The AIS is designed to be very easy to install. Included with the AIS is the following:
- Power cable
- Data cable
- USB cable
- GPS antenna
- Document pack
Depending on your specific installation you might find the following information useful.
– Configuration Tool:
Your AIS will need to be configured with your vessel details before it will start transmitting and working correctly. To do that you will need to download the Em-trak programming application on to your phone or PC, whichever is most convenient for you.
Our mobile phone app is available from Google Play Store or the Apple App store. Once downloaded you can configure the AIS wirelessly using either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity. If you wish to use your PC, you will need to down load our proAIS application software from www.em- trak.com/installation
US CUSTOMERS ONLY: In the USA it is illegal for an end user to program their own AIS with their vessel data. To do so is a violation of the rules of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This must be done by a competent installer, such as Em-trak, an Em-trak dealer or competent marine electronics professional. If your AIS transceiver has not been pre-configured for you please refer to your dealer or contact support@em-trak.com for advice on how to have the AIS transceiver configured legally. If purchasing direct from Em-trak online we can program it for you and dispatch it pre-configured at no extra cost, if you are purchasing from one of our dealers, then they will do it for you.
– VHF Antenna & Cables:
This is required for your transceiver to receive and transmit. If you need to extend the antenna cable when connecting to your existing VHF antenna, RG-58 or RG-8X can be used for short distances. for longer runs we would recommend a low loss cable like RG 213.
– Power Cable
This may be required to extend the length of the 2m power cable that is supplied with your transceiver. If you require longer cables to reach your power supply, please ensure they are capable of carrying currents of up to 4A peak and 1.6A on average.
– Chart plotter & Navigation Displays
The AIS is designed to offer you the ultimate data connectivity so you can share AIS data with multiple devices simultaneously wired and wirelessly.
With both NMEA0183 and NMEA2000 data format outputs the AIS will connect to any old or new chart plotter and is compatible with all navigation apps and programs.
For NMEA 0183 we recommend that 38400 baud is used for outputting AIS data. This is also known as NMEA HS by some manufacturers and in the case of NMEA 2000 – you can connect to an existing NMEA 2000 network using a drop cable or T-piece network connector. This will allow you to output AIS data to any compatible devices that are connected on the network.
The AIS also has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so you can select the AIS from your list of detected devices on your cell-phone, tablet or wearable, connect and start receiving AIS information.
To connect to a PC simply use a USB cable.
– Toggle switch
This can be used to turn on/off silent mode. We would recommend a latching toggle switch for this application. Silent mode can also be controlled using the silent mode button and proAIS2.