Anyone Tried VHF/AIS Radio?

[colemj]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

It does not have a GPS antenna input. It relies on position data from a GPS device, via the com port. It cannot be used as a backup GPS device. You could consider it a backup DISPLAY.

That is not how ours is. We have a 1998 Garmin GPS antenna hooked directly to the input. The antenna has NMEA0183 output, but is not a GPS device - it was the antenna/receiver part of an old B&G GPS unit. We do not have any GPS device or chartplotter connected to the input side of the radio.

I have also installed one with an old Raymarine GPS antenna that was previously used with a Raymarine chartplotter. The antenna wires are the only connection to the radio, and they are not connected to any other device or multiplexer.

So it does have a GPS antenna input, and with an antenna connected to it, it can serve as a backup GPS device. Or even a primary one if you do not need advanced features. It is stand alone, has the ability to store waypoints and navigate to them. It can be used when all other electronics are turned off.

Perhaps our confusion is in the terminology of "GPS antenna"? Certainly ALL devices made that are commonly called "GPS antennas", are in actuality GPS receivers with internal antennas. There is no such thing (and maybe never was) just a simple "antenna". They all output position sentences or PGN's, depending on the type of protocol they use. This is also true for the hockey puck USB styles. All GPS units and chartplotters simply read the output from the antenna - they do not create any data themselves.

Mark

[tonybonelli]

I have Navicom RT-650 with built-in AIS. I never used it as a standalone AIS device, only for showing targets on the chart on my Mac. But it does have this CPA feature (1, 2 or 3 miles) and TCPA (5, 8 or 10 minutes). To get this work you need to have NMEA GPS connected to it. Mine uses NMEA output from Actisense NDC-4 Multiplexer, which gets it from Mac. But I plan to connect a standalone GPS receiver to multiplexer to be able to switch the computer off.
Another nice feature of this radio is wireless remote, which can can fully control the unit from outside and also has an intercom call.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by colemj

Perhaps our confusion is in the terminology of "GPS antenna"? Certainly ALL devices made that are commonly called "GPS antennas", are in actuality GPS receivers with internal antennas. There is no such thing (and maybe never was) just a simple "antenna". They all output position sentences or PGN's, depending on the type of protocol they use. This is also true for the hockey puck USB styles. All GPS units and chartplotters simply read the output from the antenna - they do not create any data themselves.

Mark

Yes, apparently there is some confusion in terminology. A GPS antenna is a usually passive device that collects the radio frequency signal from GPS satellites and provides an analog coax cable connection to a GPS receiver. The receiver amplifies the RF signal, performs frequency conversion, demodulates and digitizes it, and decodes the digital information and computes the navigational solution. An example of a standalone antenna is the Garmin GA-30, very much still made and sold today. Some people erroneously refer to GPS receivers integrated with antennas (see, for example GPS 17) as "antennas". The integrated antenna/receiver package typically outputs NMEA0183 or NMEA2000 sentences over a serial interface cable.

[ShaunJ]

I have the 2150 with a ram mic,, its awesome.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

Yes, apparently there is some confusion in terminology. A GPS antenna is a usually passive device that collects the radio frequency signal from GPS satellites and provides an analog coax cable connection to a GPS receiver. The receiver amplifies the RF signal, performs frequency conversion, demodulates and digitizes it, and decodes the digital information and computes the navigational solution. An example of a standalone antenna is the Garmin GA-30, very much still made and sold today. Some people erroneously refer to GPS receivers integrated with antennas (see, for example GPS 17) as "antennas". The integrated antenna/receiver package typically outputs NMEA0183 or NMEA2000 sentences over a serial interface cable.

Correct!

If the unit talks NMEA0183 or NMEA2000 it is a GPS device, regardless if it has a display or direct input. A GPS antenna connects to a GPS receiver via coax (normally RG58). Another example of a GPS antenna is the Furuno GPA017. FWIW, most AIS transceivers utilize a GPS antenna with the GPS receiver integral to the AIS transceiver.

The SH GX2150 connects to a GPS device.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by ShaunJ

I have the 2150 with a ram mic,, its awesome.

I have the same. The comand mike is an excellent idea especially as I sail mostly solo and the main set is downstairs. It also incorporates the AIS data etc.

One tip: make sure you spray the cockpit plug/conection regularly with Inox or some similar kind of penetrating/protecting spray. The plug likes to corrode and cause weird shorts.

[Stu Jackson]

Standard Horizon Matrix GX2100

[Bob on OTTER]

Isn't SH introducing a 2150 type VHF/AIS WITH 12 channel GPS

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by Bob on OTTER

Isn't SH introducing a 2150 type VHF/AIS WITH 12 channel GPS

They just introduced the GX-1700 Which has GPS but not AIS, I'm not aware of a fully integrated radio with both.

It would seem a natural progression, but then again I'm surprised the 2150 doesn't have NMEA 2000.

[surfmachine]

Hi shipmates!
I have the SH Matrix AIS+, with the dual i/o ports.
States...

http://www.standardhorizon.com/downl...pplication/pdf

blue wire connects gps input.
gray wire connects dsc output
brown wire connects ais output
So you join theswe two together???
green wire is nmea common, this is the nmea negaitve wire???

Question is ...
What colour wires do you connect to what colour wires on the raymarine A50 chartplotter?
I thought that the nmea common carried all the data?

The A50 has two nmea ports, with +ve and -ve in and out, a total of 8 wires, but the manual does not make it clear what wires to connect the dsc and ais outputs of the vhf radio to?

Raymarine Marine Electronics - A50 5" Chartplotter (no preloaded charts)

I suppose that they go to the +ve input on one of the nmea in/out ports, and the gps feed to the vhf radio goes to the gps input wire from the nmea +ve output wire from the A50?

Thanks from Keith.

[ewitts]

I just installed one with openCPN seems to work well, the screen range on the radio is 15nm I go out much farther with my software and it seems to get the data from the radio past the 15nm. I am waiting for a Lowrance hds 5 to arrive today, so I'll be linking that up. MArkSF do you have a radar antenna on that Lowrance hds?

[MarkSF]

I hope that you got the 2150, not the 2100, as that's what you need to communicate with the hds5 and 7.

I had some issues figuring how to wire the nmea connection but the info from SH is correct. Ignore what's in the 2150 manual, and anything lowrance will tell you, and get the latest diagram off the SH website.

Let me know if you need any help.

No radar yet, room for future upgrade!

[ewitts]

Well I was talking to Lowrance and that was not very good as you found. I bought I hds 5x because they tod me it would do what I needed to do. So now I am waiting for the new 5m I guess. Anyway they told me I needed a nmea 2k network, is that not true?
I will be wanting the ais overlay on the radar.

[Jbaffoh]

Originally Posted by ewitts

Well I was talking to Lowrance and that was not very good as you found. I bought I hds 5x because they tod me it would do what I needed to do. So now I am waiting for the new 5m I guess. Anyway they told me I needed a nmea 2k network, is that not true?
I will be wanting the ais overlay on the radar.

You do NOT need an NMEA 2k network to connect the Matrix GX2150 to a Lowrance HDS--according to this: http://www.standardhorizon.com/downl...lication%2Fpdf

[ewitts]

Maybe I needed it for my other dataI want to get there. We will see.