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AIS for the boat

  • November 01, 2012 1:06 PM
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    Message # 1120620
    Deleted user
    I have a Westsail 32 'Blue Tale', and have a Lowrance HDS-7 chartplotter & a VHF ICOM IC-M422. I am looking to install a AIS into the works and was wondering with all the choices out there, does anyone have any suggestions? I'm sailing in the northwest pacific & hopefully down south (Mexico/Hawaii) in the future; I think it's a Class B I'm looking for?
    Any suggestions would be great.
    Rob
  • November 01, 2012 6:08 PM
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    Reply # 1120763 on 1120620
    Deleted user
    I saw the Icom on Doug Lambs boat Pelican, and liked it.  We checked them out at the boat show and will install an Icom before we leave for Hawaii this spring.

    Jim
  • November 01, 2012 6:48 PM
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    Reply # 1120777 on 1120620
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Rob:

    Wish I had the answer for you - I use Navman/Northstar integrated together nicely but no AIS - yet so no personel experience.

    I would start my research with Lowrance and ask them how to add in AIS with your existing equipment.  Also read up on AIS intergration on the internet as there are many ways to network the equipment together some more $ then others. 

    What I'm hoping to do is integrate all the data onto the chart plotter so only one display is needed in the cockpit.  I also want to transmit on VHF and receive AIS signals at the same time. 

    Jay
  • November 02, 2012 5:20 PM
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    Reply # 1124728 on 1120620
    Anonymous member
    I use an AIS500 transceiver made by Raymarine. Its a "black box" with nmea output that is also a multiplexor. All my NMEA signals go to the AIS500 and it outputs 1 data stream that has all NMEA information to my laptop using a serial port. Using OpenCPN (FREE) I have a chartplotter and all instrument data is also displayed on the screen (Apparent wind, true wind, depth, speed through water, speed over the ground) I can also use the same port to output NMEA data to the tillerpilot and steer by apparent wind or steer to waypoint etc.
    The AIS500 cost $530 on e-bay new. I think it has been superseded by the AIS650 now.
  • November 03, 2012 9:25 AM
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    Reply # 1125652 on 1120620
    Deleted user
    Thanks alot for your help guys, I'll see where this all takes me.
    Rob