New icom with AIS & NMEA 2000

Daniel · 12 June 2014, 22:41

The much awaited icom m506 VHF with integrated AIS receiver is available from UK stock now with a £500 odd price tag. I see cactus already have it at £485.

This is twice the price of the std horizon offering but with a couple of rather smart features that the cheaper std horizon didn't have (1) nmea 2000 which makes connection to the GPS fool proof. (2) playback function - essentially a rewind of the VHF !

AND the icom 3 yr warranty.

Gilles · 12 June 2014, 22:49

and the aqua quake too ? or is it available on the std horizon ?

Daniel · 12 June 2014, 22:53

Yes, only the icom.
It's a nice feature, but I've been doing almost the same thing for years by turning down the squelch and up the volume - always worked for me !

Gilles · 13 June 2014, 00:41

Ahaha I m just shaking a bit the microphone ...but if u forgot aqua quake will do it for u not sure that will justify the price but the new icon look really nice. And icon resists years ....

Pikey Dave · 13 June 2014, 10:01

I had a look at the new Icom at Seawork yesterday. Can't say I was overimpressed, it's BIG, expensive & only a receiver. For that money I'd have expected a transponder, which would have been more impressive. The built it AIS target display is basic & wouldn't be easy to use on a moving RIB, most people will output the AIS data to a plotter which makes the built in display redundant anyway.

Just my 2 penneth.

Daniel · 13 June 2014, 16:34

Yes I've often thought the built in display on the VHF/AIS combo's is virtually pointless but I guess there theory is its a dot matrix display anyhow so why not.

This said you'd be staggered how many yachties still ask is for the NASA AIS radar - it doesn't even have an nmea o/p !!

The cheapest AIS transmitter is still around the £400 mark so even assuming half the electronics were in a VHF already I would say this would push the price more like £750

And more importantly I doubt this could be achieved with a single antenna (VHF, DSC, AIs tx AND Rx).

Pikey Dave · 13 June 2014, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel

The cheapest AIS transmitter is still around the £400 mark so even assuming half the electronics were in a VHF already I would say this would push the price more like £750

Street price for an Icom 323 is sub £200,( I paid £185 recently) add £400 for the AIS transponder gubbins & you're closer to £600 than 750. Wrap it all up in a single enclosure & i'd have thought that they should have been able to get it to market for £500 & shifted them like hot cakes. As it is, it's neither here nor there.

.....sh1t happens.......