New combination VHF radio, AIS reciever/Hailer

Lets see I am crossing Wasp Passage. I think I will go below and make a sandwich. Maybe I should turn my AIS on to transmit. Maybe the Hyak will see me and change course to avoid hitting me.

Clutter is not a problem. I wish everyone transmitted AIS. Especially the motoring sailboat that I have on radar in the fog. Is he coming or going? AIS tells me instantly. Radar with Marpa takes a couple of steps to find out.

Any commercial vessels I have talked to tell me that they appreciate being able to see me on AIS. I have used AIS for over 2 years now. We installed it in Houston after traveling 350 miles up the ICW from Brownsville in less than ideal conditions. A tug Captain advised me to get it and use it. Radar on the ICW does not give you much indication as the channel curves. AIS lets you see targets around corners. Tow operators like the heads up that AIS gives over radar. They do not care that I am only a 30 foot boat, it would still ruin their day to run over me. Ask the captain of the Hyak.

As long as it is legal to use, I will transmit AIS on any vessel I own.
 
I have had the Standard Horizon 2150 for nearly 2 years and love it. It provides AIS to my C-120 RayMarine plotter and I have been using it almost every time the boat is out on the water. After the last trip, with as much fog as there was, it called for frequent and careful technical navigation and the AIS was a major portion of that.

With the AIS, I get the name and MMSI number, and more important, the direction of travel, closest point of approach and time to that event. Anything within half a mile and 5 minutes, I call and confirm they have me on their radar. On a couple of occasions, I have been told that they cannot see me .... on their AIS. "No Skipper, check your radar, I'm 1/2 mile at your 2 o'clock. Should be on your radar." "Oh, yes, we have you now." because they are looking first to AIS and then radar.

After several of these conversations, and one 65 foot vessel I could not raise on the radio, but watched them as they approached, I was able to do a 90 turn and avoid, but still without any response to both the radio call on 16, 13 and 11 and on the MMSI call with no response, I watched it pass with a big open array radar running, and could not see anybody on the bridge I really wonder about who runs what out there.

Radar is a huge adjunct there, but it only gives you spots. AIS gives you names and numbers, instantly. Radar can do MARPA but it takes several steps. AIS takes a slide of the cursor and a button click. So, the AIS receive is good, but Active AIS is better and I think it is where I am looking to go. It may be a while, but I think it will be worth it.

Active AIS for recreational vessels is AIS B. It outputs the signal less often, but other than that it is the same signal but at a lower output wattage - 2 vs 12 or 25. Sounds like it is time to start some new research.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
I have had the Standard Horizon 2150 for nearly 2 years and love it. It provides AIS to my C-120 RayMarine plotter and I have been using it almost every time the boat is out on the water. After the last trip, with as much fog as there was, it called for frequent and careful technical navigation and the AIS was a major portion of that.

With the AIS, I get the name and MMSI number, and more important, the direction of travel, closest point of approach and time to that event. Anything within half a mile and 5 minutes, I call and confirm they have me on their radar. On a couple of occasions, I have been told that they cannot see me .... on their AIS. "No Skipper, check your radar, I'm 1/2 mile at your 2 o'clock. Should be on your radar." "Oh, yes, we have you now." because they are looking first to AIS and then radar.

After several of these conversations, and one 65 foot vessel I could not raise on the radio, but watched them as they approached, I was able to do a 90 turn and avoid, but still without any response to both the radio call on 16, 13 and 11 and on the MMSI call with no response, I watched it pass with a big open array radar running, and could not see anybody on the bridge I really wonder about who runs what out there.

Radar is a huge adjunct there, but it only gives you spots. AIS gives you names and numbers, instantly. Radar can do MARPA but it takes several steps. AIS takes a slide of the cursor and a button click. So, the AIS receive is good, but Active AIS is better and I think it is where I am looking to go. It may be a while, but I think it will be worth it.

Active AIS for recreational vessels is AIS B. It outputs the signal less often, but other than that it is the same signal but at a lower output wattage - 2 vs 12 or 25. Sounds like it is time to start some new research.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
After 2 full seasons with the Standard Horizon 2150, I am still loving it. I am currently looking at adding an active AIS (Watchmate Vision by Vespar Marine)

There has been some discussion about AIS and the 2150 on another thread. This is one of the comments:

"Thanks Bob, you have been very thorough. I do appreciate your help here. Without, I would have not had as effective system. I have been trying to avoid putting another antenna up. As it looks now, I am going to pull the splitter out from between the Ray218 VHF and AM/FM and put the 218 directly to the 8ft Commrod. Then put in the Vespar splitter between the Standard Horizon 2150 and the WatchMate AIS. That side will go to the Shakespeare 4ft that is mounted on a 24" riser, so I will continue to use a marine vhf tuned antenna there. The AM/FM will plug into the Vespar splitter on it's own dedicated bnc port and gets a receiver gain as well.

