessels is not trivial.
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Old 26-01-2015, 13:52   #13
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Re: class A AIS

If you must equip with a Class A AIS unit...
I highly recommend the Furuno FA-150....
It will cost you about $3000....and will work well for you...


St. Elsewhere, et al,
Actually the antenna height and location on the commercial vessels with Class A AIS units, is likely the largest factor, compared to the low antennas on the pilot vessels, which can very easily have their signals blocked/attenuated by the waves....and the lower power combined with the possible signal losses from the slower update rate of the Class B units on the pilot boats as they roll/pitch in the seas, etc. to be secondary...
Quote:
Originally Posted by St. Elsewhere View Post
Power difference is likely the largest factor, but the difference in antenna height on the vessels is not trivial.


The larger question I have is why isn't the World ARC recommending better or more experienced skippers/crew, etc. rather than a Class A AIS??
Or how about complying to the ISAF Cat 0 regs???
(perhaps it a WARC rule that stems out of "consistency is best" philosophy?? or maybe they just want to be able to conform to any/all changing national rules/regs that their participants might find over the next year or so???)


Oh, well....that's all for now....

Fair winds...

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Old 26-01-2015, 14:11   #14
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Re: class A AIS

Quote:
Originally Posted by ka4wja View Post
The larger question I have is why isn't the World ARC recommending better or more experienced skippers/crew, etc. rather than a Class A AIS??
WHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAA! I just spit coffee all over Weavis's screen!

The WARC is currently buzzing around us right now - oh man, the stories I could tell you just from listening to them all freaking day on the VHF!

Unbelievable how truly green and unprepared many of them are. I don't think some of them can take a dump without first coordinating with the "rally control".

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Old 26-01-2015, 14:15   #15
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Re: class A AIS

The deal-breaker for me for Class "A" AIS is the fact that you have to program it with voyage data every time you go out.

Theoretically, you even have to reprogram it every time you go from sail to power or back.

This is fine for ships, but not suitable for casual or short-handed sailing.
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