Canadian Yachting December 2017 - 38
Rules of the AIS Road AIS is designed to operate autonomously and continuously, thus it's imperative that it be properly set-up. Careful consideration should be taken in its installation (e.g., to ensure that it's near the vessel's conning position), and to the potential of electronic interference from other radios or other onboard electrical equipment. Irrespective of whether you run a Class A or Class B AIS transmitter on your boat, it must properly identify itself with its official MMSI number, which is issued by the FCC or Industry Canada. Users must always maintain their AIS equipment in "effective operating condition" (read: capable of proper continuous operation), and learn how re-initialize it (read: know your system password [Class A AIS users only] and the antenna location parameters). Required users must turn-on their AIS transponders 15 minutes before unmooring, and to keep it turned-on while they are underway or at anchor, unless this action would compromise the vessel's safety or security. Class A AIS users should ensure accurate upkeep of all AIS voyage-related data fields (e.g., navigation status, static draft and destination), and to always use English for AIS text messaging. Waterway Listening Session 2014" (available on YouTube), the "U.S. vision for e-Navigation is to establish a framework that enables the transfer of data between and among ships and shore facilities, and that integrates and transforms that data in decision and action information." This vision includes synthetic and virtual AtoNs, as well as Application Specific Messages (ASMs), which can be broadcast over AIS in order to cordon-off specific zones (e.g. whale-exclusion zones or to protect maritime traffic from recently sunken vessels), shift shipping channels, or augment its Broadcast Notice to Mariners; moving forward, the USCG and NOAA plan to use AIS to share their Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System information (e.g. real-time weather observations and geospatial data) with mariners. "AIS is currently the only tool to transfer digital data onto your electronic-nautical chart " said Jorge Arroyo, a USCG program analyst who has been instrumental in writing AIS regulations and standards, referring to the Application Specific Messages (ASMs) that the USCG can broadcast via AIS. "The ASM is the envelope. Within the envelope [the USCG] is free to transmit all the other navigation-specific information that we wish... It's our way of providing digital navigational data directly to the vessel." Additionally, Vesper Marine, a New Zealand-based manufacturer of Wi-Fi enabled Class B transponders, recently announced their WatchMate Asset Protection service, which allows companies (e.g., oil or gas firms) to add virtual AIS beacons to sensitive static installations (i.e., an oil rig or underwater power lines), so as to help ensure that maritime traffic does not accidentally collide with these objects. The WatchMate Asset Protection service also provides 24/7 asset monitoring, threat detection, and the ability to automatically send AIS text messages to targets of interest warning of the navigational hazard(s). 38 Canadian Yachting Standard Horizon GX2200 Matrix AIS/GPS In the July/August Marine Electronics Journal, the Standard Horizon GX2200 Matrix AIS/GPS was recognized as one of the Top 128 products. They said, "The GX2200 Matrix AIS/GPS features an integrated 66 channel WAAS GPS antenna, so there's no need to hassle with wiring the radio to a GPS for DSC or AIS. Out-of-the-box and ready to go, it acquires GPS position, AIS and AIS SART targets. One antenna input is all that's needed to receive AIS targets from both class A and class B transponders. It's a VHF radio that solves a whole range of needs, perfect for recreational boaters. Having a VHF with DSC and integrated AIS/GPS provides real piece of mind in high traffic areas. www.standardhorizon.com Given the amount of germane navigational information that an AIS unit can provide, adopting this technology is a no-brainer for all cruisers, especially as more manufacturers enter the market and prices drop. While it's tempting to reach for an inexpensive Class B receive-only unit, some cruising rallies and offshore races now require that entrants carry AIS transponders, making this a strong consideration. Moreover, the amount of added protection that an AIS transponder offers is well worth the additional monies, especially for shorthanded or singlehanded cruisers. While the "Big Four" manufacturers (B&G, Furuno, Garmin and Raymarine) have offered Class A and Class B AIS units for years, other important players in this market include Vesper Marine, which makes a variety of AIS-related products and Standard Horizon, who have been embedding AIS technology into their fixed-mount VHFs (N.B, B&G, Garmin, Icom and Raymarine also build AIS-enabled VHFs). More recently, players such as ACR Electronics, McMurdo and NKE have entered the AIS market with a range of innovative AIS products that offer users options and (equipment depending) networking flexibility. * AIS Manufacturers ACR Electronics, Inc., www.acrartex.com B&G, www.bandg.com Digital Yacht, www.digitalyacht.co.uk Em-Trak, www.em-trak Furuno, www.furunousa.com Garmin, www.garmin.com Icom, www.icomamerica.com McMurdo, www.mcmurdomarine.com NKE Marine Electronics, www.nke-marine-electronics.com Raymarine, www.raymarine.com Standard Horizon, www.standardhorizon.com SI-TEX, www.si-tex.com Vesper Marine Ltd., www.vespermarine.com. DECEMBER 2017
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