Raymarine recently introduced two Automatic Identification System (AIS) units that help boaters safely navigate busy waters. AIS operates on the VHF maritime band and lets ships and yachts exchange their navigation status wirelessly. This info is exchanged between vessels and shore-side traffic monitoring centers.
When interfaced to a compatible chartplotter or radar display, boaters can see the surrounding vessel traffic plotted and updated automatically right on their display screen. AIS is mandatory in nearly all commercial ships and is becoming more popular in private boats as well, especially those that travel extensively.
Raymarine’s AIS650 Class B AIS Transceiver, and the AIS350 AIS Receiver are engineered for seamless integration with Raymarine multifunction navigation systems, and bring a new level of situational awareness and safety to sailing, cruising and fishing boats.
AIS650 is a Class B transceiver unit, meaning it allows full participation on the AIS network. This unit receives data from other vessels and also transmits data about its own navigational status to other AIS-equipped vessels. This “see and be seen” capability significantly improves navigational safety by making the boat visible on the chart and radar displays of much larger vessels. It also presents the captain with a comprehensive picture of the AIS-equipped vessel traffic around him right on his own chart and radar screens. Turn on AIS in a busy port and you’ll be amazed how useful it can be.
AIS650 also has a user selectable “Silent Mode” which can be enabled right from the Raymarine MFD interface, or by connecting an optional toggle switch to the unit’s silent mode circuit control. Silent Mode allows the captain to temporarily suspend broadcast of identifying information on occasions where privacy or security are desired. You’ll definitely want to run silent when you find some white sea bass holding.
AIS650’s built-in Secure Digital memory card reader can be used for recording AIS data for later analysis, or for configuring the system’s vessel identification static data. The AIS650 includes a 50-channel GPS receiver with built-in integrity management software, which ensures the GPS positions reported by the system are of the highest accuracy possible.
The AIS350 is a receive-only product designed for small boats wanting the increased safety of AIS, but not wanting the Class B transmitting capability. This low-cost alternative brings many of the safety advantages of AIS to a wider range of vessels than ever before. AIS350 features a new dual-channel receiver design for fast acquisition and download of AIS traffic data.
Both new Raymarine AIS products are built on a new ultra-compact chassis that is 50 percent smaller than previous generation AIS products. Both models feature multiple data interfaces including NMEA0183, SeaTalk-NG and USB (universal serial bus) for easy integration with PC-based navigation solutions. Both AIS products also support the NMEA2000 interface standard making them compatible with a wide array of 3rd party navigation products.
The AIS650 will be available nationwide from Raymarine’s network of authorized dealers and OEM integrators beginning in July 2011 with the AIS350 arriving shortly thereafter. The AIS650 retails for $999 and the AIS350 costs $549.
Raymarine develops and manufactures a comprehensive range of electronic equipment for the recreational boating and light commercial marine markets. The Raymarine product lines include radar, autopilots, GPS, instruments, fishfinders, communications and integrated systems.
For more information call 603-881-5200 or visit www.raymarine.com.
