A marine electronics company has launched a new Class B AIS transponder designed for the vessel operators who augment their navigation tasks with an iPad or tablet.
Launched at the 2019 METS show, iAISTX from Digital Yacht offers a simple wireless interface for AIS and GPS data to popular apps for both iOS and Android such as Navionics, iSailor, iNavX and TimeZero. These apps offer a detailed overlay of local AIS targets all updated in real-time. Click on a target and you can see identity as well as collision avoidance data such as CPA (closest point of approach) and TCPA (time to closest point of approach). As a full function Class B transponder, it also sends your boat position and identity data to other AIS equipped vessels.
Digital Yacht launched Nomad, a portable AIS transponder last year but this new model is designed for permanent on-board installation and is supplied with an external GPS antenna for below deck mounting. Connect to a VHF antenna or suitable AIS-VHF antenna splitter and the installation is complete. “Demand for on-board, connect ‘n go tablet navigation is soaring with new apps and iPads tempting mariners to look at this competitive solution” commented Nick Heyes, CEO of Digital Yacht.
AIS transponders require one time programming with the boat’s identity and physical dimensions and this is done through an app which also allows the user to silence the transmission and set up the wireless parameters such as passwords.
Also available is iAISTX Plus – this includes a NMEA 2000 interface so on-board chart plotters and multi-function displays can be interfaced.
iAISTX is priced at £420 plus vat in the UK.
By Jake Frith
