Had trouble for 2 years with RayM
AIS 250. Losing
reception after ± 30 minutes warm-up, losing all signals on the plotter
screen but the RM plotter still sees the
AIS as present/active.
It has been in twice with
Raymarine in the UK. The first time they reported "no problems" "it received about 20 targets in a 5 hour span" which did not convince me at all.... After functioning initially and receiving information (an be seen from a flickering red led) it stops receiving.
I now received a brand new AIS from
Raymarine, even out of warranty! Thanks Raymarine!
However, I want to avoid getting the same problem for which I have 2 suspicions:
1) after initial
installation using the masttop
VHF antenna through the splitter in the AIS250, I remarked
interference from the unit on the adjacent
marine VHF frequencies in my old
Icom 80H VHF. I then installed a dedicated AIS
antenna on the pushpit. This received well enough, goen the
interference, but it is on the opposite side of the SSB-sloping "alternative backstay" wire antenna, about 3 meters away.
=> MAYBE THIS BLOWED SOMETHING IN A RECEIVER STAGE OF THE AIS250?
(I now went back to using the splitter and masttop antenna)
2) the RayM
installation manual states "installing the AIS250 blackbox minimum 2m away from an
SSB transceiver and 1 m away from a
marine VHF "to avoid EMC issues". Mine is only about 50cm (0.5m) away from those...
=> CAN THIS BE THE CAUSE OF PERMANENT DAMMAGE?
Glad to hear your opinion and eventual precaution
advice. (did install large clamp-on ferrites at the AIS blackbox.
Jan