Simrad was showing off new autopilots in Lauderdale, but it was the new AIS system that caught my eye.
The company had its new AP24 and AP28 autopilots for power and sailboats on display as well as a new AIS system, the A150, which is a so-called Class B AIS system, meaning it is intended for recreational and light commercial use. Like most Class B systems, this one transmits your boat's key data to other ships instead of just receiving that information from other boats. In that sense, it operates like the most sophisticated, commercial units with send-receive capabilities.
Many AIS units have come on the market in the last year, but very few of them transmit your boat's data. In the U.S., as Sandy points out in the comment below, we are still waiting for the FCC to approve Class B AIS units. Our colleague Ben Ellison has followed this closely.
A slight correction, Tom. All AIS B units transmit your vessel's position and description data. This is a step up from a collection of AIS receivers on the market that only receive data from other vessels. AIS B has been available everywhere but the US for several years; there are several choices, but only for someone boating in Europe or Asia. To data, the only legal AIS equipment here is AIS A (big ship expensive) or the aforementioned receivers, of greater or lesser reknown! For a complete rendition of the Techy soap opera about AIS B, go to Panbo.com.
What IS exciting about the A150 is that it talks on NMEA2000 (N2K) and speaks to a companion VHF radio, allowing the operator to point, click, and call an AIS target on his chart plotter, without having to dial their 10 digit MMSI number. This is MAJOR sexy. Alas, we are not allowed to play with these toys unitl our benign great white father (the FCC) approves it. See Panbo.com for the sordid details.
The good news (maybe) is that AIS B is on the agenda for the FCC's February meeting. We've been disappointed before.
Good catch, Sandy. Thanks for the correction!