AIS and Rescue Sender

AIS transmitter & receiver basics

The exchange of AIS data serves to ensure safety at sea and to control national and international shipping traffic. For the maritime shipping there is extensive equipment obligation, for the recreational shipping it remains a voluntary equipment, which can be found more and more often on yachts. The additional security on board is simply impressive. The owner usually opts for an AIS transceiver that actively participates in AIS events, while the charterer has to choose a receiver. If you need an AIS transceiver, you are spoiled for choice, because although the communication between AIS transmitters and receivers is of course standardized worldwide, you should consider the equipment of the various devices in order to opt for an AIS transponder that meets your own needs.

AIS transmitter / receiver with interface NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 (N2K)?

Nautical devices exchange data according to the worldwide NMEA 0183 standard. For several years, some device manufacturers have been trying to establish the modern and significantly faster data protocol NMEA 2000 (also called N2K), but this is only slowly becoming popular. Since both data protocols are not compatible with each other, an AIS transceiver must be selected that has the data interface that is on board the yacht. 

Devices with integrated GPS antenna (IPGS)

The location of a yacht is determined using GPS. As a rule, a GPS receiver is integrated in every AIS transceiver, so that you only need to connect a GPS antenna for the correct location transmission. Devices with an integrated GPS antenna make the installation of an external GPS antenna superfluous, as one is already integrated in the housing of the transceiver.
However, IGPS devices are not suitable for yachts made of steel and aluminum. The GPS signal is shielded by metal, so that an integrated antenna is ineffective. An outside antenna is indispensable here. For ships made of other materials, you can opt for a model with a splitter, provided the transceiver is installed above the waterline.

AIS transmitter / receiver with integrated antenna splitter

A VHF marine radio antenna is generally required for both AIS operation and voice radio. With a transceiver with an integrated antenna splitter, there is no need to mount a separate AIS antenna. The device is connected to the existing VHF marine radio antenna, the splitter separates the two signals from each other and outputs them again amplified at separate connections.