Crossover appeal for compact footprint AIS
A convenient ‘one-box’ Automatic Identification System (AIS) has been launched by Raymarine and interestingly, it has a ‘one-market’ appeal as it aims to span both the commercial and leisure sectors.
A commercial grade product, the AIS950 is equally at home on workboats, law enforcement craft and private yachts which want professional grade features. The fact that the Class A transceiver is certified for installation on both SOLAS and sub-SOLAS class vessels might also be pointing something out about a growing market crossover.
Firstly, a convenient single unit contains the complete AIS transceiver system and LCD display, delivering a certain ease of installation. This is something into which the leisure sector certainly has had some input, as it demanded not only a compact footprint but also a certain slickness as part of the style. Independent marine engineer Mike Kennedy explained that the growing expertise in Silicon Valley has a lot to do with developments. “Solid state electronics are now much more compact, rugged and much cheaper in comparison with how they used to be. Once you have a basic bit of kit that’s temperature stable, able to take a saline environment, you might as well have the same spec for commercial as well as leisure.”
Secondly, Raymarine has made a virtue out of pushing as much ‘intuitive’ functioning to the operation as possible. Simple menus and soft key controls allow full access to all AIS features and functions. The high-contrast LCD display provides clear presentation of AIS target data and is LED backlit for night-time operation. The unit also features an integrated alarm buzzer to keep the crew alerted to vital information.
The AIS950 is equipped with a radio transceiver system for performance and reliability. A single AIS transmitter and three AIS receivers ensure maximum target reception even in congested waterways. It is also equipped with a GPS receiver for time synchronisation (as required by Class A regulations).
The AIS950 features seven serial data ports (four of which are bi-directional) for connecting to Raymarine and third party navigation systems as well as other shipboard peripherals, like DGPS receivers, gyrocompasses, and ECDIS systems. For commercial vessel applications, the AIS950 features a front mounted pilot-plug connection. A dedicated PC serial data connection point is provided for programming, diagnostics or external display connection.
