" wrote in news:d609d066-615f-4f32-
:

I'm considering installing an AIS. I'd really like a transceiver but
haven't been able to find one for less than around $4k with all you
need to install it. Receive only units seem to be around $700 by the
time you add some kind of display an antenna splitter or antenna and
a receiver. Multiplexing single channel receivers are reasonably
priced but I would assume they aren't as robust as two channel units
and I still need a display. In my case running a laptop all the time
is too expensive in terms of amps. I gather that class B transceivers
are coming to the US market "real soon now". So, is anyone in the
group using AIS? How do you like it? Are you using a receive only or
xmit/rec unit? Does anyone know when the B units will be out and
what kind or prices they'll have? What else should I know that I'm
too ignorant to ask? (ABOUT AIS only, please )

Cheers,

-- Tom.

Links I thought were interesting:
http://vespermarine.com/index.shtml
http://www.milltechmarine.com/
http://www.si-tex.com/


Tom, are you in the USA?

I'm considering installing an AIS. I'd really like a transceiver but
haven't been able to find one for less than around $4k with all you
need to install it. Receive only units seem to be around $700 by the
time you add some kind of display an antenna splitter or antenna and
a receiver. Multiplexing single channel receivers are reasonably
priced but I would assume they aren't as robust as two channel units
and I still need a display. In my case running a laptop all the time
is too expensive in terms of amps. I gather that class B transceivers
are coming to the US market "real soon now". So, is anyone in the
group using AIS? How do you like it? Are you using a receive only or
xmit/rec unit? Does anyone know when the B units will be out and
what kind or prices they'll have? What else should I know that I'm
too ignorant to ask? (ABOUT AIS only, please )

Cheers,

-- Tom.

Links I thought were interesting:
http://vespermarine.com/index.shtml
http://www.milltechmarine.com/
http://www.si-tex.com/

Larry wrote:
" wrote in news:d609d066-615f-4f32-
:

I'm considering installing an AIS. I'd really like a transceiver but
haven't been able to find one for less than around $4k with all you
need to install it. Receive only units seem to be around $700 by the
time you add some kind of display an antenna splitter or antenna and
a receiver. Multiplexing single channel receivers are reasonably
priced but I would assume they aren't as robust as two channel units
and I still need a display. In my case running a laptop all the time
is too expensive in terms of amps. I gather that class B transceivers
are coming to the US market "real soon now". So, is anyone in the
group using AIS? How do you like it? Are you using a receive only or
xmit/rec unit? Does anyone know when the B units will be out and
what kind or prices they'll have? What else should I know that I'm
too ignorant to ask? (ABOUT AIS only, please )

Cheers,

-- Tom.

Links I thought were interesting:
http://vespermarine.com/index.shtml
http://www.milltechmarine.com/
http://www.si-tex.com/


Tom, are you in the USA?


Here is a class B soon to be legal in the US for about $1K.
http://www.acrelectronics.com/NauticastB/nauticastB.htm
Gordon

I think I have mentioned this before, but it is not at all certain that
Class B AIS will ever be approved in the US. Perhaps Larry has a better
insight to this, but that's the rumor I keep hearing. My position is that if
you think you need AIS, Class B makes no sense at all. Class A gear is not
that much more and is much better plus Class A is approved everywhere and
although discouraged for yacht use, it is not prohibited.
Steve

wrote in message
...
I'm considering installing an AIS. I'd really like a transceiver but
haven't been able to find one for less than around $4k with all you
need to install it. Receive only units seem to be around $700 by the
time you add some kind of display an antenna splitter or antenna and
a receiver. Multiplexing single channel receivers are reasonably
priced but I would assume they aren't as robust as two channel units
and I still need a display. In my case running a laptop all the time
is too expensive in terms of amps. I gather that class B transceivers
are coming to the US market "real soon now". So, is anyone in the
group using AIS? How do you like it? Are you using a receive only or
xmit/rec unit? Does anyone know when the B units will be out and
what kind or prices they'll have? What else should I know that I'm
too ignorant to ask? (ABOUT AIS only, please )

Cheers,

-- Tom.

Links I thought were interesting:
http://vespermarine.com/index.shtml
http://www.milltechmarine.com/
http://www.si-tex.com/

In article ,
Gordon wrote:

Here is a class B soon to be legal in the US for about $1K.
http://www.acrelectronics.com/NauticastB/nauticastB.htm
Gordon


This one too (already approved and in use elsewhere):

Class B:
http://www.simrad-yachting.com/en/Pr...on-Fishfinding
/AI50-Automatic-Identification-System/

Class A:
http://www.simrad-yachting.com/en/Pr...igation-Fishfi
nding/AI80/

Marc

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

On May 24, 2:52 pm, Larry wrote:
Tom, are you in the USA?

Yes, we're in the Bay Area right now. Planning to go to Mexico in the
autumn and the rest of the S. CA coast in between now and then.

-- Tom.

Gordon and Marc,

Thanks, those are very interesting links. Still in the dark on when
the units might be FCC approved though.

-- Tom.

On May 24, 10:27 pm, "Steve Lusardi" wrote:
My position is that if
you think you need AIS, Class B makes no sense at all. Class A gear is not
that much more and is much better plus Class A is approved everywhere and
although discouraged for yacht use, it is not prohibited.

Steve,

If you're right about the FCC approval the question is moot. Still,
class B gear looks ideal to me. What does A do that B doesn't? I've
looked at some web pages but don't really have a great understanding
of the differences. Assuming the chart on this page (http://
www.shinemicro.com/AISoverview.asp) is right B looks ideal for small
boats. The cost is rumored to be 1/3 that of A which seems
significant, too.

-- Tom.

Hi Tom,

You probably already know this, but even with a class B transponder you'll still need some way to display received info.

The multiplex receivers work well and work much better than the single channel units. But they may only deliver every other message (if the ship is transmitting every two seconds, they deliver data every four). They do scan to determine which channel is best. They also receive all AIS messages but some other single channel only receivers may not handle class B, nav aids, safety messages, etc.

When looking for a display I'd recommend seeing if it computes CPA, how many targets it can handle and whether its AIS receiver can be upgraded later to a class B transponder when they become available.

Jeff

In article
,
" wrote:

Gordon and Marc,

Thanks, those are very interesting links. Still in the dark on when
the units might be FCC approved though.

-- Tom.

BTW: Here is a website with live AIS tracking - tankers, passenger
vessels, rescue boats, pleasure yachts etc

http://familjenhakansson.se/html/ais_live_kiel.html

Enjoy.

Marc

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remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
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