AIS-ing Again!

/ shellerina

We started our Great Loop trip in May of 2021 having AIS receive-only using a Raymarine 73 VHF radio. This means our Raymarine chart-plotter would display AIS equipped vessels and ATONs (aids to navigation) at their position on the display.

But we didn’t have AIS Transmit capabilities. It didn’t take us long to decide we wanted both!

NMEA 2000 connectors are different between Raymarine and other manufacturers. Fortunately adapter cables are available.

We selected the Em-Trak B924 transponder because it had WiFi and an antenna splitter and a good price point.

The AIS receive stopped working a few weeks ago on the VHF radio, and that Raymarine 73 VHF was just out of warranty.

So I ordered a NMEA 2000 adapter cable Raymarine #A06075 on Saturday from Amazon. It arrived here today! It enabled me to hook up the Em-Trak B924 to my Raymarine network, and it worked! I had AIS Receive again showing up on the chart-plotter!

NMEA Adapter Cable

This saved me a time-consuming repair and expense of my out-of-warranty Raymarine 73 VHF radio.

Can’t wait to get underway again in a couple weeks!

AIS (automatic identification system) enables me to see other vessels on my chart plotter as shown above, and makes us appear on theirs too. It is better than radar.
There are AIS-equipped buoys, ATONS (aids to navigation) so they pop right up on your chart-plotter!

It is great technology!

Even the boat’s name can be displayed!

Leave a comment