Inexpensive AIS Receiver

[tomusa]

Hi,

I ran across this AIS that seems to combine quite a few features in one box and I was wondering if any of you have had any experience with it. It is a Quark-Elec QK-A026 viewable at:

https://www.quark-elec.com/product/q...-gps-receiver/

The price looks reasonable. Any comments appreciated.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by tomusa

Hi,

I ran across this AIS that seems to combine quite a few features in one box and I was wondering if any of you have had any experience with it. It is a Quark-Elec QK-A026 viewable at:

https://www.quark-elec.com/product/q...-gps-receiver/

The price looks reasonable. Any comments appreciated.

My only comment is nmea2k is much better and causes less compatibility issues. I would always lean towards it

[tomusa]

Thanks Goboat..I misread the ad and thought it included Nmea 2K.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

My only comment is nmea2k is much better and causes less compatibility issues. I would always lean towards it

NMEA 0183 works fine especially if you are just now adding an AIS Receiver.

I've been using it for years bringing in GPS and AIS data from my SH2200 VHF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TOdSCDHb2s

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by tomusa

Hi,

I ran across this AIS that seems to combine quite a few features in one box and I was wondering if any of you have had any experience with it. It is a Quark-Elec QK-A026 viewable at:

https://www.quark-elec.com/product/q...-gps-receiver/

The price looks reasonable. Any comments appreciated.

Why not get a transceiver instead?

-Chris

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

Why not get a transceiver instead?



-Chris

Agreed these days there’s zero point in a receiver

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Agreed these days there’s zero point in a receiver

That's ridiculous.

An AIS Receiver is great to have onboard.

You can see ships and other boats with AIS Transceivers up to 30 miles away!

You can also see their course, speed, name, and many times if they are sail or powered vessels

Here we have two shipping channels to cross and having an AIS Receiver takes a lot of the guess work out of those crossings ......

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by thomm225

An AIS Receiver is great to have onboard.

You can see ships and other boats with AIS Transceivers up to 30 miles away!

You can also see their course, speed, name, and many times if they are sail or powered vessels

Here we have two shipping channels to cross and having an AIS Receiver takes a lot of the guess work out of those crossings ......

Doesn't help any of those other boats/ships see you, though.

-Chris

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

Doesn't help any of those other boats/ships see you, though.

-Chris

Yeah, but it does insure that you can avoid them especially at night or in poor visibility

And allows you to see at long range what is over the horizon.

The AIS Receiver also has a CPA alarm which is nice if you are napping offshore

You can also see their MMSI Number

[goboatingnow]

Better they avoid you

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Better they avoid you

The point is the OP doesn't have AIS at all so having AIS Receive is a big first step and a big improvement on having no AIS at all......

Just here a few years ago I would have no idea I was on a near collision course with a tug about 5 miles away without my AIS Receive data which I have coming into my laptop chart plotter via NMEA 0183 and a USB 232 adapter from a SH GX2200 VHF

At the time of this video I still was using a Raspberry Pi 4 computer and 19" HDTV as a monitor. Now I'm using my laptop

Another nice thing about having a VHF with AIS receiver is that the installation can be done in about 5 minutes as you are using the same VHF antenna as before.

The NMEA wiring might take you some time to research but the hardware install easy quite easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TOdSCDHb2s

[goboatingnow]

To see ships avoiding you miles away is a reassuring aspect of transmit ais

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

To see ships avoiding you miles away is a reassuring aspect of transmit ais

You're missing the point.

For a few dollars and simple install you cannot beat having an AIS Receiver and AIS targets displayed on your chart plotter if you had none before ......

I'd rather be proactive rather than simply relying on ships to avoiding me

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by thomm225

You're missing the point.

For a few dollars and simple install you cannot beat having an AIS Receiver and AIS targets displayed on your chart plotter if you had none before ......

I'd rather be proactive rather than simply relying on ships to avoiding me

If the OP is just day or occasional overnight, then the £160 price of the linked receiver is a worth while investment, though personally I would buy a second hand one off e bay. My Easy AIS receiver fetched £60 a couple of years ago.

Just had a look at Em Trak, the cheapest current stock is £460 plus 20% VAT.

That's a huge difference and actually one of the reasons we bought a receiver in about 2009 rather than a transceiver, before swopping it out after 10 years.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Pete7

If the OP is just day or occasional overnight, then the £160 price of the linked receiver is a worth while investment, though personally I would buy a second hand one off e bay. My Easy AIS receiver fetched £60 a couple of years ago.

Just had a look at Em Trak, the cheapest current stock is £460 plus 20% VAT.

That's a huge difference and actually one of the reasons we bought a receiver in about 2009 rather than a transceiver, before swopping it out after 10 years.

Right.

When I retire and am on the boat for weeks at a time instead of days at a time and also venturing further offshore where I could be for days so would be napping and not as vigilant I would want an AIS Transceiver.

For 90%-95% of the sailors though, an AIS Receiver is more than enough