AIS 600

W

walldog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
1,292
Fluid Motion Model
C-302 C
Hull Identification Number
R3136
Vessel Name
Willie's Tug (2014)
MMSI Number
367606080
We installed yesterday the Garmin AIS 600 in Willie's Tug. It was pretty much a plug and play operation, many plugs though. The unit comes with a T connector for the NEMA 2000 network and a cable to the unit. Power is pretty much on all the time, so I will need to remember to turn off the breaker when trailering. Installation notes said that the unit could share the VHF antenna with the existing VHF radio without noticeable degradation. That does not seem to be the case in our installation. Installation pictures show hooking the existing VHF antenna directly to the AIS 600 and then running an RF cable (supplied) to the existing VHF radio. We did this and the AIS is working great, but I have a noticeable degradation of signal on receive on my com radio. I have not tried to contact anyone by transmitting, but not hearing anyone except very close does not work as it did before running the antenna through the AIS 600 first. My solution maybe to walk to West Marine and pick up another vhf antenna.

Andrew are you listening? Tym? Does anyone have any suggestion?

Thanks for any assistance
 
Herb,

We have a separate antenna---Was installed that way, separate Garmin antenna---Works great

Hope all is well
 
All is well, Spoke to Andrew and he told me to check my connections again. I did and while checking found that I actually had the cables from the antenna and to the vhf 200 reversed.....I feel so dumb. We have lots of targets now and com radio is working normally again. This is truly a plug and play installation, just plug the right cables to right connectors. This will be a big help back in the ICW heading to South tomorrow.

We got the AIS tranceiver because after a conversation with a tug Captain, he said that in reduced visibility, the tow operators would see me as a target also and at least be expecting me to appear out of the fog or around the bend in the ICW. The Receive only unit works very well also. I find that radar alone is difficult to see targets when in the ICW there are high banks that shield the target from our radar.

Thanks for the response.
 
You will love it !!!----It should be standard safety equipment on all Ranger Tugs
 
We echo Salish Rover's comments, you will love it! You can also find your vessel location on the web by going to http://ais3.siitech.com/VTSLite/AView.aspx and search by your boat name

Cheers

Kathy and Keith
 
I went to the website and typed in a few names and locations and it showed me exactly where a few Rangers were located. That was very neat!
 
Where have you installed the AIS 600 box and its GPS antenna on a R27?

The AIS 600 looks too large to easily fit inside the helm electronics compartment, but could probably be mounted upside down under it.

Howard
 
I have an R29, and mounted mine in the bottom of the storage closet in the forward birth.
 
HRowland":2eysyl4p said:
Where have you installed the AIS 600 box and its GPS antenna on a R27?

The AIS 600 looks too large to easily fit inside the helm electronics compartment, but could probably be mounted upside down under it.

Howard
Click to expand...

I have it standing up on its side in the helm compartment. This is temp until I relocate the com radio to the upper compartment. I will do this when we return home and I get a yoke bracket to mount it. This should free up enough room to mount the AIS 600 flat. I am not sure how I will cover the opening, yet. I cannot operate the radio very well in its present location, as it is very difficult to see the display from the helm.

Willie's Tug N28d 45. W95d 46 on the ICW near Matagorda, Texas
 
From the infomation provided, the t connector may be introducing some losses. Is the t connector a 'simple' splitter or akin to a TV 3db splitter which results in some signal loss, but maintains impedance matching (ie resistance matching).

If there is a loss on receive,its probably not a good idea to transmit beause you will have high return losses (Ie: SWR) which could damage the transmit section of the VHF unless it is self protected.

Another poster mentioned a separate antenna for the AIS and separate for the VHF, this is the fool proof way togo. When I first started on AIS, I used the 'good' aerial for VHF and built my own aerial for AIS. It was quick, cheap and easy to do. Though my wife said it looked ugly. Its since been replaced with a simple rail mount VHF arerial.


Sincerely,
Frank & Dawn soon to be Ranger owners aftert 30 years of sailing

PS Generally speaking with radio systems the rule of reciprocity holds. Poor performance on receive (due to the antenna, splitter, radio or physical conditions) the results will be equally as poor on transmit. Hope this helps.
 
From the infomation provided, the t connector may be introducing some losses. Is the t connector a 'simple' splitter or akin to a TV 3db splitter which results in some signal loss, but maintains impedance (ie resistance matching).

If there is a loss on receive,its probably not a good idea to transmit beause you will have high return losses (Ie: SWR) which could damage the transmit xection of the VHF unless it is self protected.

Another poster mentioned a separate antenna for the AIS and separate for the VHF, this is the fool proof way togo. When I first started on AIS, I used the 'good' aerial for VHF and built my own aerial for AIS. It was quick, cheap and easy to do. Though my wife said it looked ugly. Its sincwe been replaced with a simple rail mount VHF arerial.


Sincerely,
Frank & Dawn soon to be Ranger owners aftert 30 years of sailing

PS Generally speaking with radio systems the rule of reciprocity holds. Poor perfromance on receive (due to the antenna, splitter, radio or physical conditions) the results will be equally as poor on transmit. Hope this helps.
 
When I had poor rx, I would not tx for the very reason you stated, when I hooked it up properly, it worked marvelously. Fantastic system. I do know that they see me coming, even if they do still crowd me some.
 
walldog":b6u8s1ad said:
When I had poor rx, I would not tx for the very reason you stated, when I hooked it up properly, it worked marvelously. Fantastic system. I do know that they see me coming, even if they do still crowd me some.
Click to expand...

"Rule of Displacement" still holds, even if you paint a BIG return on radar and transmit AIS. 😉
 
Regarding the Rx com signal level, from the Garmin description for the AIS 600:

"The AIS 600 comes with a built-in Active splitter that allows one VHF antenna to serve both the AIS 600 and any VHF radio with minimal signal loss."

Howard
 
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