Si-tex AIS Radar User's Manual

A.I.S. RADAR RECEIVER

USER INSTRUCTIONS

Software Updates

1. For convenience, channel selection has now been moved to the
Threshold Screen.

2. Alternate A and B channel switching has been included (A, B, A,
B…)

3. To reduce the waiting time for ship names they are now stored in
memory.

4. The selection of the user’s position on screen has been
simplified. Selection is now made by pressing CONFIG, then
CENTRE.

INTRODUCTION
The AIS radar consists of a dual frequency receiver, a powerful

computer and a high contrast display.

Vessels carrying AIS transponders are plotted directly onto the AIS
radar display. The tracks of each vessel show the true relative movement
of all targets in the display.

The receiver is designed to o perate from a 12 volt supply and requires a
conventional marine VHF antenna (not supplied) and an input from a
GPS receiver to give the user’s position.

INSTALLING THE DISPLAY
The AIS receiver is not waterproof and should only be cabin mounted.

Select a convenient position for the display on a panel or bulkhead. The
site must be flat and the cavity behind the panel must remain dry at all
times. Cut a hole in the panel 103mm by 143mm wide.

Unscrew the wing nut from the rear of the receiver and take off the
mounting clamp. Fit the ‘O’ ring in the groove on the rear and place the
unit in the hole in the panel. Refit the mounting clamp and finger tighten
the wing nut. Alternatively a cradle mounting kit is available where
panel mounting is impractical.

Plug the power cable into the rear of the receiver and connect to 12 volts.
(The red wire to positive and the wire with the black stripe to negative.
The unit is protected against reverse polarity.)

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Plug in the UTILITY cable supplied and, using the terminal block,
connect as follows.

Connect the NMEA output (for NMEA+) of the GPS to the BLUE
wire of the UTILITY cable. If the GPS has a NMEA – or NMEA
REF connect this wire to the vessel supply negative. The AIS radar
requires an NMEA 0183 signal with RMC sentence. The signal
level must swing above and below 2 volts.

INSTALLING THE ANTENNA

The receiver requires its own marine VHF antenna and cannot be shared
with a transceiver antenna. It should be mounted as high as possible to
maximize range but should be spaced not less than 1 metre from a
transmitting antenna. The antenna cable should be at least 3 metres long
and the antenna should be sited at least 2 metres from the AIS receiver.

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