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AIS Transponder Recommendations

vanilladuck

vanilladuck

New member
Staff member
I'm looking into purchasing an AIS Class B Transponder for offshore sailing (eg. LongPac, SHTP, coastal cruising, etc). Wondering if anyone here has experience and/or recommendations to share?

Top of my list is the Garmin (aka Vesper) Cortex M1 Hub, Global version. Garmin has deprecated the North America version.
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/902860/pn/010-02815-20

Cheers and thanks!
- Bryan
 
I have used the Vesper AIS unit for offshore racing and cruising that employs a splitter to use with the existing VHF mast antenna. No issues great range, and easy to install and integrate with the NMEA 2000 network.

Michael P.
Cal40 Solstice #4
 
I have a Vesper XB-6000 which I think is the same as the 8000 except that it doesn't have WiFi. I don't have an antenna splitter; the VHF uses the masthead antenna, and I have a second antenna on the stern rail for the AIS.
 
Hi proge! https://www.milltechmarine.com/assets/images/Milltech-Marine-AIS-transponder-comparison.pdf I found that one useful (I missed the fact that "This PDF" is a link). I dont think it has all of the Navico stuff on it though.

I have a Class B B&G NAIS-500 and their splitter, a Class B V100-B (which I bought to replace a B&G V60 since the "call" feature on the V60 does not work while it does on the V100s), an Em-Trak A100 because I wanted a higher power Class A AIS and West Marine was clearing them out at a ridiculously low price, and a handheld Class B Icom M94D which apart from the goofy alarm system actually works real well when you're asleep and need to glance and check AIS when the B&G CPA/TCPA alarms go off.

Mike on EOS
 
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FWIW, we have a Garmin AIS 600. It's an older model but very good. Can be found on eBay for 50 cents on the dollar and it's a full featured unit.
 
One thing that might help others and that caught me out. If you buy used or off eBay, watch out for how you program or re-program the AIS unit. Both the MMSI and other data. For Class B I think it's all over the map. Some units you can change the MMSI yourself, others you need software, some you need to send back to mfr. For vessel name changes, its again not uniform. Sometimes when offshore I want to change my name from "EOS" to "EOS (solo sailor)" and back again for example. I can do that but you have to be careful when you have more than one AIS unit. The Icom in particular does not like that situation. The rules are here: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-80/subpart-E/section-80.231

For Class A I dont know what the rules really are. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-80/subpart-F/section-80.275 doesnt help and most people wont have Class A anyway. But FWIW I can change anything on my em-Trak. the only problem was for some reason I couldn't ship an em-Trak to California. I dont know why.

Mike on EOS
 
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Mike on EOS ,

This is an excellent point about re-programming. With the Garmin AIS 600 I had to dig around a bit to find a password to unlock the Garmin software to allow me reprogram the MMSI. Some of the good eBay sellers will sell either the service to program to your MMSI or will sell the used units 'clean'.
 
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