Automatic Identification System (AIS)

[ChasLondon]

Hello All

I wondered if anyone can point me in the right direction for a good fixed (i.e. no off an iPad) AIS system for a small boat?

I did have a look through the site first before posting this - apologies if this subject has already been covered.

With best wishes

Charlie

[willk]

Are you planning for a Receive only unit or a Transceiver?

[ChasLondon]

It is to meet a requirement for my Certificate of Compliance for the Port of London Authority.

They specify that they require:
Automatic Identification System Type Alpha (AIS A).

With best wishes

Charlie

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by ChasLondon

Hello All

I wondered if anyone can point me in the right direction for a good fixed (i.e. no off an iPad) AIS system for a small boat?

I did have a look through the site first before posting this - apologies if this subject has already been covered.

With best wishes

Charlie

Class A is a different beast to the more common class B used in the leisure arena. Are you absolutely sure it's Class A that they require?

[ChasLondon]

Thank you for your reply Dave.

Yes - it is - and by the way you have introduced it, is sounds like a lot more $$$$$$$!

Here it is verbatim:

Additional Equipment - In addition to the above requirements, each vessel
must be:
a) equipped with a PLA approved and operational Automatic
Identification System Type Alpha (AIS A); and
b) provided with an all round yellow flashing light.

With best wishes

Charlie

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by ChasLondon

Thank you for your reply Dave.

Yes - it is - and by the way you have introduced it, is sounds like a lot more $$$$$$$!

Here it is verbatim:

Additional Equipment - In addition to the above requirements, each vessel
must be:
a) equipped with a PLA approved and operational Automatic
Identification System Type Alpha (AIS A); and
b) provided with an all round yellow flashing light.

With best wishes

Charlie

Class A transponders are typically around thrice the price of class B. A good class B black box transponder is around the £500 mark, Class A seem to start at £1500. I'm not familiar with the Class A market, but Comar seem to pop up regularly. The major commercial producers, Furuno, raymarine, simrad all do a unit. The cheapest I can find is the McMurdo Smartfind M5 at £1500.
Good luck


PS, just read your last post, if the AIS has to be PLA approved, my first call would be to the PLA & ask them for a list of their approved units.

[ChasLondon]

That is veeery helpful - thank you Sir!
I also found this interesting article too:

http://downloads.vespermarine.com/YAM_FEB11.pdf

Thank you RibNet for bringing a successful answer to my initial question.

[boristhebold]

I thought and All round yellow flashing light was for hovercraft ?

[Daniel]

Class A = expensive but indeed it is what the PLA require.

The £1500 quoted is about right; we have fitted this unit it's ok and also fit a lot of the comar Class A units as they have the extra capability to transmit Pax information over "spare" (or special) AIS bandwidth which the wind farm industry rather like as it saves them reading out all the info over the VHF.

Comar make the units for Raymarine and others. Thus many other brands will be overpriced so I suggest either McMurdo or Comar.

If my trade membership has been renewed (I think it has) then I suggest perhaps you message me for a price if you're interested.

[Daniel]

It may also be you're lucky day as I think we have a second hand class A transponder in, I will check later.

It's 24v and not suitable for a RIB, however. As it's not wayerproof.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

I thought and All round yellow flashing light was for hovercraft ?

Boris you'd never make it as a harbour master. As soon as there is legislation permitting you to make your own bylaws, you must ignore international convention and introduce local rules - otherwise how will people realise how important they are?

[boristhebold]

Originally Posted by Poly

Boris you'd never make it as a harbour master. As soon as there is legislation permitting you to make your own bylaws, you must ignore international convention and introduce local rules - otherwise how will people realise how important they are?

LOL, indeed, and I thought colregs were to avoid confusion, local byelaws sounds like could aid confusion, but I guess it could be worse, I suppose if you saw a flashing all round yellow you might think hovercraft but you might also think high speed craft secondly so maybe its not so bad after all. I wonder if people doing RYA exams in that area get confused.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

......I suppose if you saw a flashing all round yellow you might think hovercraft but you might also think high speed craft........

or a pair trawler (in France)

[lakelandterrier]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

I thought and All round yellow flashing light was for hovercraft ?

It is.

However you'd be surprised at the "hovercraft" out there, including the Higher Ferry at Dartmouth - the largest thing in the river, running on fixed cables is actually a hovercraft with restricted ability to manouvre according to its lights.