AIS, Poor mans Radar & VHF Radio

[Helmar]

Just so everyone knows, this is my Next radio that I will purchase.

Several manufactures have already released them (Icom, Standard) and its what is called AIS which is, Automatic Identification System.

This system is in most larger ships now !! and due to the lower costs, are being used by smaller vessels (me next).

In a nut shell, any Vessel that has one of these, will be able to avoid collisions with other vessels.

I really like my GPS as it will show me where I am, but not the other guy if its foggy.

One thing that creeps me out is if I am crossing the shipping lane and all of a sudden, here comes the fog bank along with another boat that is using the fog horn, I can only Guess where they are. Makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. (hebee gebee's)

Being into Amateur radio (Ham) my first choice would be Icom, But, never had a problem with Standard Horizons products.

Amazon has the Standard for $310.:Skipper1: This one looks like your basic simple to use (KISS) type radio, I like simple..

Just go to Google and type in AIS VHF Marine Radios for more information.

[Tim_Mattson]

Joe ,
I used to sell stuff for Nate Brown who used to drive the Elam Unlimited Hydroplane and now runs the Our Gang Racing Team Boat .I asked him one time what the scariest Boating incident he remembered was.
He smiled and said "Last weekend while motoring his 50-60` Hatteras to the San Juan Islands".
Seems he used his VHF antenna to amplify his Cell signal while making a call home,BUT forgot to plug it back into his VHF radio.....whick meant the Tugboat guy yelling into the Mic on channel 16 wasn`t being heard by the Hydro driver.
As he plugged it in and heard the guy yelling to turn away from his Barge full of huge Canadian Logs.
He also saw the chain drooping off the back of the Tug as crossed right behind the tow boat and RIGHT OVER the Chain drooped into the water.
Lucky for him he skimmed right over the 2` Steel links.
HeBee Geebee were the exact words he used as he felt like a slow motion train wreck was about to happen.
I like Icom too.....
This new feature must be different than the Vhf w/distress button sold in recent years.
TimM

[Helmar]

Hi Tim
Yes on the AIS being a New feature.
One of the older features that no one seemed to be using was called Digital Selective Calling or DSC.

DSC was created to be a faster, more efficient, and more accurate way to communicate information in an emergency situation. DSC uses channel 70 as its hailing channel and communicates a boats MMSI information and exact location (if connected to a GPS) to the Coast Guard and other vessels. If you receive a DSC emergency call your radio’s digital display will show the location of the caller and automatically switch your radio to channel 16 for future voice communication. Or at least some more expensive radios (Icom) will do this.

I like this as if a problem, I am not sure I would take the time to look up my Lat and Long to tell someone were I am. No guessing required this way.
Pretty skookum feature just like the new AIS.

Again, all the larger vessels are already using the AIS, such as transport ships. Those smaller boats, sail boats without much for radar reflection, its a great feature to have and has me sold for sure.

[Seanfromseattle]

Yeah I bought a Standard Horizon with AIS for Solstice for the AIS feature alone (along with an 8' $200 antenna). Of course now I have to spend $2K for the GPS/Chartplotter/Sonar unit that can use the AIS function. Why didn't anybody tell me that boating was expensive? I particularly love the special expensive boating toilet paper! Even wiping your backside costs more...

[Tim McCrain]

Sean,

Don't worry about the expense of taking care of the backside, you'll lose that soon enough operating an old boat!

[Helmar]

More on the AIS radio

Some of the radios that you see now have this little Red cover over a button.
You lift the Red cover and press the button and it will transmit your lat and long to a coast guard listening channel. (can't remember which one at the moment)

How it gets its data is from the GPSMAP or GPS units that has the DSC capabilities (Digital Selective Calling).

With that data, then it uses your VHF radio and antenna.

The GPS, GPSMAP or Plotter normally has its own antenna. My Portable GPSMAP 76CS by Garmin which is a handheld, has the plug in the back were it can hook up to the radio for either DSC or the AIS.

So, in short, the Radio is the one that does the Transmitting of the Location data - that it acquires from the GPS unit.

Sounds confusing but that is about all it takes.