Adding AIS to Older Electronics

[AZ_Zoner]

We are considering adding an AIS-B to our 6 year old ray marine E120w plotter. We will most like go with the ray marine 650 AIS system as I hope this will be close to a plug and play set up. So being that we are new to this please give us any feed back as to the component and any installation info you may have.

I did get the shock of how much the FCC wants for a new MMSI. $220.00! Wow! What if I don't go with the international license. Does it still broadcast and receive if I did somewhere down the road went out of the US boarders?

Thanks for any input,

Craig

[Badsanta]

Raymarine has a blog site and answers usually in a few days.

[AZ_Zoner]

Thanks badsanta. Do you know anything about the coastal vs. the international mmsi?

Craig

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by AZ_Zoner

Thanks badsanta. Do you know anything about the coastal vs. the international mmsi?

Craig

The boat's single MMSI is used in the AIS tx mode, VHF and if you have one in the an SSB with DSC capabilities. You can get an MMSI number from the likes of BoatUS in the US, but this MMSI has the following limits:

BoatUS MMSI numbers are coded for recreational vessels cruising in U.S. waters only not otherwise required to be licensed; the registrations are downloaded into the U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Database (MISLE) only. FCC-assigned MMSI numbers are coded for International Waters and go into the International Search & Rescue Database (ITU). In order to be accepted into the ITU database, any FCC assigned MMSI must end in zero. This is why the BoatUS MMSI number cannot be re-used when later applying for an FCC License for international cruising.

If you operate your VHF outside the US, ie in international waters, then you are required to have an FCC station license. An MMSI number comes with this license.

So, your AIS will function fine with either type of MMSI. If you hit the red emergency button on your VHF with a BoatUS MMSI while outside the US, the MMSI maybe not be looked up properly and may not be responded to.

[AZ_Zoner]

Paul L,
Thanks for the response. This is the info I needed. I will eventually need the international so moving forward on that one now.

Craig