Hi All,
I brought an AIS unit cheap at the Sydney boat show.
I am having trouble deciding how to set the thing up.
Option One:
Get a splitter for the UHF radio, extra cost $230.
Option Two:
Get a separate antenna, but as there are no fittings for attaching it to a rail has to go on a flat plate/deck.
cost $70+ cost of SS fixing plate and fixing.
So what have those who have AIS done and how has it panned out.
There is talk that radio broadcast power is lost with a splitter. Is this true in practise?
Select to expand quotenswsailor said..
There is talk that radio broadcast power is lost with a splitter. Is this true in practise?
Yes it is true that you will lose power by using a splitter. How much you lose depends on the quality of the splitter and the quality of the co-ax used the quality of the terminations plus the length of the cable run and the signal frequency, the higher the frequency the more loss you suffer. On average you will lose 3.5 db to the splitter, and more in the rest of the system if there are other issues.
It's a bit of a pain but I just disconnect the VHF when I want to use the AIS and then reconnect the VHF if need be....it's worked for me for the past 3 years cruising the east coast...I have a hand held VHF for imitate danger.
I have purchased the AIS and Splitter from GME. Did not use the Splitter as I have a spare antennae. I simply keep it in the hold in case I break an Antennae whilst cruising. I have found it to be an amazing piece of kit, I have it attached to my plotter and can see ships before I can see them visually. The other great thing is that they can see me from the same distance. The AIS is almost like a dark mysterious creature, nobody wants to know or use it but in reality everything on my boat that keeps me and my family safe is worth every penny.
A variation on Southace's one antenna solution - you can buy an antenna feed switch ( ham supplies) that will connect a single coax input to one of two coax outputs by throwing a switch rather than unplugging the cables. So it's not a splitter, just a re-director.
Thanks Guys,
I have decided to go the way of a dedicated antenna for the AIS reciever and it will be connected to my plotter with the option of including a laptop.
I only have the reciever and not a Class B AIS as we don't have the traffic of the English Channel!
Thanks for your inputs.