I have considered Putting the SH 2150 onto the Commrod to separate it totally from the AIS (I am using the AIS receive on it to go to the RayMarine Classic 120 - providing AIS contact points onto the plotter display.) It is also the radio I usually use for contacts other than on 16. This arrangement would eliminate the plotter AIS display pausing when the vhf is used or when the Watchmate AIS bursts are transmitted.

Another consideration: the Standard Horizon will see the active AIS transmitting from it's own position and on the same MMSI and will put that on the plotter as an AIS contact, and that will generate a "Dangerous Target" warning ..... constantly. NOT GOOD. So, the fix is in. Standard Horizon's newer 2150's have a setting to filter that signal from it's own MMSI out. The Good Part is that my (And currently any 2150 under 3 years old,) can be sent back to Standard Horizon, and they will put that filter in and activate it.

That little tidbit came from MartyK at Rodger's Marine in Portland.

So the radio has to come out and go for a trip, but it will be better for it."

Here is the link to the other thread:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=20861&highlight=

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Sunbeam":ss0nxdzp said:
I noticed on Panbo a couple of weeks ago that there is a new Standard Horizon radio out (GX2200) that, if I skimmed correctly, is like the 2150 but also has GPS. Apparently it is now at the 2150's previous recommended price point and the 2150's price has been reduced.

Here is more about it:

http://www.panbo.com/archives/2013/12/s ... dios_.html
Click to expand...

Nice. The 2100 and then the 2150 right behind were the first AIS, and the 2150 was introduced to provide a communication solution for those who had limited NMEA ports. About the same time Standard Horizon came out with a VHF that had a built in GPS. Great that they put them all into the same unit now. A friend of mine put in the GPS unit about the same time I was putting in the AIS receive unit,

Nice update. Thanks.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Bummer, maybe I should have waited a few months before ordering... Would have been nice to have a gps backup in my VHF radio. Oh well I still think I got a pretty good deal for the GX2150, $289 minus a $50 rebate.
 
Maybe I missed it in this long thread somewhere but is there any VHF radio that has GPS and AIS along with the hailer/fog option? I see either GPS OR AIS but not both...

Charlie
 
The Standard Horizon AIS GPS, Matrix GX2200, may not be available in the store yet…but soon. It is listed in the Defender Catalog, for $399. I believe it is available in January. Even if you get the radio with GPS, it is best to connect it to the chart potter to show the boat locations. The small screen on the radio is difficult for me to read.

There are a couple of NMEA 2000 or sea talk radios- From Garmin, Icom and RayMarine, which are plug and play to their compatible chart plotter or display. Garmin VHF 300 AIS, Icom IC-M506, Raymarine Ray260 Black Box
These do not have GPS, but plug and play to the chart plotter, makes it easy.
 
Thanks Bob, I knew there must be one. Just ordered it from Defender, said it was available, of course it's almost January! It's only $349.95 right now...

Charlie
 
Talking about these dsc/ais radios, wonder if it would be helpful if our mmsi numbers were available on this site somewhere, with our other data. Would be nice to have that available when boating in shared waters.
 
Thanks Charlie. Maybe I should have looked first. That data spot must have been there for a while, as I went to check at my profile and see I had already listed it... ;-) Colby
 
Just got the new GX2200 in the mail from Defender yesterday, AIS + GPS in one radio. Now if it would only warm up a little to let me get it installed on Captain's Choice II.... :roll:

Ice and snow due here tonite in the Tropical Tip of VA!!

Charlie
 
Yeah, tell me about it. Georgia has cancelled everything after their debacle two weeks ago and VA has declared a state of emergency too. I don't think it'll be too bad here but will check out the generators just in case. You should be in FL with your family!

:wink:

Charlie
 
Captains Cat":1gut3lof said:
Yeah, tell me about it. Georgia has cancelled everything after their debacle two weeks ago and VA has declared a state of emergency too. I don't think it'll be too bad here but will check out the generators just in case. You should be in FL with your family!

:wink:

Charlie
Click to expand...

I know
They will be in a state of shock when they return.
Some docs have reported cases of frostbite!!

Admiral got us a nice elevator lift and canopy on order.
We having problems finding an electrician with longshoreman insurance to install electrical service to the lift. It is a new requirement and all of the companies she contacted are booked for 6 months and no free estimates either. It is $120 and just for an estimate. I think we will have a lift and canopy but no juice. :sad
 
I wonder if the SH 2200 has the ability to not see itself if you add an active AIS. If it does, is that owner/operator switchable -- just for kicks. It has to be that way or you will be seeing yourself as a "Dangerous Target" :twisted:

If not, it can be set to "ignore" at the factory, if it is still under warantee.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
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