Vesper AIS internal GPS antenna

[Wainui]

I’m planning on installing a Vesper AIS with a VHF splitter.
Have some questions.
1) Does the 8000 have an internal GPS antenna like the 6000?
2) will the external GPS antenna work below deck?
3) How well does the 6000 internal GPS antenna work below the deck?

My RM Axiom internal GPS antenna works great below deck.
Regards.

[sv_pelagia]

I have an older Vesper (Watchmate 850... love it!). I found the internal GPS down below at nav station would sometimes lose signal when seas were particularly rough. A real bother when using it as the anchor watch/alarm!

I subsequently purchased the Vesper external GPS antenna addon and have never had the lost signal again (since 2015)! And the Vesper anchor watch is a great feature.

[CaptTom]

Have you bought the XB-8000 yet? You should understand that it's basically an orphaned product at this point. All of Vesper's development is going into their Cortex line. There's been no work on the old stuff for years now.

[AllenRbrts]

Originally Posted by Wainui

I’m planning on installing a Vesper AIS with a VHF splitter.

Have some questions.

1) Does the 8000 have an internal GPS antenna like the 6000?

2) will the external GPS antenna work below deck?

3) How well does the 6000 internal GPS antenna work below the deck?



My RM Axiom internal GPS antenna works great below deck.

Regards.

8000 only has an external gps antenna, I thought all AIS transmitting units did

External works below deck for me.

8000 is a fine unit.

[Portage_bay]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Have you bought the XB-8000 yet? You should understand that it's basically an orphaned product at this point. All of Vesper's development is going into their Cortex line. There's been no work on the old stuff for years now.

An orphaned product with good support. Vesper was very helpful last year quickly answering technical questions. At that time they still offered hardware support.



To the OP, I have the external antenna mounted below decks. Works just fine.

[boat driver]

ais works best with external gps antenna.
Reason is the gps signal is a weak signal and although will often get to the unit below, picture for simplicity it is reflecting off the companionway. If the internal unit is in a porthole with clear sight of the sky , it will work better. But again be aware, a fog wet sail will reflect signals.
Same goes for the internal gps for VHF radios to operate the dsc system. They were really designed for the center console and outdoor mounting so to see the sky.
AIS via splitter to the masthead vhf antenna should be a last resort install. Best is a dedicated external vhf antenna at least 3 meters above the water.
For no other reason than proper seamanship, the AIS is a redundant communication device that if coupled to vhf radio with a splitter is now subject to antenna and splitter failures. another thread discusses this.
Vesper 8000 an older unit but very reliable and flexible for a cornerstone of the navigation electronics. .

[JasonS]

We were one of the earliest adopters (first week out last August) of the Vesper Cortex. I can say without a doubt that Vesper is one of the best companies from a customer service standpoint that I have worked with. They were responsive to every issue we encountered and updated the software several times a week during the first few months. They continue to add functions and improve the unit every month now. It’s been an amazing addition to our boat. They asked me to be a beta tester, which I’ve been doing. They take our suggestions and keep implementing them. Very nice!

As to GPS antenna, I would recommend external. We already had two GPS antennas on our rear arch (we have a Manta Catamaran). We didn’t want to run another GPS antenna to the arch which is a 50 foot run, so I placed on cabintop next to outside helm station. Works perfectly!!

We also added the external cellular antenna and placed it above our indoor navigation table next to the Lexan forward port side window. Has worked perfectly there.

We also just replaced our old (21 years) basic Shakespeare antenna and cable with a Morad antenna tuned to both VHF and AIS. We are currently at a marina but immediately improved our VHF reception.

Good luck. Happy to Highly recommend Vesper.

[Smokeys Kitchen]

We have a 4 yr old Vesper 6000 model (non wi-fi). It is mounted in the cabinet adjacent to the Nav station which is just under the deck. It has no external antenna connected for the gps.

We have a single mast mounted antenna that we run into a Vesper splitter for both the VHF and AIS transmit and receive functions.

We are currently in San Francisco Bay in Northern California after coming down from Seattle. Both the AIS and VHF worked fine even in some rougher water.

We also have a rate compass mounted inside in a similar manner but on the opposite side of the boat with the NMEA 2000 cable running to the nav cabinet. It also works fine inside

YMMV

[boat driver]

Originally Posted by JasonS

We were one of the earliest adopters (first week out last August) of the Vesper Cortex. I can say without a doubt that Vesper is one of the best companies from a customer service standpoint that I have worked with. They were responsive to every issue we encountered and updated the software several times a week during the first few months. They continue to add functions and improve the unit every month now. It’s been an amazing addition to our boat. They asked me to be a beta tester, which I’ve been doing. They take our suggestions and keep implementing them. Very nice!

As to GPS antenna, I would recommend external. We already had two GPS antennas on our rear arch (we have a Manta Catamaran). We didn’t want to run another GPS antenna to the arch which is a 50 foot run, so I placed on cabintop next to outside helm station. Works perfectly!!

We also added the external cellular antenna and placed it above our indoor navigation table next to the Lexan forward port side window. Has worked perfectly there.

We also just replaced our old (21 years) basic Shakespeare antenna and cable with a Morad antenna tuned to both VHF and AIS. We are currently at a marina but immediately improved our VHF reception.

Good luck. Happy to Highly recommend Vesper.

What motivated you to replace the antenna and wire?
the Morad antenna is a great antenna, but any excuse of corrosion or age concern should reflect why keeping two redundant methods of communication separate and avoid being talked into a splitter.

[sail sfbay]

Suggest a Standard Horizon GX2400 Matrix with AIS / GPS / NMEA2000..........that is what I installed on my Hunter 46 and Symbol Sundeck 44. the VHF radio AIS is overlayed on the navigation displays.

[Peel]

Originally Posted by sail sfbay

Suggest a Standard Horizon GX2400 Matrix with AIS / GPS / NMEA2000..........that is what I installed on my Hunter 46 and Symbol Sundeck 44. the VHF radio AIS is overlayed on the navigation displays.

The GX2400 is an AIS receiver only, not a transponder. The Vesper unit the OP is talking about is a transponder, so I doubt the GX2400 would fit all of their needs.

[AedanC]

We have an XB6000, it’s mounted below and operating with the internal antenna. It’s been working fine for 6 years now. Fibreglass boat.

[Flatswing]

Vesper 8000xb comes with an external GPS antenna. I mounted mine high (20’) on the arch. Excellent usually. WIFi provides AIS feeds to iPad or Android for Aquamaps.
The watch mate app provides a very reliable anchor watch on any device- easy to use & the track display shows exactly where you are relative to your anchor on any smart device if the GOS antenna is properly situated. Additionally, if you miss the anchor drop point exactly, you can move it after the fact on your phone.

[Gripfast]

I second the statement about Vesper customer service. I had a software problem with my 8000. They were very helpful in helping me take care of it. I love the device. I do not need the new cortex thing, this 8000 is plenty for me. Love the wifi, it collects information from my NEMA 2000 network and transmits everything to my tablets or phones.

[CarlF]

Unless you own a ketch or schooner with two masts for antennas, using a high quality splitter to have a single masthead antenna is a much better idea. Less risk of interference.

The new Vesper Cortex comes with a splitter built in - and Vesper knows a thing or two about AIS.