NOTE: The CAMINO-101 is no longer available. Please our article here with the same steps for the CAMINO-108.
We have had a number of customers come to us and ask for a low cost solution that combines a Class B AIS transponder, a DSC-enabled VHF radio and a basic AIS display with as few components as possible. One way to do this is to build the solution with the AMEC CAMINO 101 Class B transponder and the Standard Horizon Matrix GX2000 VHF radio with AIS display. The CAMINO is a well-built, yet low-cost Class B transponder and features both serial and NMEA inputs and outputs.
The Matrix GX2000 is the little brother of the famous GX2150 and has the same AIS display capabilities unique to the Matrix line but has no built-in AIS receiver. This makes it a perfect mate for an AIS transponder. The GX2000 now supports getting both AIS and GPS data on a single input wire pair so connecting these devices is now much easier than it used to be with earlier GX2000 models.
First of all you will need the following parts:
- AMEC CAMINO-101 Class B Transponder
- The optional GPS antenna for the CAMINO-101
- Standard Horizon GX2000 VHF Radio
- A terminal block and some wire
- An optional VHF AIS Antenna Splitter such as the AMEC CUBO-160 helps to simplify the installation
Second, we are going use the NMEA output from the CAMINO-101 to provide data for the GX2000. We need to ensure that the baud rates are set correctly on the CAMINO and the GX2000. Use the AMEC AIS Configuration program that comes with the CAMINO and run it with the CAMINO connected to the serial port of your Windows-based computer. Go to the BAUD RATE tab and make sure the NMEA baud rate is set to 38400 baud. Also ensure that GPS data output is turned on. Hit the Config button to save the setting. The baud rate on the GX2000 should already be set to 38400.
Now we will connect the signal wires together. The two NMEA output wires from the CAMINO should be connected to the AIS input wires on the GX2000. This will supply the AIS and GPS NMEA data to the GX2000. That is:
- Connect the CAMINO NMEA positive output WHITE to the GX2000 YELLOW AIS positive input wire
- Connect the CAMINO NMEA negative output GREEN to the GX2000 WHITE AIS negative wire
If you are using the optional antenna splitter then connect both the GX2000 radio and CAMINO-101 to the splitter and the splitter to your antenna cable. Be sure to connect the optional GPS antenna to the back of the CAMINO-101. Make sure power is connected to all devices and turn them all on. Generally for this setup I like to have all three devices on the same breaker.
There you have it. With this setup, you should now have:
- The AMEC CAMINO-101 running as a Class B transponder, an AIS receiver and a GPS receiver.
- The Standard Horizon GX2000 with both GPS and AIS data supplied by the CAMINO-101 which allows the GX2000 to:
- Display your GPS position and even use the GPS waypoint functionality
- Display other AIS vessels using its mini-AIS display
- Ability to set AIS alarms for collision avoidance based on user-configurable CPA and TCPA settings.
- Have full DSC functionality which also uses the GPS input from the CAMINO.
- Have the ability to call other AIS vessels by simply selecting them on the AIS display and hitting the call button.
One of the many benefits of this setup is reduced power consumption. In most cases you will always want to have a VHF radio on and the transponder is useful to have on all the time. Knowing where you are and where you are going is also helpful. You can accomplish all of this with these devices while consuming less power than having a chartplotter or computer running all the time.
4 Comments
Andrew Boon
Well done. I've recommended this configuration to a friend of mine. In your discussions with Standard Horizon, why not also suggest that they allow for the option of repeating the GPS sentences on the Data Out line, so that AIS, DSC and GPS data are combined onto one port for the laptop/chart plotter connection. Regards, Andrew Boon
mark s
Wow, I have just had exactly the same issue. No GPS input being displayed on the vhf even though ais is going into it combined with gps data. What a cumbersome system. I wish standard horizon would fix this already. Thank you for the informative article.
Bill Forde
Thanks This makes perfect sense to me and confirms what I believed. I have the GX 2000E model The E denotes the European version but all the wiring and settings are the same. Its surprising that Standard Horizon have not addressed this issue as the Camino will be one of the most popular AIS transponders to connect to the Radio in my view. I concur that Standard Horizon should also relay out the combined stream of AIS and GPS sentances. The GX 2000E is a great piece of kit in its own right and having AIS data on the ram mike is a great bonus.
Doug Miller
You should now be able to hook up a single connection from the CAMINO (WHITE and GREEN) to the GX2000 (YELLOW and WHITE) and both AIS and GPS data should be sent from the CAMINO to the GX2000. This is a new capability for the GX2000 and I assume new 2000E models should be able to this as well. Be sure to set the NMEA port on the GX2000 to 38400 baud.