AISLink CB2 Transponder

[SkunkBoat]

Picked this up on Amazon for $650 which is the best price I've seen for a Class B+ SOTDMA with NMEA2k and WiFi. They usually run >$800. They did not program it though. Normally in the US the supplier enters your MMSI and other data before they ship it. I thought that was odd but there are instructions to use an App to load data and update software, which is how everyone else in the world does it. We shall see. I have all my electronics apart while my hardtop frame gets fix so it will be a while to get to this.
I have a 3' SS whip I'm going to use as dedicated antenna.

 

[ElyseM]

i thought transponders had to be programmed by an FCC licensed individual in the USA. I'm thinking of doing one. i boat around large vessels and it would be nice to know that they actually are aware of my little boat in their vicinity. receiver not useful since i can easily see them visually or on radar. ron

 

[SkunkBoat]

Well, from what I see not necessarily "licensed" but "qualified". Look at the Artex/ACR site. https://www.acrartex.com/products/automatic-identification-system-aislink-cb2/
I consider myself a qualified marine electronics installer

They have conflicting info because they talk about the Apps to load MMSI but also talk about in USA there is a form to fill out so they can enter for you. So if you purchased on their site, they would program before shipping it. On Amazon they did not offer that and the seller was "the ACR Store".

You have to enter YOUR assigned MMSI number. The main point is "You can't mess it up or you will have to send it back to them to change the MMSI". And operating it with the wrong MMSI number is against the law.

 

[SkunkBoat]

So..after several weeks of anger and being literally one click away from returning this, I finally got it programmed.
Sent 3 emails to ACR Product support a week apart. no response. This morning third one I copied and sent to their Marketing and to their Sales and to their Artex Support.
I was on Amazon about to return it and my phone rings. 954 area code...hmmm ACR is in Ft lauderdale...so I actually answer it.... "ACR Support how can I help you?" Hehehe he must have got a call from Marketing and Sales and got chewed out.
So he explained some "quirks" to using the iOS App and I was able to update the firmware and load my MMSI# in a few minutes.

So, according to my phone app everything loaded thru Wifi and I'm good to go. Can't test anything until I'm in the water in May

 

[Meanwhile]

Looking forward to a review.

I still use the poor man's version, Boat Beacon.

 

[Hookup1]

Being that close t the water you should be able to see yourself on the AIS sites or another boat.

 

[SkunkBoat]

so to follow up...

I was going to use my old 4400 SS whip but while putting everything back on my hardtop this spring I found brittle cables on both antennas and decided to get new.
I got a 4 ft Shakespear Galaxy AIS. AIS specific antennas are tuned to 162 MHz vs 156.2 for VHF. That provides better performance over using a VHF antenna, particularly with a transmitting AIS.

AISLink CB2 works great. Guys at my dock read me on their screens.
I get AIS symbols over N2k on both of my mfds.



I also replaced the old VHF 8 footer with an 8ft Galaxy VHF