How to Choose an AIS Transponder

Posted by Jason Young on 12/21/2022 to Products & Technology
How to Choose an AIS Transponder

/assets/images/Milltech-Marine-AIS-transponder-comparison.pdf/assets/images/Milltech-Marine-AIS-transponder-comparison.pdfOne of the most common questions we get from customers is “how do I decide which AIS transponder is right for me?” After all, there are many different models and virtually every major marine electronics manufacturer makes an AIS transponder plus you have a number of AIS specialty manufacturers (such as AMECem-trak and Vesper) who make many different models. This article provides guidance on how to decide which AIS transponder best meets your needs.


Vesper Cortex Monitoring: One of the most compelling reasons to buy this product

Posted by Doug Miller on 10/21/2020 to Products & Technology
Vesper Cortex Monitoring: One of the most compelling reasons to buy this product
Last month I wrote an article about my first impressions using the new Vesper Cortex AIS / VHF solution. As promised, I am following up with a second article to focus on what might seem like a secondary feature but in fact may be one of the most compelling reasons to consider a Cortex system. That feature is vessel monitoring.

Vesper Cortex: First Impressions

Posted by Doug Miller on 8/11/2020 to Products & Technology
Vesper Cortex: First Impressions
This article documents some of firsts impression upon unpacking and using the Vesper Cortex solution for the first time with a focus on the AIS and VHF functionality. A deeper dive on the monitoring functionality will be covered in a future article.

AIS Transponders with NMEA Multiplexing: Why You Should Care

Posted by Doug Miller on 6/19/2020 to Products & Technology
AIS Transponders with NMEA Multiplexing: Why You Should Care
The article walks through the benefits of using an AIS transponder that supports NMEA multiplexing and converting NMEA 2000 data for use with modern marine navigation applications.

How to Choose an LTE Router for Your Boat

Posted by Doug Miller on 2/24/2020 to Products & Technology

[UPDATE: The latest version of this article is available on the Onboard Wireless site here.]

What is our most popular Internet connectivity solution?

Posted by Doug Miller on 9/14/2019 to Products & Technology

[UPDATE: The latest version of this article is available on the Onboard Wireless site here.]

AMEC CAMINO-108 and Standard Horizon GX2000: a great low cost combo for AIS and VHF

Posted by Doug Miller on 2/12/2015 to Configuration Examples
Following our popular post on integrating the Standard Horizon GX2000 with the AMEC CAMINO-101, this article discusses how to use the latest AMEC AIS transponder, the CAMINO-108, with the GX2000.

Low cost BC Charts Now Available for Coastal Explorer

Posted by Doug Miller on 8/31/2014 to Products & Technology
In case you missed it, Rose Point Navigation Systems have low-cost raster and vector charts covering BC Canada for Coastal Explorer.

Wireless AIS Solutions for Tablets

Posted by Doug Miller on 11/27/2012 to Configuration Examples
Touch-based tablets are all the rage and more and more boaters are looking for ways to use a tablet for marine navigation and AIS target display.

AMEC CAMINO-101 and Standard Horizon GX2000: a great combo for AIS and VHF

Posted by Doug Miller on 3/29/2012 to Configuration Examples
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.

Using an external GPS with an AIS transponder

Posted by Doug Miller on 1/1/2012 to Configuration Examples
One question we get asked a lot when customers are looking to buy an AIS Class B transponder is: "can I use my existing GPS instead of needing to install yet another GPS antenna on my rail"?

AIS on the iPad

Posted by Doug Miller on 11/27/2011 to Products & Technology
We have been getting a lot of requests for ways to get AIS data to an iPad. This post outlines one method that worked very well plus allowed my other devices to also use the same AIS data.

GPS Tips for AIS Class B Transponders and AIS Receivers

Posted by Doug Miller on 9/26/2011 to Configuration Examples
This article discusses how GPS antennas and receivers work with AIS transponders and receivers.

Where's my boat? A troubleshooting guide for Class B AIS

Posted by Doug Miller on 6/2/2011 to Products & Technology
One of the most common questions we get from customers is "I've set up my new transponder but no one can see me". In virtually every case the transponder is working fine so here are some things to keep in mind when installing and testing a Class B AIS transponder.

Antenna splitters - good idea or not?

Posted by Doug Miller on 4/29/2011 to Products & Technology
We get asked fairly often whether using a VHF antenna splitter to share a single antenna with a VHF radio and an AIS device is a good idea or not. This post gives our point of view which will hopefully help you decide what right is for you.